Villeneuve-Loubet
Encyclopedia
Villeneuve-Loubet
Villeneuve-Loubet (vilnœv lube is a commune
in the Alpes-Maritimes
department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
region
in southeastern France
.
It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer
and Antibes
, at the mouth of the Loup River
.
It was created by the joining two old villages: the old village of Villeneuve inland and the village of Loubet
on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea
. Its inhabitants are called Villeneuvois.
of Sophia Antipolis
, many companies of the tertiary sector being installed in the city.
, and culinary writer Auguste Escoffier
, the author of the Guide Culinaire and the founder of French haute cuisine
. Villeneuve-Loubet was also, from 1920 onwards, the home of Maréchal Philippe Pétain
(1856–1951), the "Hero of Verdun
" in World War I
and chief of state of the Nazi-collaborationist État Français, commonly known as Vichy
, in World War II. Pétain was sentenced to death for treason in 1945; this was commuted to life in prison by Charles de Gaulle and he died a prisoner at Fort de la Pierre-Levée on the Ile d'Yeu in 1951 at the age of 95.
Villeneuve-Loubet was also the site of a battle in World War 2 when it was liberated by the First Special Service Force on August 26, 1944. The tower of the castle was damaged by a shell fired by the US Navy, and dozens of soldiers from both sides were killed or wounded. Surprisingly, in 2006, the bodies of fourteen Germans killed during the fighting were discovered in a mass grave near the town by a local medical student, and exhumed.
Villeneuve-Loubet (vilnœv lube is a commune
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 Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France.- History : was created by Octavian as a Roman military district in 14 BC, and became a full Roman province in the middle of the 1st century with its capital first at Cemenelum and subsequently at Embrun...
department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin...
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 southeastern 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 lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer
Cagnes-sur-Mer
Cagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:It is the largest suburb of the city of Nice and lies to the west-southwest of it, about from the center.-History:...
and Antibes
Antibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
, at the mouth of the Loup River
Loup River (France)
The Loup is a river in the Alpes-Maritimes département, France. With a length of 49 km, it ends in the Mediterranean Sea in Villeneuve-Loubet, near Cagnes-sur-Mer...
.
It was created by the joining two old villages: the old village of Villeneuve inland and the village of Loubet
Loubet
Loubet was a village situated near the banks of the Mediterranean sea in Alpes-Maritimes department of France. It has been amalgamated with Villeneuve, an old inland village to form today's Villeneuve-Loubet....
on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. Its inhabitants are called Villeneuvois.
Economy
It is at the same time a seaside resort and part of the technopoleTechnopole
Technopole refers to a center of high-tech manufacturing and information-based quaternary industry.These may be developed by the private sector or by the co-operation or partnership between the public and private sectors. Governments of all levels promote them as a panacea for economies hurt by...
of Sophia Antipolis
Sophia Antipolis
Sophia Antipolis is a technology park northwest of Antibes and southwest of Nice, France. Much of the park falls within the commune of Valbonne. Created in 1970-84, it houses primarily companies in the fields of computing, electronics, pharmacology and biotechnology. Several institutions of higher...
, many companies of the tertiary sector being installed in the city.
Culture
Villeneuve-Loubet is the birthplace of the famous 19th century provençal chef, restaurateurRestaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
, and culinary writer Auguste Escoffier
Auguste Escoffier
Georges Auguste Escoffier was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. He is a legendary figure among chefs and gourmands, and was one of the most important leaders in the development of modern French cuisine...
, the author of the Guide Culinaire and the founder of French haute cuisine
Haute cuisine
Haute cuisine or grande cuisine was characterised by French cuisine in elaborate preparations and presentations served in small and numerous courses that were produced by large and hierarchical staffs at the grand restaurants and hotels of Europe.The 17th century chef and writer La Varenne...
. Villeneuve-Loubet was also, from 1920 onwards, the home of Maréchal Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
(1856–1951), the "Hero of Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
" in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and chief of state of the Nazi-collaborationist État Français, commonly known as Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
, in World War II. Pétain was sentenced to death for treason in 1945; this was commuted to life in prison by Charles de Gaulle and he died a prisoner at Fort de la Pierre-Levée on the Ile d'Yeu in 1951 at the age of 95.
Villeneuve-Loubet was also the site of a battle in World War 2 when it was liberated by the First Special Service Force on August 26, 1944. The tower of the castle was damaged by a shell fired by the US Navy, and dozens of soldiers from both sides were killed or wounded. Surprisingly, in 2006, the bodies of fourteen Germans killed during the fighting were discovered in a mass grave near the town by a local medical student, and exhumed.