Condom, Gers

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This article is about French commune. For contraception device, see Condom.

Administration
Commune of Condom
Location
Longitude	00° 22' 25" E
Latitude	43° 57' 30" N
Country	France
Région	Midi-Pyrénées
Département	Gers (sous-préfecture)
Arrondissement	Condom
Canton	Condom
Intercommunality	Communauté de commune de la Ténarèze
Mayor	Gérard Dubrac (2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude	62 m–190 m (avg. 82 m)
Land area¹	97.37 km²
Population² (1999)	7,251
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	32107/ 32100
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Condom is a town and commune in the French département of Gers, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Population (1999): 7,251.

1 Way of St. James
2 Miscellaneous
3 See also
4 External links
- 4.1 Condom cathedral photo

[edit] Way of St. James

Condom is a town on the Via Podiensis, one of the three major French arms of the Way of St. James. This route is followed by those making the pilgrimage from Le Puy by way of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostella in northwest Spain. Pilgrims arrive at Condom after Miradoux and next pass through Larressingle.

[edit] Miscellaneous

Given the more widespread social use, in the English language, of the word Condom, it is interesting to note that the town is located on the river Baïse; baise, without the diaeresis, is a French vulgarism for a sex act. In French language however, a condom is called préservatif. The city is a popular target for street sign stealing tourists. It is also home to a museum of famous population-controlling devices.

It is known for the production of Armagnac, an international music festival of "bandas", an international chess tournament and an international chess marathon. It is also known for its tourism with farm campings and boating on waterways.

The town was featured in the French film, Le Bonheur est dans le Pré or Happiness is in the Field. The movie features a man leaving his job as a manager of a toilet lid factory and his erstwhile family after he was mistaken for another man on a TV show. He moves to live in Condom with his 'old-new' family who own a foie de canard (duck liver) farm. The film features many ducks and happy people drinking armagnac and eating foie de canard.