Condom, Gers

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Condom
Condom Cathedral
Condom
Coordinates: 43°58′N 0°22′E / 43.96°N 0.37°E / 43.96; 0.37Coordinates: 43°58′N 0°22′E / 43.96°N 0.37°E / 43.96; 0.37
Country France
Region Midi-Pyrénées
Department Gers
Arrondissement Condom
Canton Condom
Intercommunality La Ténarèze
Government
 • Mayor Bernard Gallard
Area
 • Land1 97.37 km2 (37.59 sq mi)
Population (2008)
 • Population2 7,193
 • Population2 Density 74/km2 (190/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 32107 / 32100
Elevation 62–190 m (203–623 ft)
(avg. 82 m or 269 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Condom (Occitan: Condòm; French pronunciation: ​[kɔ̃dɔ̃]), also referred to as Condom-en-Armagnac, is a commune in southwestern France in the department of Gers, of which it is a subprefecture.

Way of St. James

Condom is a town on the Via Podiensis, one of the three major French arms of the pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James. This particular route begins in Le Puy and ends in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Pilgrims arrive at Condom after Miradoux and continue on to Larressingle.

Name

There is no relationship between the English word condom and this town. The toponym Condom comes from the Gaulish words condate-ó-magos which means "market of the confluence". Condatómagos evolved into Condatóm and then into Conddóm. Condom was first recorded in Latin in the 10th century as Condomus or Condomium.[1]

Though the French word for a condom is préservatif, in 1995 the town's mayor, taking advantage of the incidental relationship between the town's name and the English word, opened a museum of famous population-control devices, which closed in 2005.[2]

Population

Historical population of Condom, Gers
Year1800180618211831184118461851185618611866
Population6861729873197323691571957205755380708140
Year1872187618811886189118961901190619111921
Population8282787385557902740570456578643563805773
Year1926193119361946195419621968197519821990
Population6355631062336725678168507326785376347717
Year1999200820092010
Population7251719370997012

Sights

Condom is the site of two castles, the Château de Mothes and the Château de Pouypardin, both started in the 13th century. In total, 19 sites in Condom are listed as monuments historiques by the French Ministry of Culture, including the cathedral, churches and houses.

Condom 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. It is also home to a museum about Armagnac.[3][4]

Sister city

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ernest Nègre , "Toponymie générale de la France, Volume 1", p.192
  2. ↑ Meslin, Franck (4 August 2012). "La capote colle toujours à la peau de Condom Tous les projets ont capoté". Sud-Ouest. Retrieved 28 May 2013. 
  3. ↑ Musée de l'Armagnac Pays en France (retrieved November 6, 2007)
  4. ↑ The Town of Condom (retrieved November 6, 2007)

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