Condom

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Condom
Coat of arms of Condom
Condom (France)
Condom
region Occitania
Department Gers
Arrondissement Condom ( sub-prefecture )
Canton Baïse-Armagnac ( main town )
Community association Ténarèze
Coordinates 43 ° 57 '  N , 0 ° 22'  E Coordinates: 43 ° 57 '  N , 0 ° 22'  E
height 62-190 m
surface 97.37 km 2
Residents 6,530 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 67 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 32100
INSEE code 32107
Website www.condom.org

Saint Pierre Cathedral in Condom

Condom (sometimes also called Condom-en-Armagnac ) is a French commune in the Gers department in the Occitania region and at the same time the capital (French chef-lieu ) of the arrondissement and canton of Baïse-Armagnac . Until 2015, the municipality was the capital of the canton of the same name . The small town with 6530 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) is located on Via Podiensis , one of the French sections of the Camino de Santiago to Santiago de Compostela .

Geography and traffic

Condom is located in the historical region of Armagnac in the heart of Gascony , which is world famous primarily for the Armagnac brandy it produces . The typical small town of Gascony lies on the Baïse , a tributary of the Garonne . The next larger town is Agen , which can be reached in a north-easterly direction via the D931 after about 40 kilometers of road. The nearest major French cities are Toulouse (95 km) in the southeast and Bordeaux (124 km) in the northwest.

The nearest international airport is the International Airport Toulouse-Blagnac and the nearest train station is Agen at the TGV -distance Paris - Toulouse . Condom is connected to the French trunk road network via the A62 Toulouse-Nord– Bordeaux and exits 7 (Périgueux) and 8 (Valence d'Agen).

history

After the Romans settled the area , the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Pierre was established in 1011 . This abbey was in 1317 by a papal edict to bishopric appointed what it until the French Revolution remained. The Bishop of Agen had to bear the costs of the construction . During the Hundred Years War the city was occupied twice by the English.

The construction of the Saint Pierre Cathedral did not begin until 1507, it is the last cathedral to be built in the Languedoc style. Shortly after its completion, it was badly damaged during the wars of religion .

The city owes its wealth in the 18th century mainly to trade, as it has been at the crossroads of several important trade routes since ancient times. The expansion of the Baïse as a waterway made it possible to export wines and spirits via Bordeaux .

The population of Condoms has remained almost constant over the past 120 years.

Number of inhabitants
(source:)
year 1793 1831 1861 1881 1901 1926 1954 1968 1982 1990 1999 2006 2017
Residents 11,064 7.144 8,070 8,555 6,578 6.344 6,781 7,326 7,634 7,717 7,251 7.158 6,530
From 1962 official figures excluding residents with a second residence

Way of St. James (Via Podiensis)

Around 1314, two hospices were built to look after the pilgrims of St. James, which only lost their importance in the late 15th century. Today the place offers a pilgrim hostel (French: Gîte d'étape ), hotels and private rooms (French: Chambre d'hôtes ) as well as a campsite and a tourist information center.

The path continues through the Armagnac vineyards . But also small forests, sunflower and grain fields line the path. Typical Bastide villages such as Montréal-du-Gers and Larressingle are located on the hills . The next larger town is Eauze , which can be reached via the D931 after about 30 kilometers of road. More accommodations before Montréal-du-Gers are in Larressingle.

Attractions

The late Gothic Cathédrale Saint-Pierre rises up in the middle of the village . During the Huguenot Wars , the Huguenot Army threatened to destroy the church in 1569, but the villagers were able to prevent this by paying a considerable ransom.

Among the patrician houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, the Hôtel de Cugnac, with its old wine store ( chai ) and its distillery, deserves a mention. Condom is located in the best growing area for Armagnac production, so there is also a museum dedicated to Armagnac production ( Le musée de l'Armagnac ). Another museum in the city, the musée du préservatif , is dedicated to the history of the condom , although the city actually has nothing to do with its creation.

economy

The main branches of the economy in 2015 were the service sector (approx. 76%) and in particular trade and tourism. Only about 7% of the population are active in agriculture. A large part of industrial employment is in the food industry. The following agricultural products are produced: grain, fruit and wine. Ducks, geese and cattle are kept in the livestock area. Brandy ( Armagnac ) and foie gras are also produced.

Twin cities

  • Grünberg , Hessen, Germany, since 1972
  • Toro , Zamora Province, Spain

Personalities

literature

  • Bettina Forst: French Way of St. James. From Le Puy-en-Velay to Roncesvalles. All stages - with variants and height profiles. Bergverlag Rother, Munich (recte: Ottobrunn) 2007, ISBN 978-3-7633-4350-8 ( Rother hiking guide ).
  • Bert Teklenborg: Cycling along the Camino de Santiago. From the Rhine to the western end of Europe. (Cycling guide, route planner). 3rd revised edition. Publishing House Tyrolia, Innsbruck 2007, ISBN 978-3-7022-2626-8 .

Web links

Commons : Condom (Gers)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Community information on annuaire-mairie.fr (French) accessed on January 21, 2010.
  2. ^ Condom on Cassini.ehess.fr (French). Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  3. ↑ INSEE Table T8 EMP (French) Retrieved on February 12, 2010
  4. ↑ Condom on aoc-igp.fr (French) Accessed on March 16, 2015.
Muszla Jakuba.svg
Way of St. James " Via Podiensis "

← Previous location: La Romieu 16.5 km  | Condom  | Next town: Montréal 10.5 km  →