Bressuire

Bressuire
region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Deux-Sèvres
Arrondissement	Bressuire ( sub-prefecture )
Canton	Bressuire (main town)
Community association	Bocage Bressuirais
Coordinates	46 ° 50 ′ N , 0 ° 29 ′ W Coordinates: 46 ° 50 ′ N , 0 ° 29 ′ W
height	98-236 m
surface	180.59 km 2
Residents	19,519 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	108 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	79300
INSEE code	79049
Website	http://www.ville-bressuire.fr/
	; Bressuire

Bressuire is a French municipality with 19,519 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Deux-Sèvres in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine . It is the district capital ( sous-préfecture ) of the arrondissement of the same name and the capital of the canton of the same name .

location

Bressuire is about 80 kilometers (driving distance) northwest of Poitiers and about 65 kilometers southwest of Saumur . The city center is crossed by the Dolo River. In this region, cultural influences from the southern Poitou crossed with those of the northern Anjou , whose center, Angers , is about 80 kilometers to the north.

Population development

In the 1960s and 1970s, the city rose to its present size several times through the incorporation of formerly independent municipalities (Saint-Porchaire, Beaulieu-sous-Bressuire, Breuil-Chaussée, Chambroutet, Clazay, Noirlieu, Noirterre, Saint-Sauveur, Terves and Boismé) grown up; before that it had about 6,000 inhabitants. Boismé resigned from the community again in 1983.

year	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2010
Residents	13,804	16.101	18,423	17,827	17,797	18,615

economy

The city has been connected to the railway network since 1866 and since then has experienced sustained population growth; Even today two railway lines run via Bressuire. More important for the economic life of Bressuire are several smaller industrial companies (canning, precision mechanics, wood processing etc.), which are located in different industrial zones ( zones industrielles ) outside the city. As a sub-prefecture of the Deux-Sèvres department, Bressuire is an important administrative and training center.

history

The area around Bressuire was probably settled in Celtic or Gallo-Roman times. In medieval Latin the city was called Castrum Berzoriacum ; during this time the settlement was dependent on the vice counts of Thouars . During the Hundred Years' War it stood at times between the fronts of the British and French; It was destroyed during the Huguenot Wars . Even during the Vendée uprising in the time of the French Revolution , it was fought over and was taken by both the Catholic-Royalist troops of the insurgents and by Republican-revolutionary units.

Attractions

Ruin of the castle

Notre-Dame church

The ruins of the castle ( château ) are located on a rocky elevation in the west of the city. A defense system was first mentioned in 1029. The castle and the huge enclosure wall were built at the end of the 12th and first half of the 13th century; thereafter, however, it was rebuilt and expanded several times - keel arches and rectangular windows refer to the 15th and 16th centuries. During the revolution it was set on fire and largely destroyed. It has been registered as a Monument historique since 1996 . In the 19th century a new manor in the style of historicism was built right next to the old castle ruins.
Part of the Notre-Dame church dates back to the 12th century; the late Gothic, square choir area dates from the 15th century. At the beginning of the 16th century the huge tower was added, which has already been compared many times with the tower of the Saint-Gatien cathedral in Tours , which was built around the same time ; its upper end is a dome with a lantern . The church has been recognized as a monument historique since 1913 .
The single-aisled Chapelle Saint-Cyprien is a little off the beaten track on the banks of the Dolo. It is the oldest building in the city and dates from the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th century and - together with the small crypt - has been registered as a monument historique since 1937 . Now and then the building is used for cultural purposes (concerts, cultural events, etc.).
The ruins of the late Gothic Chapelle du Petit Puy are in the district of Terves and have been registered as Monument historique since 1941 .
The privately owned Château de Noirlieu from the 16./17. Century stands in the district of Noirlieu and has also been registered as a Monument historique since 1995 .
The ground floor of the municipal museum presents changing exhibitions. The permanent exhibition on the upper floor shows local and regional ceramics etc.

Personalities

Max Ingrand (1908–1969), glass painter and decorator
Geneviève Cluny (born 1928), actress
Catherine Breillat (* 1948), writer, filmmaker, and actress
Patrick Rampillon (* 1955), soccer player and coach
Hugo Hay (* 1998), athlete

Town twinning

Bressuire lists eight twin cities :

city	country	since
Fraserburgh	United Kingdom Scotland, UK	1990
Friedberg	Germany Bayern Germany	1992
Hodac	Romania Romania	1990
Kpalimé	Togo Togo	1991
Leixlip	Ireland Ireland	1996
Mequinenza	Spain Spain	1982
Parczew	Poland Poland	1998
Ryazan	Russia Russia	1997