Beaucaire (Gard)

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Beaucaire
Beaucaire coat of arms
Beaucaire (France)
Beaucaire
region Occitania
Department Gard
Arrondissement Nîmes
Canton Beaucaire ( main town )
Community association Beaucaire-Terre d'Argence
Coordinates 43 ° 48 '  N , 4 ° 39'  E Coordinates: 43 ° 48 '  N , 4 ° 39'  E
height 1–156 m
surface 86.52 km 2
Residents 15,963 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 185 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 30300
INSEE code 30032
Website www.beaucaire.fr

Beaucaire is a commune with 15,963 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in France and is located in the Gard department in the Occitanie region . The inhabitants call themselves Beaucairois .

geography

Beaucaire is on the eastern border of the Gard department, on the right bank of the Rhône . On the opposite bank, the city of Tarascon is already in the Bouches-du-Rhône department . Just above Beaucaire, the Gardon flows into the Rhône as a right tributary. The Canal du Rhône à Sète , which was originally connected to the Rhône by a lock , also begins in Beaucaire . However, this connection was interrupted during canalization work on the Rhône. Today you can reach the canal over the Petit Rhône near Saint-Gilles . Nevertheless, Beaucaire has a nicely developed marina on the canal, which is used intensively for water tourism with sport boats and houseboats .

Neighboring communities are:

history

View of Beaucaire and the marina

Beaucaire was founded in the 7th century BC. Founded as "Ugernum" in BC and after the conquest of southern France by the Romans and the construction of the Via Domitia , the Roman road that connected Italy and Spain , it was at the crossover of this road over the Rhone . A wooden bridge over the Rhône is mentioned as early as the 13th century, probably the southernmost bridge in front of the mouth until the 19th century.

In the Middle Ages , the town's boom was slowed down by invasions by the Burgundians , Goths and Saracens . A city wall was built as well as a castle, which at the time was one of the most powerful citadels in southern France. During the Albigensian Crusade it was captured by the crusaders of Simon IV. De Montfort , but later recaptured by the Provençals under the leadership of Raimund VII , Count of Toulouse . Richelieu had the castle destroyed in 1632 . Large parts of the plant, such as B. the tower and a castle chapel, however, were preserved and were placed under monument protection in 1845 .

Beaucaire was the terminus of one of the first railway lines in France, Alès - Nîmes - Beaucaire, opened on August 19, 1848.

Foire de la Madeleine

Beaucaire gained historical importance through its annual trade fair, the “Foire de la Madeleine” . Mentioned as early as 1168 and favored by its strategic location at the mouth of the Rhône and the trade routes between Italy and Spain, it was one of the most important marketplaces in Europe for centuries. According to historical reports, up to 300,000 traders from all over the country, especially from the Mediterranean and the Orient, met every year from July 22nd to 28th. Goods of all kinds were traded in thousands of tents around Beaucaire and along the Rhone. It is estimated that 20-25 million deals were completed in one week and that the volume of trade was greater than that of the port of Marseille for the entire year. The resulting wealth of the inhabitants was soon expressed in the increasingly splendid architecture. It was only with the arrival of the railroad and the decline of trade on the river that the town's heyday ended and Beaucaire fell back into anonymity.

Population development

year 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2017
Residents 11,061 12,740 12,829 12,840 13,400 13,748 15,099 15,963
Sources: Cassini and INSEE

Attractions

The Rhône and Beaucaire Castle

See also: List of Monuments historiques in Beaucaire

  • Beaucaire Castle (11th century)
  • Town hall (around 1680)
  • Notre Dame des Pommiers (collegiate church, 1734–1744, with a Romanesque figure frieze on the east side, 12th century)
  • Saint Paul (former chapel of a Franciscan monastery, 14th and 15th centuries)
  • Hôtel de Clausonnette (city palace, around 1745)
  • Hôtel Roys de Lédignan (City Palace, 17th century)
  • Hôtel Dulong (town house, early 16th century)
  • Saint-Roman Abbey

traffic

Beaucaire is connected to Tarascon by a modern road bridge and by the Tarascon – Beaucaire railway bridge opened in 1852 , one of the oldest cast-iron railway bridges in France. In the south of the two cities, a bypass road with a cable-stayed bridge is led over the Rhone.

Personalities

literature

Web links

Commons : Beaucaire  - collection of images, videos and audio files