Orgon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the concept of "orgone", see Wilhelm Reich.
- There is also a British synthesiser manufacturer called Orgon Systems.
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Commune of Orgon |
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| Location | |
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Bouches-du-Rhône |
| Arrondissement | Arles |
| Canton | Orgon |
| Mayor | Jean-Louis Ollivier (2001-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 62 m–298 m |
| Land area¹ | 34,78 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
2,642 |
| - Density | 76/km² (1999) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 13067/ 13660 |
| 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: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
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Orgon (ancient Urgonum, Castrum de Urgone) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône département in southern France.
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[edit] Geography
Neighbouring villages and small towns include Les Baux de Provence, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Cavaillon. Orgon is one of the twelve communes of the Alpilles area, a small mountain chain made famous through paintings of Vincent van Gogh and novels of the French author Alphonse Daudet. The river Durance runs through it.
[edit] Sights
The village of Orgon harbours a 19th century monastery overlooking the Durance valley (Notre Dame du Beauregard) and the ruins of a Templar castle.
[edit] History
In history, Orgon is known through the attempted lynching of Napoleon Bonaparte on his way to Saint Helena passing through the village. Orgon was also the birth place of the French poet Antoine Pomme (1620) and the painter Louis Espérandieu (1787-1857).
[edit] Demographics
The area is home to the second residences of various French and international artists and politicians.
[edit] Ecology
Having given its name to a specific type of limestone found only in this area, the recent plans of extension of the mining activities of the company OMYA in Orgon have led to protest actions by French intellectuals throughout the country, worried about the risks to the preservation of the natural and historic specificities of Alpilles hills. The dispute regarding the extension plans of the multi-national mining company OMYA have to an extent come to an end through the announced nomination of the territory as a protected Regional Parc as of January 1, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Tourism office website (in French)
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