Les Mages
Encyclopedia
Les Mages is a commune
in the Gard
department in the Languedoc-Roussillon
region
in southern France
.
and Saint-Ambroix
on the CD 904 road, in the Cévennes
coal basin, just below the National Forest of Rouvergue in the Cévennes National Park
.
It is watered by the Cèze
river in the north and the Auzonnet river in the South. As such the town is a member of AB Ceze, the Syndicat Mixte d'Aménagement du Bassin Versant de la Ceze, responsible for the prevention and fight against floods as well as preserving the natural environment.
The glass factory Barriere, was founded in 1804 to manufacture green glass. After many difficulties, the factory closed its doors in 1850.
On a hill, the 'Tourette' dominates the village. It is a simple capitelle limestone and mortar construction, but became the symbol of the village and a replica was built on the roundabout at the entrance of the commune.
The former railway station, on the spur of the small SNCF line from Ales to Bessèges, has been transformed into housing. It witnessed the passing-by of coal trains from Martinet, Saint-Florent-sur-Auzonnet and Saint-Jean-de-Valériscle, joining the main line to Saint Julien de Cassagne. This line was also used to transport the coils of raw silk to Lyons to be woven.
In 2008 the travel film festival has been launched and successfully renewed in 2009.
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 Gard
Gard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
department in the Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in southern 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...
.
Geography
The village of Les Mages lies between AlèsAlès
Alès is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as Alais.-Geography:...
and Saint-Ambroix
Saint-Ambroix, Gard
Saint-Ambroix is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
on the CD 904 road, in the Cévennes
Cévennes
The Cévennes are a range of mountains in south-central France, covering parts of the départements of Gard, Lozère, Ardèche, and Haute-Loire.The word Cévennes comes from the Gaulish Cebenna, which was Latinized by Julius Caesar to Cevenna...
coal basin, just below the National Forest of Rouvergue in the Cévennes National Park
Cévennes National Park
The Cévennes National Park is a national park located in southern France, in the mountainous area of Cévennes.Created in 1970, the park has its administrative seat in Florac at Florac Castle. It is located mainly in the départements of Lozère and Gard, and covers some parts of Ardèche and Aveyron...
.
It is watered by the Cèze
Cèze
The Cèze is a French river, a tributary of the Rhone. It runs through the departments of Lozère and Gard in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Its source is in the Cévennes mountains, near Saint-André-Capcèze...
river in the north and the Auzonnet river in the South. As such the town is a member of AB Ceze, the Syndicat Mixte d'Aménagement du Bassin Versant de la Ceze, responsible for the prevention and fight against floods as well as preserving the natural environment.
History
The village was elevated from hamlet to commune (by separation from the nearby Saint-Jean-de-Valériscle village) by a royal ordinance of September 25, 1834, following the increase in population driven by the development of coal mining in the Cevennes basin. The town, Les Mages belongs to the Community of Communes called "Vivre en Cévennes", Living in the Cevennes.Sights
Several mills whose buildings still bear witness to the sericulture past activity (silkworm farming).- Bleton spinning, closed in 1957, rue de l'Eglise.
- Lacroix spinning, closed in 1855, Bois Redon, Route de Saint Julien de Cassagne.
- Duclaux spinning, closed in 1889, Melhien Castle.
- Mazolier spinning, closed in 1884 Castle Melhien Road.
- Labeille / Villaret spinning, closed in 1885, despite some attempts to restart until 1922, Larnac hamlet.
- Silhol spinning, closed in 1855, Claux, Melhien hamlet.
- Martin spinning later oil mill Benoit then Rodier,at last, route de Saint Ambroix.
- Ayrolette spinning, initially the Gentil paper mill, established in 1660, in the Ayrolette hamlet,, route de Saint Ambroix.
- Blachere spinning, formerly oil mill and later Védrines spinning.
The glass factory Barriere, was founded in 1804 to manufacture green glass. After many difficulties, the factory closed its doors in 1850.
On a hill, the 'Tourette' dominates the village. It is a simple capitelle limestone and mortar construction, but became the symbol of the village and a replica was built on the roundabout at the entrance of the commune.
The former railway station, on the spur of the small SNCF line from Ales to Bessèges, has been transformed into housing. It witnessed the passing-by of coal trains from Martinet, Saint-Florent-sur-Auzonnet and Saint-Jean-de-Valériscle, joining the main line to Saint Julien de Cassagne. This line was also used to transport the coils of raw silk to Lyons to be woven.
Population
Personalities
The painter Georges Bauquier, assistant of Fernand Léger, creator of Fernand Leger Museum in Biot, comes from a Les Mages family. In the 1970s he organised in the local village school several exhibitions of high quality. At his request, Nadia Leger, the widow of Fernand Leger, has bequeathed to the town the Woman with a Bird mosaïc, one of Fernand Léger mosaic that adorns the front of the Les Mages Culture Complex.George Bauquier Complex
In 2006 was created the Georges Bauquier complex, including a theater and a video screening room.In 2008 the travel film festival has been launched and successfully renewed in 2009.