Marciac

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Marciac
Marciac coat of arms
Marciac (France)
Marciac
region Occitania
Department Gers
Arrondissement Mirande
Canton Pardiac-Rivière-Basse
Community association Bastides et vallons du Gers
Coordinates 43 ° 31 '  N , 0 ° 10'  E Coordinates: 43 ° 31 '  N , 0 ° 10'  E
height 142-247 m
surface 20.60 km 2
Residents 1,224 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 59 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 32230
INSEE code 32233
Website www.marciac.fr

Town center with the town hall ( Hôtel de ville )

Marciac is a French commune in the department of Gers in the region Occitania . Administratively, Marciac is assigned to the Arrondissement of Mirande , it belongs to the canton of Pardiac-Rivière-Basse and until 2015 was the capital of the canton of Marciac , to which it gave its name.

geography

The place with 1,224 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) is located in Gascony on the Bouès River and its tributary Laüs . The medieval city ​​was designed as a bastide , as can still be seen in the town center . There is a medium-sized lake north of the center.

history

Marciac ('the estate of Mr Marcellus') was established as a royal bastide in 1298 by the three lords Étienne de Lupé , abbot of the Case-Dieu monastery, who later became Count of Pardiac Arnaud-Guilhem III. and the Seneschal of Toulouse , Guichard de Marciac . The latter had the city built and gave it his name and the right to exercise jurisdiction, which was confirmed in 1300 by the French King Philip IV . At that time Marciac was surrounded by a curtain wall and a moat. Eight city gates surmounted by defensive towers enabled and secured access. Thanks to the granting of numerous freedoms to the citizens of the city, Marciac quickly began to prosper.

In 1569, Marciac was captured by Lieutenant Sérignac at the behest of the Huguenot leader Gabriel de Lorges , Count of Montgomery, and only released again for a ransom of 2,000 livres . The church was damaged in this act of war.

coat of arms

Blazon : Divided: in the first on azure blue five golden fleurs-de-lys grouped as an inclined cross ; in the second a silver double key on red .

Population development

year 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2009 2016
Residents 996 1065 1131 1119 1211 1160 1234 1236

Attractions

  • As for cities that were founded as bastides, the layout of the town center is typically checkered. The center is a large, rectangular square, which is surrounded by arcades and stately houses. One of these houses has three floors and is now used as the town hall ( Mairie ) and a second - called Maison Guichard - as the tourist office.

Events

Marciac became famous thanks to its Jazz in Marciac (JIM) jazz festival . It has been held annually in August since 1978 and in 2010 attracted 225,000 visitors.

In 2011, the L'Astrada theater replaced the old festival hall, which had become too small. It has space for 500 spectators and is operated all year round. In addition to being used during the jazz festival, there are other cultural events with a national impact.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Société française d'archéologie: Congrès archéologique de France , Vols. 127–128, 1969.
  2. ↑ Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum: Scottish art review , Vols. 14-15, pp. 12. 1973.
  3. ↑ The statement made in some reports that the cloister later came into the possession of the New York museum The Cloisters cannot be confirmed.

Web links

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