Le Cailar (; oc, Lo Cailar) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is located at the confluence of the River Vistre and the River Rhôny. It was an important port during the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

at a time when lagoons connected to the Mediterranean Sea covered the adjoining low-lying land.

History

The town has a rich archaeological history, and seems to have been inhabited since at least the late 6th century BC. There have been significant finds of pottery dating back to the 4th century BC, mostly unearthed in the churchyard. A cache of 3rd-century-BC weapons has been found which included swords, shields, spears and knives, along with about thirty human skulls which showed signs that the bodies had been decapitated. Inscribed stones from the Roman era have also been found at this location and traces of stone walls that surrounded the settlement. Le Cailar is first documented as ''Castellus'' in 675. The name later evolved to ''Caslarium'' (1243) and ''Le Caylar'' (from the 15th century). In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, the village belonged to the

viguerie In Southern France, a ''viguerie'' (; la, vicaria) was a mediaeval administrative court. A ''viguerie'' is named for the place it serves or is found in, that is, the main town of the borough, which need not be its (administrative capital). Appear ...

Aigues-Mortes Aigues-Mortes (; oc, Aigas Mòrtas) is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitania region of southern France. The medieval city walls surrounding the city are well preserved. Situated on the junction of the Canal du Rhône à Sète a ...

and the

Diocese of Nîmes In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

. The simple priory of Saint-Étienne-du-Caylar came under the chapter of

Montpellier Cathedral Montpellier Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Montpellier) is a Roman Catholic church building, church dedicated to Saint Peter and located in the city of Montpellier, France. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Montpellier, Archbi ...

while in 1112 Le Cailar Castle (''Château du Cailar'') belonged to

Bernard Ato IV Bernard Ato IV (died 1129) was the Viscount of Nîmes of the Trencavel family from 1074 to his death. Bernard Ato was the son of Raymond Bernard of Nîmes (died 1074) and Ermengarde of Carcassonne. In 1096, Bernard joined the army of Raymond of Sa ...

, Viscount of Nîmes. Saint-Étienne du Cailar Church was built in 1091. Initially, the prosperity of the region was a result of the trade that developed in fish and salt. The monks of Saint Gilles appear to have founded the village. In 1382, the medieval castle was burnt to destruction in the feudal wars. The

fiefdom A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form o ...

was transferred to the barons of Baschy d'Aubais in the 16th century. By the time of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, there were only a few traces of the medieval castle which nevertheless is remembered as an important item in the history of the village."Découverte de la commune Le Cailar"
Le Cailar. Retrieved 9 October 2013.

Geography

Le Cailar is located at the confluence of the Rivers Vistre and Rhôny, about southwest of Nîmes on the edge of the Languedoc coastal plain."Michel Py et Réjane Roure, "Le Cailar (Gard): Un nouveau comptoir lagunaire protohistorique au confluent du Rhôny et du Vistre"
Varia No. 25, 2002, pages 171-214. Retrieved 9 October 2013. This area used to be a large lagoon which has gradually silted up over time. Le Cailar was an important trading centre allowing import of goods via the Mediterranean Sea and their distribution to the Nîmes Vaunage area. The town was still considered to be a port until the early 20th century as the Vistre remained navigable this far upstream.

Le Cailar station Le Cailar is a railway station in Le Cailar, Occitanie, southern France. Within TER Occitanie TER Occitanie or liO TER Occitanie is the regional rail network serving the region of Occitanie, southern France. It is operated by the French nati ...

has rail connections to Nîmes and Le Grau-du-Roi.

The village today

With its winding streets and its bullring (''Arènes du Cailar''), Le Cailar is a typical

Camargue Camargue (, also , , ; oc, label= Provençal, Camarga) is a region of France located south of Arles, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône delta. The eastern arm is called the ''Grand Rhône''; the western one is the ''P ...

village. It is noted for being the first village in the area (in 1851) to be associated with bull

manade A manade ( prov. ''menada'', originally from lat. ''manus'' = hand) is a term used mainly in the Camargue area in France for a semi-feral group of Camargue cattle or horses led by a gardian, or herder. In French, the word ''manade'' dates from 18 ...

s. The village is also receptive to modern art with

Figuration Libre Figuration Libre ("Free Figuration") is a French art movement which began in the 1980s. It is the French equivalent of Bad Painting and Neo-expressionism in America and Europe, Junge Wilde in Germany and Transvanguardia in Italy. Artists in the mo ...

exhibitions encouraged by painters including

François Boisrond Figuration Libre ("Free Figuration") is a French art movement which began in the 1980s. It is the French equivalent of Bad Painting and Neo-expressionism in America and Europe, Junge Wilde in Germany and Transvanguardia in Italy. Artists in the mo ...

. Landmarks include the ''Arènes du Cailar'' (the bullring) completed in 1925 and listed as a historic monument in 1993, and the village church, ''Église Sainte-Étienne'', with its 12th-century façade, listed in 1951.

Population

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cailar Communes of Gard