La Couvertoirade

La Couvertoirade
La Couvertoirade
Commune
	A general view of La Couvertoirade
	Location of La Couvertoirade
	La Couvertoirade La Couvertoirade
	Coordinates: 43°54′50″N 3°19′02″E / 43.9139°N 3.3172°E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Aveyron
Arrondissement	Millau
Canton	Causses-Rougiers
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Maryse Roux
Area 1	61.91 km2 (23.90 sq mi)
Population (2021)	189
• Density	3.1/km2 (7.9/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	12082 /12230
Elevation	640–900 m (2,100–2,950 ft) ; (avg. 800 m or 2,600 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

La Couvertoirade (French pronunciation: [la kuvɛʁtwaʁad]; Occitan: La Cobertoirada) is a commune in the southern French department of Aveyron.

Geography

La Couvertoirade is located on the Larzac plateau.

History and sites of interest

This well-preserved fortified town was owned by the Knights Templar, under orders from the Commandery of Sainte-Eulalie, from the twelfth century. The Templars built the fortress there during the 12th and 13th centuries; its two upper floors have since been removed. Following their dissolution in 1312, the Templars' property in the causses was taken by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem who were responsible for building the curtain wall at La Couvertoirade between 1439 and 1450.

Like other Larzac villages, the population fell rapidly in the 19th century, to as few as 362 by 1880. Today, it is largely inhabited by craftsmen working with enamel, pottery, weaving and similar crafts. It belongs to the association known as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages of France).