Coordinates: 47°46′45″N 1°37′57″E / 47.7791666667°N 1.6325°E
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Commune of Beaugency |
|
 Château de Beaugency |
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| Location | |
  Beaugency
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Centre |
| Department | Loiret |
| Arrondissement | Orléans |
| Canton | Beaugency |
| Mayor | Claude Bourdin (2001–2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 78–118 m (260–390 ft) (avg. 98 m/320 ft) |
| Land area1 | 16.45 km2 (6.35 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 7,106 |
| - Density | 432 /km2 (1,120 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 45028/ 45190 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Beaugency is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.
Contents |
History
The lords of Beaugency attained considerable importance in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries; at the end of the 13th century the fiefdom was sold to the crown, and afterwards passed to the house of Orléans, then to those of Dunois and Longueville and ultimately again to that of Orléans.
The city of Beaugency has experienced a sometimes violent military history. It was occupied on four separate occasions by the English. On June 16 – 17, 1429, it was the site of the famous Battle of Beaugency, when it was finally freed by Joan of Arc. Beaugency also played an important strategic role in the Hundred Years' War. It was burned by the Protestants in 1567 and suffered extensive damage to the walls, the castle, and the church.
On the 8th, 9th and 10th of December 1870 the German army, commanded by the grand-duke of Mecklenburg, defeated the French army of the Loire, under General Chanzy, in the second battle of Beaugency (or Villorceau-Josnes), which was fought on the left bank of the Loire to the northwest of Beaugency.
In 1940 and again in 1944 the city was bombed by Nazi Germany. However, on 16 September 1944, German Major General Botho Henning Elster and his 18,850 men and 754 officers surrendered at the Loire bridge of Beaugency to U.S. Major General Robert C. Macon of the 83rd Infantry Division.
Economy
Until 1846 Beaugency was an important commercial center due to trade along the Loire. After trade moved from the river to rail traffic, the city's role changed and Beaugency became a market center for the surrounding agricultural district. Today Beaugency's economy depends largely on tourism.
Sights
- Medieval keep (11th century) 47°46′39″N 1°37′59″E / 47.7775°N 1.63306°E
- Lock of Dunois (14-15th century)
- Church Saint Etienne (11th century)
- Abbey church (12th century)
- City hall (16th century)
- Bridge (14th century)
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
External links
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