Limoux
Limoux is a commune and subprefecture in the Aude department of Occitanie, southern France, located in the foothills of the Pyrenees approximately 20 kilometers south of Carcassonne. With a population of 10,012 inhabitants spread over 32.4 square kilometers, it serves as the administrative center of the Limoux arrondissement.[1]
The town is historically and economically defined by its viticulture, particularly the production of Blanquette de Limoux, recognized as the world's oldest sparkling wine, originating from experiments by Benedictine monks at the nearby Abbey of Saint-Hilaire in 1531 using Mauzac grapes and ancestral method sparkling techniques that predate those in Champagne.[2][3]
Limoux also hosts the Carnaval de Limoux, claimed as the longest carnival in the world, extending from early January through late March or early April until shortly before Easter, with roots tracing to the 14th century in local millers' rent payments and evolving into a tradition featuring masked parades, Pierrot figures, and communal festivities that persisted through wars and plagues.[4][5]
While agriculture, especially wine, dominates the local economy, supported by clay-limestone soils conducive to sparkling varietals, the town maintains modest industrial zones for diversification amid the broader Aude department's challenges with poverty and limited heavy industry.[6][7]