Marmande

Marmande
Subprefecture and commune

The church and cloister in Marmande

Coat of arms
Marmande

Coordinates: 44°30′N 0°10′E / 44.50°N 0.17°E / 44.50; 0.17Coordinates: 44°30′N 0°10′E / 44.50°N 0.17°E / 44.50; 0.17
Country France
Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Lot-et-Garonne
Arrondissement Marmande
Canton Marmande-1 and 2
Intercommunality Communauté de communes du Val de Garonne
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Gérard Gouzes
Area1 45.06 km2 (17.40 sq mi)
Population (2007)2 17,161
 • Density 380/km2 (990/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code 470157 /47200
Elevation 12–132 m (39–433 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.

Marmande (French pronunciation: ​[maʁmɑ̃d]; in Occitan, Marmanda) is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne département in south-western France.

Geography

Marmande is located 35 km north-west of Agen, on the southern railway from Bordeaux to Sète. The town is situated at the confluence of the Trec with the Garonne on the right bank of the latter river, which is crossed at this point by a suspension bridge. There is a second bridge to the west of Marmande which connects the D933 from the Toulouse/Bordeaux motorway (A62) to the new by-pass, opened in July 2009, which now leads to Bergerac and the département of the Dordogne. Marmande ranks 481st in terms of population for the whole of France. A noted producer of tomatoes, a festival dedicated to tomatoes is held annually in July.

History

Marmande was a bastide founded about 1195 on the site of a more ancient town by Richard Cœur de Lion, who granted it a liberal measure of self-government. Its position on the banks of the Garonne made it an important place of toll. It soon passed into the hands of the counts of Toulouse, and was three times besieged and taken during the Albigensian Crusade, its capture by Amaury de Montfort in 1219 being followed by a massacre of the inhabitants. It was united to the French crown under Louis IX. A short occupation by the English in 1447, an unsuccessful siege by Henry IV in 1577 and its resistance of a month to a division of Wellington's army in 1814, are some important events in its subsequent history.

Sights

Apart from the administrative offices, the most notable building is the church of Notre-Dame, which dates from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The windows of the nave, the altarpiece of the 18th century and, in particular, the Renaissance cloister adjoining the south side, are some of its most interesting features.

The town is host to the Garorock music festival.

Economy

The town is renowned for its tomato production. The average income per household is 16,482 €/year.

People linked to the commune

Twin towns

See also

References

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