Muret

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Muret
Town hall
Muret
Coordinates: 43°27′40″N 1°19′36″E / 43.4611°N 1.3267°E / 43.4611; 1.3267Coordinates: 43°27′40″N 1°19′36″E / 43.4611°N 1.3267°E / 43.4611; 1.3267
Country France
Region Midi-Pyrénées
Department Haute-Garonne
Arrondissement Muret
Canton Muret
Intercommunality Muretain
Government
 • Mayor (2001–2008) Alain Barrès
Area
 • Land1 57.84 km2 (22.33 sq mi)
Population (2008)
 • Population2 23,297
 • Population2 Density 400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 31395 / 31600
Elevation 152–305 m (499–1,001 ft)
(avg. 169 m or 554 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.

Muret (French pronunciation: ​[my.ʁɛ] ; in Occitan Murèth) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.

It is an outer suburb of the city of Toulouse, even though it does not belong to Greater Toulouse, which it has declined to join. It lies southwest of Toulouse and is the largest component of the intercommunality of Muretain.

History

On September 12, 1213 the Battle of Muret took place between Simon de Montfort and a coalition force under the control of Count Raymond of Toulouse, and King Pedro II of Aragon.

De Montfort had been fighting Albigensian heretics during the Albigensian Crusade, when he was besieged by the vastly superior coalition army. Refusing to surrender or be starved into submission, de Montfort went on the offensive. Leading his knights out of the town, he proceeded to position them in a wide arc, then fell upon the Toulouse cavalry with a noise like a whole forest going down under the axe. Next to fall before the Crusader army was the Aragonian cavalry, where King Pedro himself fell to the sword. After this, all that was left was to scatter the remaining cavalry defending the coalition camp before turning on the infantry that had been besieging Muret's walls. Despite their overwhelming advantage in numbers,the coalition army numbering almost 34,000 men was destroyed by de Montfort's army of only 2,100. The siege of Muret was lifted.

7,000-20,000 coalition troops were killed compared to a handful of casualties for de Monfort's army.

Population

Historical population of Muret
Year1793180018061821183118361841184618511856
Population3000325832843286378739724000430841964125
Year1861186618721876188118861891189619011906
Population4130405038523956405641454142406439113712
Year191119211926193119361946195419621968
Population3654321834823725401343685204669313,039
Year19751982199019992008
Population14,77815,84418,13420,73523,297

Sights

The Château de Rudelle is a 16th and 17th century castle. Privately owned, it is listed as a historic site by the French Ministry of Culture.[1]

Geography

The Louge flows northeast through the commune, then flows into the Garonne in the town.

The Garonne flows north through the commune and forms part of its northern border.

Transport

Communication

South of Muret, there is a mediumwave broadcasting station, which works on 945 kHz with 300 kW.

International relations

Muret is twinned with:

Education

See also

References

  1. ↑ www.culture.gouv.fr, accessed 17 March 2008

External links

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