Aimargues Explained

Aimargues
Commune Status:Commune
Image Coat Of Arms:Blason de la ville d'Aimargues (30).svg
Arrondissement:Nîmes
Canton:Aigues-Mortes
Insee:30006
Postal Code:30470
Mayor:Jean-Paul Franc[1]
Term:2020 - 2026
Intercommunality:Petite Camargue
Coordinates:43.6858°N 4.2092°W
Elevation M:7
Elevation Min M:3
Elevation Max M:13
Area Km2:26.48

Aimargues (in French pronounced as /ɛmaʁɡ/) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. The town of Aimargues may have Roman origins and is situated beside the river Vidourle on the floodplain of the Rhône. Traditionally it has been an agricultural and wine-producing community but it now also has a number of new industries and employers who benefit from excellent road connections to the north of France as well as to Spain and Italy.

Geography

Located some 26km (16miles) to the southwest of Nîmes, close to the border with the Hérault department, Aimargues can be easily accessed from the nearby Autoroute A9. Aimargues station has rail connections to Nîmes and Le Grau-du-Roi.[2]

The Petite Camargue is an area of wetlands on the west side of the delta of the Rhône River in southern France. Aimargues is a small town in the Petite Camargue beside the River Vidourle which rises in the Cévennes Mountains to the northwest. Some 6,000 years BC much of the interior of the Petite Carmargue was occupied by a lagoon, l’étang de l’or, which was separated from the sea by a sandy bar. Since then the lake has become progressively silted up. The countryside around Aimargues is flat and the soil is rich, being accumulated sediment brought down the River Rhône and deposited in its delta and surrounding area during flooding. As well as agricultural land there are levees, creeks, marshes, brackish ponds, lagoons and dunes in the area.[3]

History

The suffix "argues" suggests that the town of Aimargues has been in existence since antiquity. It was probably named after the Roman military commander Flavius Armatus.[4] It is unclear when exactly Aimargues castle was built but it was in existence before 1185.[3] King Louis IX is said to have set out for the Crusades from the town.[4] In the 13th century, a census showed that the town had become a bustling community with 522 homes, indicating a population of over 2,000 people. In 1565, the area came under the rule of the house of Crussol and Viscount d'Uzès made it one of the main strongholds of the Lower Vistrenque. Louis XIII ordered the destruction of the city walls.[4] In the early 18th century, Jean Charles de Crussol included Baron d'Aymargues among his titles.

The town has developed from an initial central core. This is self-contained and not traversed by routes extending from one side of the town to the other. It was originally surrounded by the city wall, has the château in its northwest corner and the church, reconstructed in the nineteenth century, in its centre. This ancient part is surrounded by another zone that also has tightly packed houses and narrow streets. The outer suburbs are modern.[3]

Landmarks

The Commune of Aimargues has several buildings of historic interest:[5]

The village also has schools, nurseries, a library, a youth centre and an adult leisure centre.[6] There is a bullfighting arena where the "course camarguaise" takes place. In the traditional fights held here, the bull is not killed but an unarmed raseteur attempts to snatch a rosette from between its horns.[7]

Economy

While agriculture and wine production are still important contributors to the local economy, more recent players such as Royal Canin, the dog and cat food producer, Itesoft, a software company, and the underwear company Éminence are also important employers, benefitting from easy access to the motorway with connections to Italy and Spain as well as to the north of France.[8]

Mayors

to complete

Sport

The commune's football team is the Stade Olympique of Aimargues (SOA). In the beginning of may a famous international tournament take place every year.

The local rugby team is Aimargues Rugby Club also named the Raouba-vesso.

There are in Aimargues two stadiums : Baptistin Guigue's Stadium and René Dupont's Stadium (former Bella Vista's Stadium); to equestrian centres; and the arena Léopold Dupont.

Media

Aimargues has its own newspaper: Aimargues le journal, created in 2008.

Aimargues is also covered by the daily newspaper Midi Libre, by the local television TV SUD Camargue Cévennes[15] et by France 3 Sud's programs.

Religion

There are Catholic and Protestant churches in Aimargues.

The catholic parishes are parts of the deanery of Vauvert and the Diocese of Nîmes.[16] The mass is assumed by deanery's desservants priests.

The Reformed Church of France maintains the Ensemble paroissial de Aimargues.[17]

Education

The public maternelle (preschool/nursery) is École Ventadour.[18] The public primary school is École élémentaire publique Guillierme F.[19]

The collège (junior high school) serving the community is Collège de Gallargues-le-Montueux, located in Gallargues-le-Montueux. In addition to Aimargues and Gallargues-le-Montueux, it also serves Aigues-Vives. It opened in September 2014. it has about 600 students.[20]

There is also a private Catholic elementary school in Aimargues, École élémentaire privée Notre Dame des Gardians.[21]

Notable residents

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les maires. data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 2 December 2020. fr.
  2. https://mmt.vsct.fr/sites/default/files/swt/COCT/2021-11/Oc21-Gard-05-03_0.pdf Carte du réseau Gard
  3. Web site: Aimargues: Bref historique et présentation du patrimoine architectural . Archéologie en Petite Carmargue . fr . 2013-10-07.
  4. Web site: Histoire d'Aimargues . fr . Voilà tout! . 2013-10-07.
  5. http://www.aimargues.fr/page000100f8.html "Tourisme"
  6. http://www.aimargues.fr/page000100fa.html "Enseignement et culture"
  7. Web site: Aliaga . Martine . 13 July 2013 . Les cent taureaux . Bouvine en ligne . fr . 8 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130702044012/http://coursecamarguaise.midiblogs.com/manifestations/ . 2 July 2013 . dead .
  8. http://www.petitecamargue.fr/territoire/aimargues "Aimargues"
  9. Dismissed by the govt.
  10. Give his demission.
  11. Refuse his nomination.
  12. Deceased during his term of office.
  13. Temporary mayor, then confirmed in September 1838.
  14. Revocated by the Minister of Interior Aristide Briand.
  15. Web site: Zone de diffusion de la télévision locale TV Sud . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130701130556/http://www.tvsud.fr/nous-recevoir-2/ . 2013-07-01 .
  16. Web site: Plaine maritime - District paroissial de Vauvert . diocese of Nîmes's website . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084101/http://nimes.catholique.fr/partenaire/district/v_di_ca.php?ID=27 . 2014-08-19.
  17. Web site: Ensemble paroissial de Aimargues . Reformed Church of France's website . 18 February 2012.
  18. "École Ventadour." French Ministry of Education. Retrieved on July 15, 2017.
  19. "École élémentaire publique Guillierme F.." French Ministry of Education. Retrieved on July 15, 2017.
  20. "Le collège" (Archive at Archive.is). Aimargues. Retrieved on 15 July 2017. "Le collège de Gallargues-le-Montueux ouvre ses portes en septembre 2014. Il accueille tous les collégiens d'Aimargues, d'Aigues-Vives et de Gallargues-le-Montueux."
  21. "École élémentaire privée Notre Dame des Gardians." French Ministry of Education. Retrieved on July 15, 2017.

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