Agen

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Agen

Cathedral of Saint-Caprais Agen Location within Aquitaine region  Agen Administration Country France Region Aquitaine Department Lot-et-Garonne Arrondissement Agen Intercommunality Agen Mayor Jean Dionis du Séjour (NC) (2008–2014) Statistics Elevation 37–162 m (121–531 ft) (avg. 48 m or 157 ft) Land area1 11.49 km2 (4.44 sq mi) Population2 33,920  (2009)  - Density 2,952 /km2 (7,650 /sq mi) INSEE/Postal code 47001/ 47000 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 44°12′18″N 0°37′16″E / 44.2049°N 0.6212°E / 44.2049; 0.6212

The commune of Agen (French pronunciation: ​) is the capital of the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne 135 kilometres (84 mi) southeast of Bordeaux.

Geography

The city of Agen lies in the southern-French département Lot-et-Garonne in the Aquitaine region. The city centre is at the east bank of the Garonne river and close to the Canal de Garonne, approximately halfway between Bordeaux (132 km) and Toulouse (107 km).

Climate

Agen features an oceanic climate (Cfb), and just falls short to a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Summers are quite hot with daytime temperatures of almost 28 °C (82 °F), while occasionally, winter nights are frozen. Rainfall is spread equally throughout the year, however, most sunshine hours are from March–September.

Climate data for Agen, France (altitude 59m, 1981–2010) (Source: Météo-France, Infoclimat.fr) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 19.2 (66.6) 21.9 (71.4) 26.3 (79.3) 30.2 (86.4) 32.6 (90.7) 38.8 (101.8) 40.6 (105.1) 38.3 (100.9) 35.2 (95.4) 31.5 (88.7) 23.9 (75) 21.6 (70.9) 40.6 (105.1) Average high °C (°F) 9.2 (48.6) 11.3 (52.3) 15.0 (59) 17.5 (63.5) 21.5 (70.7) 25.0 (77) 27.6 (81.7) 27.6 (81.7) 24.5 (76.1) 19.6 (67.3) 13.2 (55.8) 9.5 (49.1) 18.5 (65.3) Average low °C (°F) 2.1 (35.8) 2.4 (36.3) 4.4 (39.9) 6.6 (43.9) 10.3 (50.5) 13.6 (56.5) 15.4 (59.7) 15.3 (59.5) 12.3 (54.1) 9.7 (49.5) 5.4 (41.7) 2.8 (37) 8.4 (47.1) Record low °C (°F) −17.4 (0.7) −21.9 (−7.4) −8.4 (16.9) −3.9 (25) −1.6 (29.1) 2.5 (36.5) 5.9 (42.6) 4.7 (40.5) 1.0 (33.8) −5.0 (23) −8.6 (16.5) −12.1 (10.2) −21.9 (−7.4) Precipitation mm (inches) 55.1 (2.169) 52.1 (2.051) 49.8 (1.961) 67.6 (2.661) 76.1 (2.996) 58.4 (2.299) 51.3 (2.02) 55.0 (2.165) 59.3 (2.335) 64.3 (2.531) 63.4 (2.496) 59.8 (2.354) 712.2 (28.039) Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10 8 9 11 11 8 6 7 8 10 10 10 107 Mean monthly sunshine hours 78 110 173 182 214 232 255 242 205 138 84 69 1,982 Source #1: climat.meteofrance.com Source #2: infoclimat.fr

Toponymy

From Occitan Agen (1197), itself from Latin Aginnum (3rd century Itinéraire d'Antonin), from a Celtic root agin "rock, height".

Population

Historical population Year Pop.   ±%   1800 9,876 —     1806 10,850 +9.9% 1821 11,659 +7.5% 1831 12,631 +8.3% 1836 13,399 +6.1% 1841 14,987 +11.9% 1846 15,517 +3.5% 1851 16,027 +3.3% 1856 17,667 +10.2% 1861 17,263 −2.3% 1866 18,222 +5.6% 1872 18,887 +3.6% 1876 19,503 +3.3% 1881 20,485 +5.0% 1886 22,055 +7.7% 1891 23,234 +5.3% 1896 22,730 −2.2% 1901 22,482 −1.1% 1906 23,141 +2.9% 1911 23,294 +0.7% 1921 23,391 +0.4% 1926 23,530 +0.6% 1931 24,939 +6.0% 1936 27,152 +8.9% 1946 33,397 +23.0% 1954 32,593 −2.4% 1962 32,800 +0.6% 1968 34,949 +6.6% 1975 34,039 −2.6% 1982 31,593 −7.2% 1990 30,553 −3.3% 1999 30,199 −1.2% 2006 33,728 +11.7% 2009 33,920 +0.6%

Economy

The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average. Major employers include the pharmaceutical factory UPSA.

Sights

The old centre of town contains a number of medieval buildings.

The twelfth century Agen Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Caprasius, is one of the few large churches in France with a double nave; the curious and impractical plan may be a regional trait, since one of the others is the Church of the Jacobins in relatively nearby Toulouse.

The Saint Hilaire church, dedicated to the theme of the Holy Trinity which the Saint in question did a lot to defend, is notable for its unusual statues in front of the Church – Moses on the right, and St Peter on the left.

The Fine Arts museum, Musée des Beaux Arts contains artefacts, furniture and sculptures from prehistoric times onwards. The art gallery contains several hundred works, including several by Goya, and others by Bonnard and Seurat. The collection also contains a large number of works by artists who lived locally. The museum is made up of twenty or so rooms.

Agen in 1877 by Louis Ducos du Hauron

The Canal des Deux Mers, which joins the Mediterranean with the Atlantic, crosses the river Garonne at Agen via the town's famous canal bridge.

Entertainment

The municipal theatre "Théâtre Ducourneau" presents theatre, and occasionally classical concerts. The smaller "Théâtre du jour" has a resident theatre company presenting a variety of recent or older plays (Shakespeare, Becket, as well as lesser known playwrights).

There are two cinemas, one a commercial multiscreened affair, the other an arts cinema run by a voluntary organization. The latter organizes film festivals every year.

Sport

Rugby is extremely popular in the town, and the local team, SU Agen, is enthusiastically supported. The town also serves as the base for the Team Lot-et-Garonne cycling team.

Transportation

Gare d'Agen connects Agen with Toulouse and Bordeaux as well as services to Périgueux. It is around an hour from Toulouse, and around an hour from Bordeaux. Fast trains to Paris take four hours and ten minutes. Agen is connected by the A62 motorway to both Toulouse and Bordeaux. The Agen Airport is serviced by Airlinair service to Paris Orly 6 days a week, it is also used for business and leisure flying.

Diocese

Main article: Diocese of Agen

Agen is the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese that comprises the Département of Lot and Garonne. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Bordeaux.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Agen is twinned with:

Tuapse, Russia Dinslaken, Germany Llanelli, Wales, United Kingdom Toledo, Spain Corpus Christi, United States

Personalities

As place of birth Bernard Palissy (c. 1510–1590), potter – according to some accounts, he may have been born in Saintes Joseph Justus Scaliger (1540–1609), scholar Pierre Dupuy (1582–1651), scholar Joseph Barsalou (1600–1660), physician Godefroi, Comte d'Estrades (1607–1686), diplomatist and marshal Bernard Germain Étienne comte de La Ville-sur-Illon La Cépède (1756–1825), naturalist Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent (1780–1846), naturalist Jacques Jasmin (1798–1864), Provençal poet Victor Rabu (1834-1907), architect who built many important churches in Montevideo, Uruguay Joseph Chaumié (1849–1919), politician William Grover-Williams (1903–1945) racer and SOE agent Michel Serres (born 1930), philosopher and author Jacques Sadoul (born 1934), author Jean Cruguet (born 1939), jockey who won the U.S. Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Alain Aspect (born 1947), physicist Francis Cabrel (born 1953), singer-songwriter and guitarist Bernard Campan (born 1958), actor and film director Stéphane Rideau (born 1976), actor Aymeric Laporte (born 1994), footballer As residence Nostradamus lived in Agen from 1531 until at least 1534. He was married to a local woman with whom he had two children.

Miscellaneous

Agen is the "capital of the prune", a local produce sold as a sweet (stuffed with prune purée) or as an after-dinner delight (prunes soaked in Armagnac – a type of brandy). Every September, the Prune festival organizes rock concerts, circuses and prune tasting.

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