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
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and ...
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
Although Rousset can be traced back to the Romans, the first written mention comes in a 1050 document, under the name of "Rosselun" or "roscetum rosetum".Site Officiel de la Mairie de Rousset sur Arc /ref> In the Middle Ages, a castle as well as a church and chapels were built, as dwellings increased.
In the 9th century, Rousset belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Victor, then by 1143 the Knights Templar took over, followed by the Knights of Malta in 1307. In the 15th century, it belonged to
Guillaume de Littera
Guillaume de Littera (1371–1452) was a French Roman Catholic canon and provost in Aix-en-Provence as well as vicar in a diocese encompassing several localities in Provence. He became a large landowner after he inherited Meyreuil and Rousset. ...
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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, the castle was destroyed.
The church was built in 1861.
It is now home to a semiconductor fab and research center of STMicroelectronics and until 2014 also of another fab of (originally set up by Atmel)
Montagne Sainte-Victoire
Montagne Sainte-Victoire ( Provençal oc, Venturi / Santa Venturi according to classical orthography and oc, Ventùri / Santo Ventùri, label=none according to Mistralian orthography) is a limestone mountain ridge in the south of France whi ...
was erected in 1875, on the initiative of the parish priest of Rousset, Father Meissonnier, to ward off two evils:
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
and the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870.''The Cross of Provence'' (''La croix de Provence''), in ''Sainte-Victoire'', éd. Édisud / Association for reforestation and protection of Cengle-Sainte-Victoire, Aix-en-Provence, 1998, p. 93.
Population
Twin towns
*Rousset is twinned with
Kirkop
Kirkop ( mt, Ħal Kirkop) is a village in the Southern Region of Malta. It is found near the Malta International Airport, and has been inhabited since pre-history. The parish church is dedicated to Saint Leonard. The football team of the villa ...
in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...