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Saumur

January 10, 2024

For the wine, see Saumur (wine). For the Canadian Supreme Court decision, see Saumur v. The City of Quebec.

Saumur (French: [somyʁ] ⓘ) is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.

Saumur
Subprefecture and commune
The chateau, the church of Saint-Pierre-du-Marais and the town hall, seen from across the Loire
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Mœnia fallunt hostem dextra domat tormentum
"(our) walls defy the enemy, (our) arms vanquish the assault"
Location of Saumur
Saumur
Saumur
Coordinates: 47°15′36″N 0°04′37″W / 47.260000°N 0.0769°W / 47.260000; -0.0769
CountryFrance
RegionPays de la Loire
DepartmentMaine-et-Loire
ArrondissementSaumur
CantonSaumur
IntercommunalityCA Saumur Val de Loire
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jackie Goulet[1] (DVG)
Area
1
66.25 km2 (25.58 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2021)[2]
26,215
 • Density400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
49328 /49400
Elevation20–95 m (66–312 ft)
(avg. 30 m or 98 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
City coat of arms from 1699 to 1985
City coat of arms since 1986

The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur station has rail connections to Tours, Angers, La Roche-sur-Yon and Nantes.

Toponymy edit

First attested in the Medieval Latin form of Salmuri in 968 AD, the origin of the name is obscure. Albert Dauzat hypothesized a pre-Celtic unattested element *sala 'marshy ground' (cf. Celtic salm 'which jumps and flows'), followed by another unattested element meaning "wall". Many places in Europe seem to contain *Sal(m)- elements, which may share Old European roots.

History edit

The Dolmen de Bagneux on the south of the town, is 23 meters long and is built from 15 large slabs of the local stone, weighing over 500 tons. It is the largest in France.

The Château de Saumur was constructed in the 10th century to protect the Loire River crossing from Norman attacks after the settlement of Saumur was sacked in 845. The castle, destroyed in 1067 and inherited by the House of Plantagenet, was rebuilt by Henry II of England in the later 12th century. It changed hands several times between Anjou and France until 1589.

Houses in Saumur are constructed almost exclusively of Tuffeau stone. The caves dug to excavate the stone are now often used as commercial wine cellars.[3]

Amyraldism, or the School of Saumur, is a distinctive form of Reformed theology taught by Moses Amyraut at the University of Saumur in the 17th century. Saumur is also the scene for Balzac's novel Eugénie Grandet, written in 1833.

Prior to the French Revolution, Saumur was the capital of the Sénéchaussée de Saumur [fr], a bailiwick which existed until 1793. Saumur was the location of the Battle of Saumur during the Revolt in the Vendée. It hosted a state prison under Napoleon. The town was an equestrian centre with both the military cavalry school from 1783 and later the Cadre Noir equestrian team.

World War II edit

 
The Saumur City Hall
 
The Cessart Bridge

During the Battle of France in World War II, Saumur was the site of the Battle of Saumur (1940); the town and south bank of the Loire were defended by the teenage cadets of the cavalry school.[4]

In 1944 it was the target of the first Tallboy and the fourth Azon bombing raids by Allied planes. On 8/9 June 1944,[5] 5,400 kg (12,000 lb) Tallboy "earthquake" bombs were first used, against a railway tunnel near Saumur. The hastily organized night raid was to stop a planned German Panzer Division, travelling to engage the newly landed allied forces in Normandy. The panzers were expected to use the railway to cross the Loire. No. 83 Squadron RAF illuminated the area with flares from four Avro Lancasters and marked the target at low level by three de Havilland Mosquitos. 25 Lancasters of No. 617 Squadron RAF, the "Dambusters" then dropped their Tallboys from 5,500 m (18,000 ft) with great accuracy. They hit the approaches to the bridge, blocked the railway cutting and one pierced the roof of the tunnel, bringing down a huge quantity of rock and soil which blocked the tunnel, badly delaying the German reinforcements moving towards Normandy, especially 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.[6][7] The damaged tunnel was quickly dug out to make a deeper cutting, resulting in the need for a second attack.

On 22 June, nine Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the United States Army Air Forces used the new Azon 450 kg (1,000 lb) glide bombs against the Saumur rail bridge;[8] escorted by 43 North American P-51 Mustangs. They failed to destroy the bridge. During the morning of 24 June, 38 American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses with conventional bombs attacked the bridge; escort was provided by 121 of 135 P-51s.[8] The bridge was damaged.

The town of Saumur was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm for its resistance and display of French patriotism during the war.

Main attractions edit

Saumur is home to the Cadre Noir,[9] the École Nationale d'Équitation (National School of Horsemanship), known for its annual horse shows, as well as the Armoured Branch and Cavalry Training School, the officer school for armored forces (tanks).

There is the national tank museum, the Musée des Blindés, with more than 850 armored vehicles, wheeled or tracked. Most of them are from France, though some come from other countries such as Brazil, Germany, and the Soviet Union, as well as axis and allied vehicles of World War Two.

The annual military Carrousel takes place in July each year, as it has done for over 160 years, with displays of horse cavalry skills, historic and modern military vehicles.[10]

Amongst the most important monuments of Saumur are the great Château de Saumur itself which stands high above the town, and the nearby Château de Beaulieu which stands just 200 metres from the south bank of the Loire River and which was designed by the architect Jean Drapeau. A giant sequoia tree (which is protected) stands in the grounds of Château de Beaulieu. The Dolmen de Bagneux is on the old road going south.

The architectural character of the town owes much to the fact that it is constructed almost exclusively of Tuffeau stone.[11]

The wine industry surrounds Saumur, many utilising the tunnels as cellars with the hundreds of domaines producing white, red, rosé and sparkling wines. Visits to producers and the annual Grandes Tablées du Saumur-Champigny is an annual event held in early August with over 1 km of tables set up in Saumur so people can sample the local foods and wine.[12]

Saumur has a weekly market every Saturday morning with hundreds of stalls open for business in the streets and squares of the old town, from before 8am.

 
Cessart Bridge over the Loire River in Saumur

Notable people edit

Saumur was the birthplace of:

Other:

  • The French mathematician Abraham de Moivre initially studied logic at Saumur.
  • Marquis de Sade was briefly imprisoned in the Château de Saumur (then a prison) in 1768.
  • Jehan Alain (1911-1940), organist and composer, was killed during the Battle of Saumur.

Twin towns – sister cities edit

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Saumur is twinned with:[13]

Demographics edit

In 1973 Saumur absorbed four neighbouring communes.[14] The population data for 1968 and earlier in the table and graph below refer to the pre-1973 borders.

Historical population of Saumur
YearPop.±%
179312,300—    
18009,585−22.1%
18069,984+4.2%
182110,454+4.7%
183110,652+1.9%
183612,020+12.8%
184112,258+2.0%
184612,566+2.5%
185114,119+12.4%
185614,505+2.7%
186114,079−2.9%
186613,663−3.0%
187212,552−8.1%
187613,822+10.1%
188114,186+2.6%
188614,187+0.0%
189114,867+4.8%
189616,440+10.6%
YearPop.±%
190116,233−1.3%
190616,392+1.0%
191116,198−1.2%
192115,956−1.5%
192616,210+1.6%
193116,532+2.0%
193617,158+3.8%
194617,635+2.8%
195418,169+3.0%
196220,773+14.3%
196821,551+3.7%
197532,515+50.9%
198232,149−1.1%
199030,131−6.3%
199929,857−0.9%
2007 28,113−5.8%
2012 27,523−2.1%
2017 26,734−2.9%
Source: Cassini[14] and INSEE[15]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Megaliths in France". cromwell-intl.com.
  4. ^ Macnab, Roy (1988). For Honour Alone. Robert Hale. ISBN 978-0709033318.
  5. ^ . Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. UK Crown. Archived from the original on 29 September 2004. Retrieved 24 May 2007.
  6. ^ . Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. UK Crown. Archived from the original on 11 June 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2007.
  7. ^ Saumur Railway Tunnel 23 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine dambusters.org.uk quoting AIR27/2128
  8. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 12 September 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2007.
  9. ^ Official Website of The French national horse riding school. "The French national horse riding school".
  10. ^ "LE CARROUSEL DE SAUMUR". Saumur. 29 December 2022.
  11. ^ Augustus John Cuthbert Hare (1890). South-western France. G. Allen. pp. 84–. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  12. ^ ""Les Grandes Tablées du Saumur-Champigny" à Saumur". france.fr.
  13. ^ "Jumelages". ville-saumur.fr (in French). Saumur. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  14. ^ a b Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Saumur, EHESS (in French).
  15. ^ INSEE: Population en historique depuis 1968

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saumur.
  • Official website (in French)
  • Notre Dame des Ardilliers - Article in the Catholic Encyclopedia about a Catholic pilgrimage center in the town
  • Tank Museum of Saumur (Musée des Blindés)
  • Chateau de Beaulieu
  • Les séquoias géants en Pays-de-la-Loire
  • Chateau of Saumur (in French)
  • Cadre Noir
  • Saumur Cricket Club

January 10, 2024
saumur, wine, wine, canadian, supreme, court, decision, city, quebec, help, expand, this, article, with, text, translated, from, corresponding, article, french, march, 2022, click, show, important, translation, instructions, machine, translation, like, deepl, . For the wine see Saumur wine For the Canadian Supreme Court decision see Saumur v The City of Quebec You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French March 2022 Click show for important translation instructions Machine translation like DeepL or Google Translate is a useful starting point for translations but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate rather than simply copy pasting machine translated text into the English Wikipedia Consider adding a topic to this template there are already 5 942 articles in the main category and specifying topic will aid in categorization Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low quality If possible verify the text with references provided in the foreign language article You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at fr Saumur see its history for attribution You should also add the template Translated fr Saumur to the talk page For more guidance see Wikipedia Translation Saumur French somyʁ is a commune in the Maine et Loire department in western France SaumurSubprefecture and communeThe chateau the church of Saint Pierre du Marais and the town hall seen from across the LoireCoat of armsMotto s Mœnia fallunt hostem dextra domat tormentum our walls defy the enemy our arms vanquish the assault Location of SaumurSaumurShow map of FranceSaumurShow map of Pays de la LoireCoordinates 47 15 36 N 0 04 37 W 47 260000 N 0 0769 W 47 260000 0 0769CountryFranceRegionPays de la LoireDepartmentMaine et LoireArrondissementSaumurCantonSaumurIntercommunalityCA Saumur Val de LoireGovernment Mayor 2020 2026 Jackie Goulet 1 DVG Area166 25 km2 25 58 sq mi Population Jan 2021 2 26 215 Density400 km2 1 000 sq mi Time zoneUTC 01 00 CET Summer DST UTC 02 00 CEST INSEE Postal code49328 49400Elevation20 95 m 66 312 ft avg 30 m or 98 ft 1 French Land Register data which excludes lakes ponds glaciers gt 1 km2 0 386 sq mi or 247 acres and river estuaries City coat of arms from 1699 to 1985City coat of arms since 1986 The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself Chinon Bourgueil Coteaux du Layon etc Saumur station has rail connections to Tours Angers La Roche sur Yon and Nantes Contents 1 Toponymy 2 History 2 1 World War II 3 Main attractions 4 Notable people 5 Twin towns sister cities 6 Demographics 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksToponymy editFirst attested in the Medieval Latin form of Salmuri in 968 AD the origin of the name is obscure Albert Dauzat hypothesized a pre Celtic unattested element sala marshy ground cf Celtic salm which jumps and flows followed by another unattested element meaning wall Many places in Europe seem to contain Sal m elements which may share Old European roots History editThe Dolmen de Bagneux on the south of the town is 23 meters long and is built from 15 large slabs of the local stone weighing over 500 tons It is the largest in France The Chateau de Saumur was constructed in the 10th century to protect the Loire River crossing from Norman attacks after the settlement of Saumur was sacked in 845 The castle destroyed in 1067 and inherited by the House of Plantagenet was rebuilt by Henry II of England in the later 12th century It changed hands several times between Anjou and France until 1589 Houses in Saumur are constructed almost exclusively of Tuffeau stone The caves dug to excavate the stone are now often used as commercial wine cellars 3 Amyraldism or the School of Saumur is a distinctive form of Reformed theology taught by Moses Amyraut at the University of Saumur in the 17th century Saumur is also the scene for Balzac s novel Eugenie Grandet written in 1833 Prior to the French Revolution Saumur was the capital of the Senechaussee de Saumur fr a bailiwick which existed until 1793 Saumur was the location of the Battle of Saumur during the Revolt in the Vendee It hosted a state prison under Napoleon The town was an equestrian centre with both the military cavalry school from 1783 and later the Cadre Noir equestrian team World War II edit nbsp The Saumur City Hall nbsp The Cessart Bridge During the Battle of France in World War II Saumur was the site of the Battle of Saumur 1940 the town and south bank of the Loire were defended by the teenage cadets of the cavalry school 4 In 1944 it was the target of the first Tallboy and the fourth Azon bombing raids by Allied planes On 8 9 June 1944 5 5 400 kg 12 000 lb Tallboy earthquake bombs were first used against a railway tunnel near Saumur The hastily organized night raid was to stop a planned German Panzer Division travelling to engage the newly landed allied forces in Normandy The panzers were expected to use the railway to cross the Loire No 83 Squadron RAF illuminated the area with flares from four Avro Lancasters and marked the target at low level by three de Havilland Mosquitos 25 Lancasters of No 617 Squadron RAF the Dambusters then dropped their Tallboys from 5 500 m 18 000 ft with great accuracy They hit the approaches to the bridge blocked the railway cutting and one pierced the roof of the tunnel bringing down a huge quantity of rock and soil which blocked the tunnel badly delaying the German reinforcements moving towards Normandy especially 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich 6 7 The damaged tunnel was quickly dug out to make a deeper cutting resulting in the need for a second attack On 22 June nine Consolidated B 24 Liberators of the United States Army Air Forces used the new Azon 450 kg 1 000 lb glide bombs against the Saumur rail bridge 8 escorted by 43 North American P 51 Mustangs They failed to destroy the bridge During the morning of 24 June 38 American Boeing B 17 Flying Fortresses with conventional bombs attacked the bridge escort was provided by 121 of 135 P 51s 8 The bridge was damaged The town of Saumur was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm for its resistance and display of French patriotism during the war Main attractions editSaumur is home to the Cadre Noir 9 the Ecole Nationale d Equitation National School of Horsemanship known for its annual horse shows as well as the Armoured Branch and Cavalry Training School the officer school for armored forces tanks There is the national tank museum the Musee des Blindes with more than 850 armored vehicles wheeled or tracked Most of them are from France though some come from other countries such as Brazil Germany and the Soviet Union as well as axis and allied vehicles of World War Two The annual military Carrousel takes place in July each year as it has done for over 160 years with displays of horse cavalry skills historic and modern military vehicles 10 Amongst the most important monuments of Saumur are the great Chateau de Saumur itself which stands high above the town and the nearby Chateau de Beaulieu which stands just 200 metres from the south bank of the Loire River and which was designed by the architect Jean Drapeau A giant sequoia tree which is protected stands in the grounds of Chateau de Beaulieu The Dolmen de Bagneux is on the old road going south The architectural character of the town owes much to the fact that it is constructed almost exclusively of Tuffeau stone 11 The wine industry surrounds Saumur many utilising the tunnels as cellars with the hundreds of domaines producing white red rose and sparkling wines Visits to producers and the annual Grandes Tablees du Saumur Champigny is an annual event held in early August with over 1 km of tables set up in Saumur so people can sample the local foods and wine 12 Saumur has a weekly market every Saturday morning with hundreds of stalls open for business in the streets and squares of the old town from before 8am nbsp Cessart Bridge over the Loire River in SaumurNotable people editSaumur was the birthplace of Gabriel Dugres fl 1643 French Huguenot grammarian Anne Le Fevre Dacier 1654 1720 scholar and translator of classics Jeanne Delanoue 1666 1736 made a Roman Catholic Saint in 1982 Francois Bontemps 1753 1811 General of the French Revolutionary Wars Charles Ernest Beule 1826 1874 archeologist Coco Chanel 1883 1971 fashion designer Marie Adrien Persac 1823 1873 Franco American lithographer and photographer Yves Robert 1920 2002 actor composer director writer producer Jack le Goff 1931 2009 equestrian Fanny Ardant b 1949 actress Dominique Pinon b 1955 actor Youna Dufournet b 1993 French artistic gymnastOther The French mathematician Abraham de Moivre initially studied logic at Saumur Marquis de Sade was briefly imprisoned in the Chateau de Saumur then a prison in 1768 Jehan Alain 1911 1940 organist and composer was killed during the Battle of Saumur Twin towns sister cities editSee also List of twin towns and sister cities in France Saumur is twinned with 13 nbsp Formigine Italy nbsp Verden an der Aller Germany nbsp Warwick England United Kingdom nbsp Asheville North Carolina USDemographics editIn 1973 Saumur absorbed four neighbouring communes 14 The population data for 1968 and earlier in the table and graph below refer to the pre 1973 borders Historical population of SaumurYearPop 179312 300 18009 585 22 1 18069 984 4 2 182110 454 4 7 183110 652 1 9 183612 020 12 8 184112 258 2 0 184612 566 2 5 185114 119 12 4 185614 505 2 7 186114 079 2 9 186613 663 3 0 187212 552 8 1 187613 822 10 1 188114 186 2 6 188614 187 0 0 189114 867 4 8 189616 440 10 6 YearPop 190116 233 1 3 190616 392 1 0 191116 198 1 2 192115 956 1 5 192616 210 1 6 193116 532 2 0 193617 158 3 8 194617 635 2 8 195418 169 3 0 196220 773 14 3 196821 551 3 7 197532 515 50 9 198232 149 1 1 199030 131 6 3 199929 857 0 9 200728 113 5 8 201227 523 2 1 201726 734 2 9 Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki org Source Cassini 14 and INSEE 15 See also editMusee des Blindes Battle of Saumur 1940 References edit Repertoire national des elus les maires in French data gouv fr Plateforme ouverte des donnees publiques francaises 13 September 2022 Populations legales 2021 The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies 28 December 2023 Megaliths in France cromwell intl com Macnab Roy 1988 For Honour Alone Robert Hale ISBN 978 0709033318 Saumur Tunnel 9th June 1944 Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary UK Crown Archived from the original on 29 September 2004 Retrieved 24 May 2007 Campaign Diary June 1944 Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary UK Crown Archived from the original on 11 June 2007 Retrieved 24 May 2007 Saumur Railway Tunnel Archived 23 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine dambusters org uk quoting AIR27 2128 a b 8th Air Force 1944 Chronicles Archived from the original on 12 September 2007 Retrieved 25 May 2007 Official Website of The French national horse riding school The French national horse riding school LE CARROUSEL DE SAUMUR Saumur 29 December 2022 Augustus John Cuthbert Hare 1890 South western France G Allen pp 84 Retrieved 21 February 2011 Les Grandes Tablees du Saumur Champigny a Saumur france fr Jumelages ville saumur fr in French Saumur Retrieved 12 March 2021 a b Des villages de Cassini aux communes d aujourd hui Commune data sheet Saumur EHESS in French INSEE Population en historique depuis 1968External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saumur Official website in French Notre Dame des Ardilliers Article in the Catholic Encyclopedia about a Catholic pilgrimage center in the town Tank Museum of Saumur Musee des Blindes Chateau de Beaulieu Les sequoias geants en Pays de la Loire Chateau of Saumur in French Cadre Noir Saumur Cricket Club Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Saumur amp oldid 1177443925, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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