Sommières

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Commune of Sommières
Location
Longitude 04° 05' 27" E
Latitude 43° 47' 07" N
Administration
Country France
Region Languedoc-Roussillon
Department Gard
Arrondissement Nîmes
Canton Sommières
Intercommunality Communauté de Communes du Pays de Sommières
Mayor Guy Marotte
(2004-2008)
Statistics
Altitude 19 m–106 m
(avg. 34 m)
Land area¹ 10.36 km²
Population²
(1999)
3,677
 - Density (1999) 354/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 30321/ 30250
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).
France

Sommières is a village and commune in France, situated in the Gard département in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, 22 kilometres from Nîmes, 28 kilometres from Montpellier, and on the edge of the Vaunage, a wine growing region. The village has a Roman bridge, a medieval centre and the ruins of a château.

Sommières, showing the Vidourle and the Roman Bridge
Sommières, showing the Vidourle and the Roman Bridge
The medieval centre of Sommières
The medieval centre of Sommières
The 2002 floods at Sommières
The 2002 floods at Sommières

In 2002 the River Vidourle flooded, causing major damage to the town and properties along the bank. It washed out the Champion supermarket, which in 2007 is still awaiting repair.

The writer Lawrence Durrell lived in Sommières for much of his life.

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