Calmeilles

Calmeilles (Calmella) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Historically and culturally, the commune is in the Aspres region, a small Roussillon territory between the Têt valley in the North and the Tech valley in the South.

Exposed to a principally oceanic climate, it is drained by the Canterrane and Ample rivers, and various other smaller ones. The commune has a remarkable natural heritage made up of three natural areas of ecological, faunal and floral interest.

Calmeilles is a rural commune with 60 inhabitants in 2021, having experienced a peak population of 384 in 1821. It is part of the “aire d'attraction de Perpignan” (Perpignan attraction area). Its inhabitants are called Calmeillens or Calmeillennes.

Geography
Calmeilles is located in the canton of Les Aspres and in the arrondissement of Céret

It is 24 km (as the crow flies) from Perpignan, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department, 10 km from Céret, sub-prefecture, and 11 km from Thuir, centralizing office of the canton of Les Aspres on which the commune has depended since 2015 for departmental elections. The commune is also part of the “bassin de vie” of Céret.

The nearest municipalities are: Oms (2.0 km), Taillet (2.8 km), Caixas (3.5 km), Prunet-et-Belpuig (4.2 km), Saint-Marsal (4, 6 km), Taulis (4.6 km), Montauriol (4.9 km), and Llauro (5.7 km).

Historically and culturally, Calmeilles is part of the Aspres region. Between the valleys of Têt to the North and the Tech to the South, the tiny Roussillon territory takes its name from the stony nature of the soil found there.