Draguignan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Draguignan
Clock tower of Draguignan.

Coat of arms
Draguignan
Coordinates: 43°32′25″N 6°28′00″E / 43.5403°N 6.4667°E / 43.5403; 6.4667Coordinates: 43°32′25″N 6°28′00″E / 43.5403°N 6.4667°E / 43.5403; 6.4667
Country France
Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department Var
Arrondissement Draguignan
Canton Draguignan
Intercommunality Draguignan
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Max Piselli
Area
 • Land1 53.7 km2 (20.7 sq mi)
Population (2006)
 • Population2 38,258
 • Population2 Density 710/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 83050 / 83300
Elevation 153–603 m (502–1,978 ft)
(avg. 181 m or 594 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.

Draguignan (French pronunciation: ​[dʁa.ɡi.ɲɑ̃]) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in southeastern France.

It is a sub-prefecture of the department and self-proclaimed "capital of Artillery" and "Porte du Verdon".

The city is only 42 km (26 mi) from St. Tropez, and 80 km (50 mi) from Nice.

City's name

saint georges terrassant le dragon

According to legend, the name of the city is derived from the Latin name “Draco/Draconem” (dragon): a bishop, called Saint Hermentaire, killed a dragon and saved people.

Motto

The Latin motto of Draguignan is Alios nutrio, meos devoro (I feed others, I devour my children).

Geography

The elevation is 200m. The highest hill near Draguignan is Malmont (551m). The main river near Draguignan is the Nartuby.

The city is set in a valley NW-SE, about 2 km (1 mi) wide.

History

  • The name of Draguignan (“Dragonianum”) appeared for the first time in 909.
  • During the Middle-Ages, Draguignan was a small village whose people lived from olive and grape cultivation.
  • Draguignan became the “prefecture” of the Var in 1790, at the beginning of the French Revolution. This was despite the town by far not being the biggest city in the department. It remained the seat of the prefecture until 1974.
  • In the 19th century and during a large part of the 20th century, the people of Draguignan (in French: “Dracénois”, in English: “Draceners”) voted for liberal parties (Radical-Socialist Party, Socialist Party).
  • The town was occupied by the Wehrmacht in 1942-44 and freed in August 1944, after Operation Dragoon.
  • The city welcomed the “Ecole nationale d'artillerie” (Artillery School) in 1976, then the “Ecole nationale d'infanterie” (Infantry School) in 2010. The arrival of the military involved the development of the city : the small town became a city in the second part of the 20th century : 13 400 citizens in 1954, 33 000 in 2000, 38 000 in 2010.
  • On June 15, 2010, the city was flooded. Torrential rain caused the deaths of 12 people in the town and 25 in the neighborhoods.

Major attractions

The Dolmen in Draguignan

Personalities connected to Draguignan

Twin towns

Pictures

  • The Dolmen Pierre de la fée.

  • The Town Theatre of Draguignan (Théatre Municipal).

  • The old Railway Station, which is still called Gare SNCF even though the tracks from Les Arcs to Draguignan were dismantled or closed down.

See also

References

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Draguignan.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.