- The town of Carmaux is on the edge of the plains of Aquitaine and the Massif Central, which explains the presence of coal in its basement. It serves as a point of contact between the Ségala in the North and the rich alluvial plain of the Tarn. A small river, the Cérou, crosses from east to west. It takes its source near the northeastern limit of the department, not far from Valence d'Albigeois and flows into the Aveyron near Milhars in the North-West.
- The city has obtained the label towns and villages flowered "two flowers".
- More than 80 associations and other partners offer entertainment throughout the year.
- History:
- The origins of Carmaux, in all likelihood, go back to the time of the Gauls. Its name comes from that of a Gallic character Caramantus, Latin name and whose spelling has varied over the centuries to become Carmaux in 1848.
It was, at the very beginning, only an agricultural hamlet on the left bank of the Cérou. This capricious river often changed its course to the rhythm of its floods until one of them eroded the secret of the riches of the subsoil: coal.
The inhabitants first used it for their personal use and then transported it to Albi, Gaillac and Toulouse in 1245. It was not until 1752 that the Chevalier de Solages obtained from King Louis XV the first concession followed Subsequently several others. Coal mining is organized and growing. To use this coal, a glassworks was put into operation in 1754. The industrial era of the nineteenth century and the construction of the railway favored the development of the mining industry which would continue until 1997. During this long period, Carmaux Was the scene of rough labor, trade union and political struggles.
