Pont-Saint-Esprit
| Pont-Saint-Esprit | ||
|---|---|---|
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  Pont-Saint-Esprit | ||
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Location within Languedoc-Roussillon region  Pont-Saint-Esprit | ||
| Coordinates: 44°15′27″N 4°38′57″E / 44.2575°N 4.6492°ECoordinates: 44°15′27″N 4°38′57″E / 44.2575°N 4.6492°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Languedoc-Roussillon | |
| Department | Gard | |
| Arrondissement | Nîmes | |
| Canton | Pont-Saint-Esprit | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2001–2008) | Gilbert Baumet | |
| Area | ||
| • Land1 | 18.49 km2 (7.14 sq mi) | |
| Population (2008) | ||
| • Population2 | 10,046 | |
| • Population2 Density | 540/km2 (1,400/sq mi) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 30202 / 30130 | |
| Elevation |
36–187 m (118–614 ft) (avg. 59 m or 194 ft) | |
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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. | ||
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Pont-Saint-Esprit (Occitan Lo Pònt Sant Esperit) is a commune in the Gard département in southern France. It is situated on the Rhône River and is the site of a historical crossing, hence its name. The Ardèche River flows into the Rhône, just to the north of the bridge. The residents are called Spiripontains.[citation needed]
Bouvier family origins
Pont-Saint-Esprit is famous as the town of origin of Michel Bouvier, a cabinetmaker, who was the ancestor of John Vernou Bouvier III, father of Jacqueline Kennedy.
1951 mass poisoning incident
On 15 August 1951, an outbreak of poisoning, marked by acute psychotic episodes and various physical symptoms, occurred in Pont-Saint-Esprit. More than 250 people were involved, including 50 persons interned in asylums and four deaths.[1] Several explanations have been proposed - ergotism, mercury poisoning, contamination with the mycotoxin Aspergillus fumigatus, nitrogen trichloride poisoning, and allegations that the incident was the result of a CIA MKULTRA biological weapons test.
International relations
Pont-Saint-Esprit is twinned with:
See also
References
- ↑ "Ergot Poisoning at Pont St. Esprit". British Medical Journal 2 (4732): 650–651. 1951-09-15. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.930.650-a. PMC 2069953. PMID 14869677.
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- John G. Fuller, The Day Of St. Anthony's Fire (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1968).
External links
- Tourism office website
- Document BBC Radio 4 programme on the Le Pain Maudit
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pont-Saint-Esprit. |
