Lectoure
Encyclopedia
Lectoure is a commune
in the Gers
department in the Midi-Pyrénées
in southwestern France
.
It is located 32 km (19.9 mi) north of Auch
, the capital of the department, 30 km (18.6 mi) south of Agen
and approximately 76 km (47.2 mi) northwest of Toulouse
.
, capital of Lactorates
.The barbarian invasions successive forcing residents to reconsider the height, to raise the walls and make Lectoure a stronghold for centuries.
, which flows north through the western part of the commune. The river Auroue
forms part of the commune's southeastern and northeastern borders.
" (French: Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire) by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication
since 1985. The town hall was built between 1676 and 1682 by bishop
Hugues de Bar.
. This route is followed by those making the pilgrimage from Le Puy
by way of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
to Santiago de Compostella in northwest Spain
. Pilgrim
s arrive at Lectoure after Miradoux
and next pass through La Romieu
.
and foie gras
are available and popular delicacies.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Gers
Gers
The Gers is a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France named after the Gers River.Inhabitants are called les Gersois or Gersoises.-History:...
department in the Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity...
in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It is located 32 km (19.9 mi) north of Auch
Auch
Auch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.-The Ausci:...
, the capital of the department, 30 km (18.6 mi) south of Agen
Agen
Agen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average...
and approximately 76 km (47.2 mi) northwest of Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
.
History
Lectoure was a prehistoric oppidumOppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
, capital of Lactorates
Aquitani
The Aquitani were a people living in what is now Aquitaine, France, in the region between the Pyrenees, the Atlantic ocean and the Garonne...
.The barbarian invasions successive forcing residents to reconsider the height, to raise the walls and make Lectoure a stronghold for centuries.
Geography
The village is located on the right bank of the GersGers River
The Gers is a 178 km long river in southern France, left tributary of the Garonne.Its source is in the foothills of the Pyrenees, near Lannemezan. It flows north through the départements Hautes-Pyrénées, Gers and Lot-et-Garonne. It flows into the Garonne near Agen. The city Auch lies along the...
, which flows north through the western part of the commune. The river Auroue
Auroue
The Auroue is a long river in the Gers, Lot-et-Garonne and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, south western France. Its source is at Crastes, northeast of Auch. It flows generally north...
forms part of the commune's southeastern and northeastern borders.
Population
Sights
Lectoure has been designated as a "town of art and historyFrench towns and lands of Art and History
Since 1985, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication has pursued a policy of preserving and promoting France's heritage. Historic towns and districts have been designated Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire ....
" (French: Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire) by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication
Minister of Culture (France)
The Minister of Culture is, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of national museums and monuments; promoting and protecting the arts in France and abroad; and managing the national archives and regional "maisons de culture"...
since 1985. The town hall was built between 1676 and 1682 by bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Hugues de Bar.
Way of St. James
Lectoure is a town on the Via Podiensis, one of the three major French arms of the Way of St. JamesWay of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
. This route is followed by those making the pilgrimage from Le Puy
Le Puy-en-Velay
Le Puy-en-Velay is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France.Its inhabitants are called Ponots.-History:Le Puy-en-Velay was a major bishopric in medieval France, founded early, though its early history is legendary...
by way of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean foothills....
to Santiago de Compostella in northwest Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s arrive at Lectoure after Miradoux
Miradoux
Miradoux is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Geography:The river Auroue forms most of the commune's western border and the Arrats all of its southeastern border.-Population:-References:*...
and next pass through La Romieu
La Romieu
La Romieu is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.It is known for its magnificent Collégiale St. Pierre, a 14th century cloister with a tower.-Population:-References:*...
.
Cuisine
Locally produced ArmagnacArmagnac (drink)
Armagnac is a distinctive kind of brandy or eau de vie produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of Armagnac grapes, including Baco 22A, Colombard, and Ugni Blanc, using column stills rather than the pot stills used in the...
and foie gras
Foie gras
Foie gras ; French for "fat liver") is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through gavage corn, according to French law, though outside of France it is occasionally produced using natural feeding...
are available and popular delicacies.
Personalities
- Pierre CharronPierre CharronPierre Charron was a French 16th-century Catholic theologian and philosopher, and a disciple and contemporary of Michel Montaigne.-Biography:...
- Pey de GarrosPey de GarrosPey de Garros , or Pèir de Garròs in modern Gascon, was the most important Occitan poet of the Renaissance. He was instrumental in the evolution of the Gascon dialect into a literary language....
- Joseph LagrangeJoseph LagrangeCount Joseph Lagrange was a French soldier who rose through the ranks and gained promotion to the rank of general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars, subsequently pursuing a successful career during the Napoleonic Wars and winning promotion to the top military rank of General of Division....
- Jean LannesJean LannesJean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, was a Marshal of France. He was one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Napoleon once commented on Lannes: "I found him a pygmy and left him a giant"...
- Paul Noël LasseranPaul Noël LasseranPaul Noël Lasseran was a French painter, decorator and poet from Lectoure. He is best known for his murals and decor in various churches throughout Gers...
- Antoine de RoquelaureAntoine de RoquelaureAntoine de Roquelaure , lord of Roquelaure, Gaudoux, Sainte-Christie, Mirepoix, Montbert, Baron of Lavardens and Biran was an important sixteenth-century French statesman and close collaborator of Henry IV...
