Central to the commune is the classic Gers Pierre Blanche bastide of St Orens, consisting of a walled community on a fierce outcrop of rock, situated 2 km to the east of the D654 between Condom and Saint-Puy. St Orens has views to the south, including the Pyrenees in fine weather.
On a facing hill is the hamlet of Hameau de Pouy-Petit.
Saint Orens holds a Catholic church and the Château St Orens (sixteenth century). Hameau de Pouy-Petit has the Château gascon de Pouy-Petit (eighteenth century).
Geography
Saint-Orens-Pouy-Petit and its surrounding communes
Population
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1962
191
—
1968
209
+9.4%
1975
172
−17.7%
1982
207
+20.3%
1990
190
−8.2%
1999
141
−25.8%
2008
142
+0.7%
Economy
Agriculture
St Orens sits within of a large agricultural region, with common crops including corn, colza, sunflowers and grain. There are also a number of vineyards, producing grapes for wine or distilling.
Local market towns are known for their fine fruit and vegetables, particularly Condom, Nérac and Lectoure
Fortified village walls (St Orens) - St Orens is enclosed by white stone walls (incomplete in sections) dating to the thirteenth century
Château de St Orens (sixteenth century) - forming the western end of the fortified village, now containing the Salle de Fête (a function and exhibition space) and Mairie (mayor's office). The chateau was given to a lieutenant of the French gentleman soldier Blaise de Monluc, based in Saint-Puy.
Château de Pouy-Petit (eighteenth century)
Lavoir: a reconstructed washing area below St Orens, used by the villagers prior to modern plumbing
Library
Ceramics workshop and gallery
Brocante
Rare and vintage button shop
Tennis court
Boule patch
Saint-Orens from the north. The château is to the right.
Arts
Like much of the Gers, St Orens had seen a slow period of decline through the twentieth century, leaving a number of properties in the village empty. An influx of newcomers and returnees in the 1970s and 1980s helped reverse this process. A number of these people were artists and artisans, creating a vibrant artistic community.[citation needed] The Salle de Fête regularly hosts arts exhibitions by local artists, and the nearby Musée d'Art Naïf (Béraut) complements this picture.[citation needed]
