Quercy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quercy (pronounced /kɛʀsi/ in French; pronunciation ) (Occitan: Carcin, pronounced [kaɾˈsi], locally [kɔɾˈʃi]) is a former province of France located in the southwest of France, bounded on the north by Limousin, on the west by Périgord and Agenais, on the south by Gascony and Languedoc, and on the east by Rouergue and Auvergne.
Today, Quercy is divided between the département of Lot (which it makes up in its entirety) and the northern half of the département of Tarn-et-Garonne. The traditional capital of Quercy is Cahors, now préfecture (capital) of the Lot département. The largest town of Quercy is Montauban, préfecture of Tarn-et-Garonne. However, Montauban lies at the traditional border between Quercy and Languedoc, in an area very different from the rest of Quercy, and it is closer historically and culturally to Toulouse and the rest of Languedoc, therefore it should be considered a special case, not totally part of Quercy. Also distinct from the rest of the region is the Quercy Blanc lying between Cahors and the southern boundary of the Lot, characterised by its white limestone buildings.
Like Périgord, the area is noted for its cuisine, more particularly the duck dishes, confit de canard and magret de canard and the dark red wines of Cahors and, further south, Coteaux de Quercy.
Quercy has a land area of 6,987 km² (2,698 sq. miles). At the 1999 census there were 275,984 inhabitants on the territory of the former province of Quercy, which means a density of 40 inh. per km² (102 inh. per sq. mile). However, if Montauban is not included inside Quercy, then the total population of Quercy in 1999 was 224,129 inhabitants, and the density was only 33 inh. per km² (85 inh. per sq. mile). The largest urban areas in Quercy are Montauban, with 51,855 inhabitants in 1999, Cahors, with 23,128 inhabitants in 1999, Moissac, with 12,321 inhabitants in 1999, and Figeac, with 9,991 inhabitants in 1999.
[edit] Famous Personalities from Quercy
- John XXII, pope (1316-1332)
- Jean Le Parisot de La Valette (1494-1568), Grand Master of the Order of Malta
- Clément Marot, poet (1496-1544)
- Olivier de Magny, poet (1529-1561)
- Etienne Henri d'Escayrac Lauture (1747-1791), Counter Revolutionary
- André Étienne d'Audebert de Férussac (1786-1836), naturalist
- Stanislas d'Escayrac Lauture (1822-1868), explorer
- Léon Gambetta, politician
- Francis Maratuech, writer and poet
- Philippe Gaubert, conductor and composer
- Alfred Roques, rugby player
- Fabien Galthié, rugby player
- Christian Signol, writer
