Surgères
Encyclopedia
Surgères is a commune
in the Charente-Maritime
department in southwestern France
. It is the home of the Surgères 48 Hour Race
.
, to the northwest Puyravault
and Vouhé
, to the west Péré
, to the southwest Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
, to the south Vandré
, to the southeast Breuil-la-Réorte
, to the east Saint-Mard
, and to the northeast Saint-Saturnin-du-Bois
.
, equidistant from the towns of Niort
, La Rochelle
, Rochefort
and Saint-Jean-d'Angély
. The village is south of the Marais Poitevin
and east of the ancient province of Aunis
.
.
of the season, codenamed Martin
.
gives access at Exit 33 (Niort
-La Rochelle
) to the northeast of the town and Exit 34 (Saint-Jean-d'Angély
) to the southeast.
The old Route nationale 11
(RN11) passes through the town. This road, reclassified to Route Départementale 911, connects Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon
to Rochefort
. Route nationale 139, running from La Rochelle
to Périgueux
, passed through Surgères and Angoulême
and has been declassified to Route Départementale 939.
Surgères railway station
connects the capital by TGV
, and is also on the TER Poitou-Charentes
regional railway network. It is part of the program of , which aims to modernise the largest stations of the SNCF
(French Railways).
The railway arrived in Surgères in 1857 thanks to the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans. The Poitiers-La Rochelle line was electrified in 1993 to allow the TGV to run up to La Rochelle railway station
. The line from Surgères to Marans
which was part of the Freycinet Plan
can also be traced.
The closest airports are La Rochelle - Île de Ré Airport
and Rochefort-Saint-Agnant Airport.
times, but the earliest recorded history comes from the Middle Ages
. The Duke of Aquitaine wanted to guard his lands in Aunis
against Norman invasion, ao he built a stone and wood defence on the marshes, a bridgehead against the invaders which was known as . At the end of the 10th century, the Counts of Poitiers
started to get their hands on Aunis
and appointed Guillaume Maingot to take charge of the fortress and part of the lands around it.
In the 12th century this defence had become a small city, whose lords entertained the grandees of the parliament of Saintonge
. During this time a large castle was built on the ramparts, as was the Romanesque
church of Notre-Dame. In 1152 Eleanor of Aquitaine
married Henry II of England
, thus putting her lands including Surgères into English hands.
Coming back under French rule with Saint Louis IX of France
, the English took the town in a surprise raid in 1532 during the One Hundred Years War.
's muse, who he celebrated for her beauty in his Sonnets pour Hélène. Queen Catherine de' Medici
encouraged the affair between the fifty-year-old Ronsard and the beautiful Hélène, so that she could be part of the royal court as one of the ladies-in-waiting.
Hélène was the daughter of Louis de Clermont and Roderic de Fonsèque, a Spanish family from Monterey. She married Philippe de Barbezières.
Surgères regained some prosperity during the 16th century before the French Wars of Religion
. A coveted stronghold, it was occupied by Calvinists
and then by Catholic troops after the fall of La Rochelle in 1628, when Cardinal Richelieu knocked down its ramparts.
of 1789, life in this little village became feudal
with the domination of a rural bourgeoisie
who took, as in all of France, a good deal of the lands of the Dukes of Rochefoucauld-Doudeauville, later Lords of Surgères.
Winemaking and the distillery contributed to a "Golden Age" for the town, but phylloxera
brought it to an end in 1878. Afterwards, the dairy college contributed to the revival of Surgères.
In 1850 Surgères absorbed part of the old commune of Saint-Pierre-de-Surgères, the other part being reattached to the neighbouring commune of Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
.
The Canton of Surgères is part of the Deuxième circonscription de la Charente-Maritime where the deputy is Jean-Louis Léonard
.
.
which has AOC
designation "Beurre des Charentes" or "Beurre Charentes-Poitou". The "Glac" distribute many brands of butter, milk and cheese such as Bougon, Saint-Loup, Lescure, Surgères, Le Petit Vendéen and Mottin charentais.
With its brand Saint-Loup, the Glac is the shirt sponsor of the Chamois Niortais when they play at home, and has been a partner in the club for many years.
The town is also home to the , a syndicate that developed at the end of the 19th Century to get Charentes-Poitou butter to the shops of Paris in under 48 hours. The syndicate is a partner of the Surgères 48 Hour Race
and appears on the shirt of the best climber.
The dairy industry was started by Eugène Biraud after the Phylloxera
crisis, with the first co-operative created in 1888 in an old distillery at Chaillé, to the northwest of Surgères. In 1907, a dairy college completed the picture.
Training in the food industry is under the control of the ("Training policy of the National College of the Dairy and Food Industries and Higher National College of Milling and Cereals"). These groups provide training from granting new licences (theory and apprenticeship) onwards, with the aim of meeting the needs of employers. The college takes students from all over France, and foreigners. Research activities are conducted on behalf of companies. The college works with 2,500 companies in 80 countries.
s became Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques
, then Wärtsilä Diesel. The Surgères site produced Char Leclerc engines but also engines for railcar
s and locomotive
s, and marine engines. This technology is also used in the production of large electrical generator
s for hospitals, industry and offices of large companies.
There are many other companies at this site, such as Sassaro (specialising in stainless steel
for the dairy and pharmaceutical industries) and Saro (specialising in precision engineering
).
employs around fifty people and is near the creamery. Every October Surgères hosts a livestock show
.
Despite there being a carpentry
school there is no furniture industry. In the neighbouring commune of Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
there is the Sofec factory, owned by Teissa the kitchen designer.
:
Since 2005, the summer Sérénade festival has been promoting stringed instruments with open-air concerts. This event is directed by Pierre Lénert, a violist
and soloist in the orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris at the Opéra Bastille
.
The band ("The Shiny Glasses") was champion of France in 2007 and 2008. This band won a Palme d'Or in the 2008 festival at Condom, Gers
and have long accompanied the town's rugby team.
. There are also the School of the Pays d'Aunis and the dairy college of ENILIA-ENSMIC.
is INRA
's site for bird farming, snail farming and beekeeping.
against Solliès-Pont
.
is an ultrarunning competition created in 1985. In 2009 it was won by Australian Martin Fryer, the 2008 world champion of 24 hour racing, and in 2008 by Ryoichi Sekiya. The 25th race, in 2010, took place from Friday 21 May to Sunday 23 May.
won. He had previously trained to win the Andros Trophy
which he won after a season in BTCC on British circuits.
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 Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River.- History :Previously a part of Saintonge, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
department 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 the home of the Surgères 48 Hour Race
Surgères 48 Hour Race
The Surgères 48 hour race is the most significant event in the current ultrarunning calendar in this time-frame. Begun in 1985 with the inspiration of Jean-Gilles Boussiquet it takes place in Surgères, France. An invitation only event, it has been host to many world records at the 48 hour distance....
.
Surrounding communes
To the north lies the town of Saint-Georges-du-BoisSaint-Georges-du-Bois, Charente-Maritime
Saint-Georges-du-Bois is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, to the northwest Puyravault
Puyravault, Charente-Maritime
Puyravault is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
and Vouhé
Vouhé, Charente-Maritime
Vouhé is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, to the west Péré
Péré, Charente-Maritime
Péré is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, to the southwest Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, to the south Vandré
Vandré, Charente-Maritime
Vandré is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, to the southeast Breuil-la-Réorte
Breuil-la-Réorte
Breuil-la-Réorte is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Poitou-Charentes region in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, to the east Saint-Mard
Saint-Mard, Charente-Maritime
Saint-Mard is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, and to the northeast Saint-Saturnin-du-Bois
Saint-Saturnin-du-Bois
Saint-Saturnin-du-Bois is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
.
Location
Surgères is in the north of the department of Charente-MaritimeCharente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River.- History :Previously a part of Saintonge, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, equidistant from the towns of Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....
, La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
, Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
and Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Saint-Jean-d'Angély is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.The commune has its historical origins in the Abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély.-Royal abbey:...
. The village is south of the Marais Poitevin
Marais Poitevin
The Marais Poitevin is a large area of marshland in Western France, a remnant of the former Gulf of Poitou...
and east of the ancient province of Aunis
Aunis
Aunis is a historical province of France, situated in the north-west of the department of Charente-Maritime. Its historic capital is La Rochelle, which took over from Castrum Allionis the historic capital which gives its name to the province....
.
Hydrography
The town's name came from the Gères., the stream that runs through it. It empties into the Devise, which flows into the Charente RiverCharente River
The Charente is a 381 km long river in southwestern France.Its source is in the Haute-Vienne département at Chéronnac, a small village near Rochechouart. It flows through the departments of Haute-Vienne, Charente, Vienne and Charente-Maritime...
.
Climate
Surgères has a temperate climate but in December 1999, like all of the department, was hit by the second European windstormEuropean windstorm
A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic windstorm associated with areas of low atmospheric pressure that track across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe. They are most common in the winter months...
of the season, codenamed Martin
Martin (storm)
Martin was a violent European windstorm which crossed southern Europe on 27–28 December 1999, one day after another powerful storm, Lothar....
.
Transport
The A10 autorouteA10 autoroute (France)
The A10, also called L'Aquitaine, is an Autoroute in France, running for 549 km from the A6 south of Paris to the A630 at Bordeaux. It generally parallels the N10 Route Nationale, but deviates significantly from the older N10 between Paris and Tours and between Poitiers and Bordeaux...
gives access at Exit 33 (Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....
-La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
) to the northeast of the town and Exit 34 (Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Saint-Jean-d'Angély is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.The commune has its historical origins in the Abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély.-Royal abbey:...
) to the southeast.
The old Route nationale 11
Route nationale 11
The Route nationale 11, or RN11, is a trunk road in Southwest France between Poitiers and La Rochelle. It is part of European route E611.-Reclassification:...
(RN11) passes through the town. This road, reclassified to Route Départementale 911, connects Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon
Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon
Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.-References:*...
to Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
. Route nationale 139, running from La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
to Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
, passed through Surgères and Angoulême
Angoulême
-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
and has been declassified to Route Départementale 939.
Surgères railway station
Gare de Surgères
Surgères is a railway station in Surgères, France. It is served by both TER Poitou-Charentes and TGV:*La Rochelle - Gare Montparnasse *La Rochelle - Poitiers -References:*...
connects the capital by TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
, and is also on the TER Poitou-Charentes
TER Poitou-Charentes
TER Poitou-Charentes the regional rail network serving the Poitou-Charentes région, France.- Rail :- Road :* Angoulême - Jonzac* Poitiers - Parthenay - Bressuire - Cholet - Nantes* Thouars - Loudun - Chinon...
regional railway network. It is part of the program of , which aims to modernise the largest stations of the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
(French Railways).
The railway arrived in Surgères in 1857 thanks to the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans. The Poitiers-La Rochelle line was electrified in 1993 to allow the TGV to run up to La Rochelle railway station
Gare de La Rochelle
Gare de La Rochelle is the main station serving La Rochelle. The station building, which includes a 45-metre-tall clock tower, was built in 1922 by Pierre Esquié for the CF de l'Etat replacing the older building...
. The line from Surgères to Marans
Marans, Charente-Maritime
Marans is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Poitou-Charentes region in southwestern France.It is connected to La Rochelle by the Canal de Marans à la Rochelle...
which was part of the Freycinet Plan
Freycinet Plan
The Freycinet Plan was an ambitious public works programme, launched in 1878 by the Minister of Public Works Charles de Freycinet, principally for the construction of railways, but also for canals and maritime ports...
can also be traced.
The closest airports are La Rochelle - Île de Ré Airport
La Rochelle - Île de Ré Airport
La Rochelle - Île de Ré Airport is an airport located 2.5 km northwest of La Rochelle, a commune of the département of Charente-Maritime in France...
and Rochefort-Saint-Agnant Airport.
Middle ages
The site of Surgères was occupied in NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times, but the earliest recorded history comes from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The Duke of Aquitaine wanted to guard his lands in Aunis
Aunis
Aunis is a historical province of France, situated in the north-west of the department of Charente-Maritime. Its historic capital is La Rochelle, which took over from Castrum Allionis the historic capital which gives its name to the province....
against Norman invasion, ao he built a stone and wood defence on the marshes, a bridgehead against the invaders which was known as . At the end of the 10th century, the Counts of Poitiers
Count of Poitiers
Among the people who have borne the title of Count of Poitiers are:*Guerin **Hatton **Renaud...
started to get their hands on Aunis
Aunis
Aunis is a historical province of France, situated in the north-west of the department of Charente-Maritime. Its historic capital is La Rochelle, which took over from Castrum Allionis the historic capital which gives its name to the province....
and appointed Guillaume Maingot to take charge of the fortress and part of the lands around it.
In the 12th century this defence had become a small city, whose lords entertained the grandees of the parliament of Saintonge
Saintonge
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes....
. During this time a large castle was built on the ramparts, as was the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church of Notre-Dame. In 1152 Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
married Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, thus putting her lands including Surgères into English hands.
Coming back under French rule with Saint Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, the English took the town in a surprise raid in 1532 during the One Hundred Years War.
Renaissance and modern times
The history of Surgères is equally marked by Hélène de Fonsèque (1546 – 1618), Pierre de RonsardPierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard was a French poet and "prince of poets" .-Early life:...
's muse, who he celebrated for her beauty in his Sonnets pour Hélène. Queen Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
encouraged the affair between the fifty-year-old Ronsard and the beautiful Hélène, so that she could be part of the royal court as one of the ladies-in-waiting.
Hélène was the daughter of Louis de Clermont and Roderic de Fonsèque, a Spanish family from Monterey. She married Philippe de Barbezières.
Surgères regained some prosperity during the 16th century before the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
. A coveted stronghold, it was occupied by Calvinists
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
and then by Catholic troops after the fall of La Rochelle in 1628, when Cardinal Richelieu knocked down its ramparts.
19th and 20th centuries
After the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
of 1789, life in this little village became feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
with the domination of a rural bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
who took, as in all of France, a good deal of the lands of the Dukes of Rochefoucauld-Doudeauville, later Lords of Surgères.
Winemaking and the distillery contributed to a "Golden Age" for the town, but phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
brought it to an end in 1878. Afterwards, the dairy college contributed to the revival of Surgères.
In 1850 Surgères absorbed part of the old commune of Saint-Pierre-de-Surgères, the other part being reattached to the neighbouring commune of Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
.
Places and Monuments
- RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church of Notre-Dame, built in the 16th and 17th centuries, classfied as a Monument historiqueMonument historiqueA monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
(Historic Monument) since 1862.
- The 16th-century ramparts, which have been an Historic Monument since 1925. With the separate tower in the Town Hall gardens and the Renaissance door, the ramparts make up the remainder of the old castle.
- The Renaissance gate
- The separate tower. This tower is named "Tour Hélène" in homage to Hélène de Fonsèque
- The old castle's grounds have been a classified site since 1828
- The town hall
- The city gate
- The 17th century Chapel of Saint Giles, a Monument Historique since 2004.
Industrial heritage
- The automotive factory of the Surgères Engineering Society , built in 1918. This factory saw the development of the Poyaud business until it decamped to la Combe outside the town in 1974. It is near the station and had a branch line to the railway ("The Caseinery") of the Caseineries Co-operative ' onMouseout='HidePop("41124")' href="/topics/Casein">caseinCaseinCasein is the name for a family of related phosphoprotein proteins . These proteins are commonly found in mammalian milk, making up 80% of the proteins in cow milk and between 60% and 65% of the proteins in human milk....
. It is near the station and had a branch line to the railway ("The creameryCreameryIn a dairy, the creamery is the location of cream processing. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream returned to the skimmed milk....
") built in 1894, with many additions as it expanded. It is in the direction of La RochelleLa RochelleLa Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
.
Administration
| Duration | Name | Party | Particularities |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2001 – (Election in progress) | Phillippe Guilloteau | UDF | General counsel |
| – March 2001 | Jean-Guy Branger | UDF | |
| Previous mayors are unknown. | |||
The Canton of Surgères is part of the Deuxième circonscription de la Charente-Maritime where the deputy is Jean-Louis Léonard
Jean-Louis Léonard
Jean-Louis Léonard Jean-Louis Léonard Jean-Louis Léonard (born on 24 July 1950 in Besançon (Doubs) is a French politician and a member of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).A mayor of Châtelaillon-Plage from 1984 to 1995 and again since 1996, he has been a MP of the Charente-Maritime's 2nd...
.
Population
Economy
The town of Surgères is known for its activities in the food farming industry, especially milk processing. Of equal promininence is boilermaking and engineeringEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
.
Dairy industry
The town is principally known for its butterButter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
which has AOC
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
designation "Beurre des Charentes" or "Beurre Charentes-Poitou". The "Glac" distribute many brands of butter, milk and cheese such as Bougon, Saint-Loup, Lescure, Surgères, Le Petit Vendéen and Mottin charentais.
With its brand Saint-Loup, the Glac is the shirt sponsor of the Chamois Niortais when they play at home, and has been a partner in the club for many years.
The town is also home to the , a syndicate that developed at the end of the 19th Century to get Charentes-Poitou butter to the shops of Paris in under 48 hours. The syndicate is a partner of the Surgères 48 Hour Race
Surgères 48 Hour Race
The Surgères 48 hour race is the most significant event in the current ultrarunning calendar in this time-frame. Begun in 1985 with the inspiration of Jean-Gilles Boussiquet it takes place in Surgères, France. An invitation only event, it has been host to many world records at the 48 hour distance....
and appears on the shirt of the best climber.
The dairy industry was started by Eugène Biraud after the Phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
crisis, with the first co-operative created in 1888 in an old distillery at Chaillé, to the northwest of Surgères. In 1907, a dairy college completed the picture.
Training in the food industry is under the control of the ("Training policy of the National College of the Dairy and Food Industries and Higher National College of Milling and Cereals"). These groups provide training from granting new licences (theory and apprenticeship) onwards, with the aim of meeting the needs of employers. The college takes students from all over France, and foreigners. Research activities are conducted on behalf of companies. The college works with 2,500 companies in 80 countries.
Metallurgy industry
The engineering sector with Poyaud diesel engineDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s became Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques
Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques
The Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques [Society of Alsatian mechanical engineering] was an engineering company with its headquarters in Mulhouse, Alsace which produced railway locomotives, textile and printing machinery, diesel engines, boilers, lifting equipment, firearms and mining...
, then Wärtsilä Diesel. The Surgères site produced Char Leclerc engines but also engines for railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s and locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s, and marine engines. This technology is also used in the production of large electrical generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
s for hospitals, industry and offices of large companies.
There are many other companies at this site, such as Sassaro (specialising in stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
for the dairy and pharmaceutical industries) and Saro (specialising in precision engineering
Precision engineering
Precision engineering is a subdiscipline of electrical engineering, electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, and optical engineering concerned with designing machines, fixtures, and other structures that have exceptionally low tolerances, are repeatable, and are stable over time...
).
Other sectors
The Sibcas slaughterhouseSlaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
employs around fifty people and is near the creamery. Every October Surgères hosts a livestock show
Livestock show
A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard. Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, llamas and alpacas. Poultry such as chickens, geese, ducks,...
.
Despite there being a carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
school there is no furniture industry. In the neighbouring commune of Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes
Saint-Germain-de-Marencennes is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
there is the Sofec factory, owned by Teissa the kitchen designer.
Media
The town has two major media for the north of Charente-MaritimeCharente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River.- History :Previously a part of Saintonge, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
:
- Radio Hélène FM (Surgères 89 FM, Saint-Jean d'Angély 102.9 FM), a general radio station with local information. It is the organiser of the singing competition ("Milky Voices").
- The newspaper ("Charente-Maritime Weekly"), published by Groupe Sud Ouest, which has many regional correspondents. It prints local information for the northern cantons of Charente-Maritime.
Music
The ("Academy of brass and percussion") organises a festival each summer which lets artists get together in Surgères and the surrounding communes.Since 2005, the summer Sérénade festival has been promoting stringed instruments with open-air concerts. This event is directed by Pierre Lénert, a violist
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and soloist in the orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris at the Opéra Bastille
Opéra Bastille
L'Opéra Bastille ' is a modern opera house in Paris, France. It is the home base of the Opéra national de Paris and was designed to replace the Palais Garnier, which is nowadays mainly used for ballet performances....
.
The band ("The Shiny Glasses") was champion of France in 2007 and 2008. This band won a Palme d'Or in the 2008 festival at Condom, Gers
Condom, Gers
Condom , also referred to as Condom-en-Armagnac, is a commune in southwestern France in the department of Gers, of which it is a subprefecture.-Way of St. James:...
and have long accompanied the town's rugby team.
Training
The is a professional school specialising in woodworkingWoodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
. There are also the School of the Pays d'Aunis and the dairy college of ENILIA-ENSMIC.
Research
As mentioned above, near to Saint-Pierre-d'AmillySaint-Pierre-d'Amilly
Saint-Pierre-d'Amilly is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Geography:The village of Charente-Maritime is at the extreme northeast of the Département, from the Département of Deux-Sèvres and the village of Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon, and from Surgères, the seat of the...
is INRA
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
The Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique is a French public research institute dedicated to scientific studies surrounding the problems of agriculture...
's site for bird farming, snail farming and beekeeping.
Sport
The town was named the Most Sporting Village in France (of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants) in 1987. The most popular sport is rugby.Rugby
The Sporting Club Surgèrien was founded in 1912 and is in the Poitou-Charentes league. It is now in the French Chaimpionship, Federal Division 3. The club was champion of this division in 1997. The final took place in GraulhetGraulhet
Graulhet is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.It is a centre of tanning. Leather was the main activity before industry went to China. Graulhet is crossed by the Dadou river; it is a typical village of the South of France, also called Midi....
against Solliès-Pont
Solliès-Pont
Solliès-Pont is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
.
Athletics
The Surgères 48 Hour RaceSurgères 48 Hour Race
The Surgères 48 hour race is the most significant event in the current ultrarunning calendar in this time-frame. Begun in 1985 with the inspiration of Jean-Gilles Boussiquet it takes place in Surgères, France. An invitation only event, it has been host to many world records at the 48 hour distance....
is an ultrarunning competition created in 1985. In 2009 it was won by Australian Martin Fryer, the 2008 world champion of 24 hour racing, and in 2008 by Ryoichi Sekiya. The 25th race, in 2010, took place from Friday 21 May to Sunday 23 May.
Showjumping
Showjumping in Surgères takes place every August. For the fifteenth meeting in 2008, it was one of the stages of Showjumping Grand National, with the best French showjumpers. Unfortunately the 2009 event was cancelled but it will return in 2010.Motorsport
The Rallye d'Automne regularly has a show of its private collection on the Place du Château. In 2000 Yvan MullerYvan Muller
Yvan Muller is a French auto racing driver most noted for success in touring car racing. He is a two-time and the reigning World Touring Car Champion.-Single-seaters:...
won. He had previously trained to win the Andros Trophy
Andros Trophy
The Andros Trophy is the French national Ice Racing championship.-History:The idea of an Ice Racing series first became an idea when professional racer Max Mamers and the owner of the Andros company , Frédéric Gervoson met as rugby fans in 1985...
which he won after a season in BTCC on British circuits.
Personalities
- Ernest Bersot, moral philosopher and French journalist, was born in Surgères.
- Jean Baptiste Cacault, a brigadier-general, was born at Surgères, injured in battle at Juterbock, and died after having an arm amputated.
- Raymond CouraudRaymond CouraudRaymond Couraud , is a French soldier and gangster, who through his World War II military exploits became a highly decorated member of the French-section of the British Army's Special Air Service.-Biography:Raymond Couraud was born on 12 January 1920 at Surgères, Charente-Maritime, France...
, gangster and WW2 hero - Edmond de Fonsèques, Baron of Surgères, married to Hardouine, daughter of Pierre de Laval-Montmorency
- Jacques-Charles-François de La Perrière de Roiffé (1694 – 1776), doctor.
- Hervé Michelet, French trumpeter, conductor of the Académie de Cuivres et Percussions at Surgères.
- Clément Saunier, French trumpeter, student of the Académie de Cuivres et Percussions at Surgères.