Alès
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Not to be confused with Ales (disambiguation).
"Alais" redirects here. For the Alais meteorite of 1806, see Meteorite falls.
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Alès |
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| Alès Cathedral | |
 Alès
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Department | Gard |
| Arrondissement | Alès |
| Canton | 3 cantons |
| Intercommunality | Grand Alès en Cévennes |
| Mayor | Max Roustan (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 116–356 m (381–1,168 ft) (avg. 150 m or 490 ft) |
| Land area1 | 23.16 km2 (8.94 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 40,520 (2008) |
| - Density | 1,750 /km2 (4,500 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 30007/ 30100 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Coordinates: 44°07′41″N 4°04′54″E / 44.1281°N 4.0817°E
Alès (French pronunciation: [a.lɛs] ; Alès in Occitan) 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.
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Geography
Alès lies 40 km north-northwest of Nîmes, on the left bank of the Gardon River, which half surrounds it. It is located at the foot of the Cévennes, near the Cévennes National Park.
History
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In the 16th century Alès was an important Huguenot centre. In 1629 the town was taken by Louis XIII, and by the Peace of Alais the Huguenots gave up their right to places de sûreté (garrison towns) and other privileges. A bishopric was established there in 1694 but suppressed in 1790.
Population
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1793 | 10,020 | — |
| 1800 | 8,944 | −10.7% |
| 1806 | 9,387 | +5.0% |
| 1821 | 9,906 | +5.5% |
| 1831 | 12,077 | +21.9% |
| 1836 | 13,566 | +12.3% |
| 1841 | 15,884 | +17.1% |
| 1846 | 17,838 | +12.3% |
| 1851 | 18,871 | +5.8% |
| 1856 | 20,084 | +6.4% |
| 1861 | 20,257 | +0.9% |
| 1866 | 19,964 | −1.4% |
| 1872 | 19,230 | −3.7% |
| 1876 | 20,893 | +8.6% |
| 1881 | 22,255 | +6.5% |
| 1886 | 22,514 | +1.2% |
| 1891 | 24,356 | +8.2% |
| 1896 | 24,382 | +0.1% |
| 1901 | 24,940 | +2.3% |
| 1906 | 27,435 | +10.0% |
| 1911 | 29,831 | +8.7% |
| 1921 | 36,455 | +22.2% |
| 1926 | 42,021 | +15.3% |
| 1931 | 43,248 | +2.9% |
| 1936 | 41,385 | −4.3% |
| 1946 | 34,731 | −16.1% |
| 1954 | 36,893 | +6.2% |
| 1962 | 41,360 | +12.1% |
| 1968 | 42,818 | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 44,245 | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 43,268 | −2.2% |
| 1990 | 41,037 | −5.2% |
| 1999 | 39,282 | −4.3% |
| 2008 | 40,520 | +3.2% |
Economy
Alès is the center of a mining district and hosts the École des mines d'Alès.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911):
- "The town is one of the most important markets for raw silk and cocoons in the south of France, and the Gardon supplies power to numerous silk-mills. It is also the centre of a mineral field, which yields large quantities of coal, iron, zinc and lead; its blast-furnaces, foundries, glass-works and engineering works afford employment to many workmen."
Personalities
- "Pasteur did his research on the silkworm disease (pébrine and flacherie) at Alès, and the town has dedicated a bust to his memory. There is also a statue of the chemist J.B. Dumas.Alphonse Daudet was master study at the College of Ales and was written "le petit chose""
Sights
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911):
- "The streets are wide and its promenades and fine plane-trees make the town attractive; but the public buildings, the chief of which are the Saint-Jean-Baptiste cathedral, a heavy building of the 18th century, and the citadel, which serves as barracks and prison, are of small interest."
Alès was the birthplace of:
- Rigord (c. 1150-c. 1209), chronicler (probable birthplace)
- Jean-Baptiste Dumas (1800–1884), chemist
- Edgard de Larminat (1895–1962), French general
- Louis Leprince-Ringuet (1901–2000), physicist
- Maurice André (1933–2012), trumpeter, active in the classical music field
- Laurent Blanc (born 1965), football defender
- Nabil El Zhar (born 1986), football striker (Liverpool Football Club)
- Stephane Sarrazin (born 1975), sportscar racing driver, rally driver
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Alès is twinned with:
See also
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
External links
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