Mirande
| Mirande | ||
|---|---|---|
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| region | Occitania | |
| Department | Gers | |
| Arrondissement | Mirande | |
| Canton | Mirande-Astarac (main town) | |
| Community association | Cœur d'Astarac en Gascogne | |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 31 ' N , 0 ° 24' E | |
| height | 139-268 m | |
| surface | 23.42 km 2 | |
| Residents | 3,468 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 148 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 32300 | |
| INSEE code | 32256 | |
Mirande is a French commune in the department of Gers in the region Okzitanien ; it is the administrative seat of the arrondissement of Mirande and the capital of the canton of Mirande-Astarac (until 2015 of the canton of Mirande ).
geography
The small town with 3468 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) is located on the Baïse River on the N 21 national road between Auch (25 km) and Lourdes (75 km).
history
Mirande was founded in 1280 near the town of Saint-Jean de Lézian by Bernhard IV, Count of Astarac , as a bastide . The layout of the place was planned and regular. Up until the 19th century, Mirande was surrounded by a city wall with four gates. Above the city was the count's castle, through which Mirande became the capital of the county in 1297.
Population development
| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3610 | 4075 | 3879 | 3871 | 3565 | 3568 | 3676 | 3483 |
Attractions
- The Sainte-Marie church was donated at the beginning of the 15th century by the abbot of the Berdoues monastery and the count of Astarac. After the destruction of the Saint-Jean de Lézian church in the 16th century, it was upgraded to an archpriest church. In a bull in 1410 the Pope designated the church as the seat of the newly created diocese around the Berdoues monastery . Although this charter was revoked only three years later, the Notre-Dame de Mirande was able to retain the status of a cathedral. What is striking about the building is the imposing porch that supports the bell tower and spans the nearby street. Also worth seeing are the choir stalls , the altar (originally from the monastery) , a church window from the 15th century and the cloister .
- Remains of the old fortifications.
- Magnificent 15th century houses on Place d'Astarac.
- An 18th century bridge over the Baïse.
- The town hall with its inviting green area.
- Tour de Rohan , noble residence from the 14th century
Town twinning
- Korntal-Münchingen , Baden-Württemberg, since 1964
- Tubize , Belgium, since 1964
- La Eliana , Valencia Region Spain
- San Mauro Torinese , Piedmont , Italy
Web links
Commons : Mirande - collection of images, videos and audio files
