Beaucaire (; Occitan and Provençal: ''Bèucaire'' ) is a commune 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 in the Occitanie

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

Southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

. In 2020, the commune was awarded one flower by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.

Geography

Beaucaire is located on the River

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

some 15 km south-west of

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

and 10 km north of

Arles Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...

. Across the river from Beaucaire lies Tarascon, which is in Bouches-du-Rhône department of

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

. Access to the commune is by the D999 road from Jonquières-Saint-Vincent in the west which passes through the north of the commune and the town and continues east to Tarascon. The D966L comes from Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard in the north and comes down the banks of the

to the town. The D90 branches off the D986L in the commune and passes in a circle around the town then continues east across the Rhone changing to the D99B. The D15 goes south from the town to Fourques. The D38 goes south-west from the town to Bellegarde. The D28 links the ''Ile du Comte'' to the east bank of the Rhone. A railway passes through the commune coming from Tarascon in the east with a station in the commune then it continues to

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...

in the west. Beaucaire station has rail connections to Nîmes, Avignon and Montpellier. Apart from the main town there are also the districts of Gaudon, Tour Saint-Pierre, Pauvre Menage, Malatrache, Mas du Consul, Mas Saint-Andre du Boschet, Mas de la Bastide, Mas des Lecques, Le Fer a Cheval, Saujean, Mas de Sicard, Bieudon, and Enclos d'Argent. The commune has a large urban area in the north-east with the rest of the commune farmland. There is also an extensive network of irrigation canals covering most of the farmland. The

river forms the whole eastern border of the commune as it flows south to join the sea at Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône. The river is also the departmental border between

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Bouches-du-Rhône. The Canal du Rhône à Sète passes through the commune from Saint-Gilles in the south-west and joins the Rhone in the town. Parallel to the Rhône on its eastern side is a canalised waterway called ''Laune de Pillet'' (the branch of the Rhone here called the ''Bras de Beaucaire''). The Rhône and the waterway together create the ''Ile de Pillet''. The river itself has not been navigable to the south since the creation of the Vallebregues barage in 1969; through traffic must navigate the ''Laune de Pillet''. The river lock which once connected the Canal du Rhône à Sète to the Rhône has also been closed since 1969, but the lock is planned to reopen in due course. As it is the north-east arm of the Canal du Rhône à Sète is a ''cul-de-sac''.

Terrain

The entire town is located in the Rhône Valley and has fairly flat terrain mainly formed by the plain of the Rhône. The north of the commune has hills, especially north of the town centre where the castle is located (80 metres high) as well as Saint-Roman (130 metres).n

Name

Called ''Ugernum'' by the Romans, Beaucaire derived its modern name from the medieval ''Belli Quadrum'', which described the pine-clad rock rising abruptly from the river. Alternatively, 'Beaucaire' may be the French version of the

Occitan language Occitan (; ), also known by its native speakers as (; ), sometimes also referred to as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Valleys, as well as Spain's Val d'Aran in Catalonia; collectively, ...

name 'Bèucaire': * ''Beau'' < French ''beau'' ('Beautiful') < Occitan ''bèl''/''bèu'' ('Beautiful') * ''Caire'' < Occitan ''caire'' ('Cut stone or rock') French ''pierre de taille''">n French ''pierre de taille'' Beaucaire appears as ''Beaucaire'' on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version.

History

Ancient time

Founded in the 7th century BC, Beaucaire was known as a city on the famous Via Domitia, the first

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

built in

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

linking Italy to Spain (121 BC.). It was at this point that the Via Domitia divides in the direction of

, Remoulins, and Saint-Gilles. At that time, Beaucaire was called ''Ugernum''. This was where, after the capture of Rome by the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...

in 455, the

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

nobility met to elect Avitus as the new emperor. A Roman mausoleum has been discovered on the ''Île du Comté''.

Middle Ages

The

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

saw a slowdown in the expansion of the city. Beaucaire did not escape the troubles during this dark period. It underwent invasions of

Burgundians The Burgundians were an early Germanic peoples, Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared east in the middle Rhine region in the third century AD, and were later moved west into the Roman Empire, in Roman Gaul, Gaul. In the first and seco ...

Visigoths The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...

, and Saracens. It was at that time that the first ramparts were built and the castle was expanded. The city took the name ''Beaucaire'' (which means "beautiful stone", probably in reference to its many buildings, to its quarries, or the fact that it had the first hills on the Rhone coming from the sea). During the

Albigensian Crusade The Albigensian Crusade (), also known as the Cathar Crusade (1209–1229), was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, what is now southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted pri ...

, Raymond VII of Toulouse besieged Beaucaire in May 1216 to reclaim his father's property. The efforts of Simon de Montfort to relieve the town were repulsed. The city fell after a three-month siege. In the 13th century Louis IX made several trips to Beaucaire. The city was expanding and its population increasing. Despite the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion (14th to the 16th century), the splendour and refinement of the architecture grew along with the wealth of the Beaucairois merchants. In 1579 Beaucaire was held by Henri I de Montmorency, the catholic governor of

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (, , ; ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately . History ...

, but tolerant. The captain of the city was Jean de Parabere who was soon to play his own game. Damville then provoked a riot to recover the city but even though Parabere was decapitated, the city remained in the hands of the

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

s, thanks to reinforcements sent by François de Coligny, the son of Gaspard II de Coligny.

Modern era

At the end of the Hundred Years War in 1453,

Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious () or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. His reign saw the end of the Hundred Years' War and a ''de facto'' end of the English claims to ...

declared that Beaucaire would become the site of the ''Fair of la Madeleine'', a commercial fair that would enable the trade of goods from all of the Mediterranean Basin countries to all of France. By the mid-seventeenth century, the Fair was the largest commercial fair in the Mediterranean region, allegedly exceeding in a week the total volume of trade done in Marseilles in a year. It remained the dominant Mediterranean trade fair until the arrival of the railway in the mid-nineteenth century. The advent of the railway and the end of river trade as well as the removal of its tax-free status by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

gradually destroyed the Fair of the Madeleine and plunged Beaucaire into anonymity. One result of these years of commercial dominance was the construction of a remarkable number of architecturally significant mansions and palaces by rich merchants of many nationalities. The fair still exists in the form of carnivals, bullfights, and various festivities. Camargue bulls are run through the streets. It always starts on 21 July and always ends on a Monday and lasts at least six days.

French Revolution and Empire

Beaucaire was capital of the district from 1790 to 1795. During the French Revolution the commune was temporarily called ''Pont-National''.

Contemporary period

At the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century some works of great value are built such as the ''banquette'' - a stone retaining wall along the eastern side of the city which protected it from the flooding of the Rhône, food markets, and the Municipal Casino which is now the Festival Hall. It was also at this time that the Canal du Rhône à Sète was widened. It connects Beaucaire to the Canal du Midi. In 1940 Beaucaire had a large population of Belgian refugees, mostly from Farciennes. They became twin communes in 1969. In 2016, they gained international attention for naming a street " Rue du Brexit" as a tribute to the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union.

Heraldry

Town planning

Beaucaire is one of 79 member communes of the Territorial Coherence Scheme (SCOT) of South Gard and is also one of the 41 communes of ''Pays Garrigues Costières''.

Housing

The town of Beaucaire had 7,769 housing units in 2017, 86% of which were primary residences. There are more single-family houses (55%) than apartments (44%) with the majority of homes having 3 or 4 rooms. 51% of residents own their own housing. Of the rental housing (3,148 units in 2017) 31% are HLM.Dossier complet: Commune de Beaucaire (30032)
INSEE, retrieved 13 September 2020

Administration

List of Successive Mayors The Municipal Council is composed of 23 members including the Mayor and 9 deputies.

Twinning

Beaucaire has twinning associations with: * Farciennes (Belgium) since 1969. * Montelupo Fiorentino (Italy).

Demography

Its inhabitants are known as ''Beaucairois'' or ''Beaucairoises'' in French.

Education

The commune has: *4 kindergartens *5 Elementary schools *2 primary schools *3 colleges *2 professional schools

Health

Since 30 January 2014 Beaucaire has a multi-activity healthcare division with multi care professionals, a dental centre, opticians, and a hearing specialist.

Cultural events and festivities

*The Salon des Métiers d'Art is held every year in October. Many craftsmen are selected and come to exhibit their original works. Since 2015, this event has taken place in the conservation area of ??Beaucaire on the Place Georges Clemenceau and also in the inner courtyard of the Town Hall and its Conservatory. *The Mediterranean Equestrian Meeting is held every year on the first weekend in July. Hundreds of horses from all over Europe meet in Beaucaire. This event diversified in 2015 with a children's area to introduce children and attract families. This huge demonstration, whose total cost is around 100,000 euros, has not been subsidized by the regional council since 2015. Despite the decline in endowment, the commune still maintains it and gives it more scope. *The City of books since 2007. It hosts publishers, booksellers and organizes a festival of storytelling. *The Summer Festivals have events such as bullfighting and cultural shows. The city is a member of the ''Union of French bullfighting cities''. *Le Drac from 20 to 22 June each year. A celebration of the

myth Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

of Le Drac. The townsfolk bring the monster to life in the form of a long procession which snakes through the town led by a swarm of children carrying lanterns.

Worship

The Catholic parish of Beaucaire is part of on the diocese of Nîmes,

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

''Plaine gardoise''. Protestants also have a church in the commune. There is a

Mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

for Moslems.

Economy

Population and income tax

In 2017 the workforce was 6,726 people, including 1,601 unemployed (23.8%). These people are mostly employees (85.1%) and most work outside the commune (57%). At the end of 2015 there were a total of 1,544 business enterprises in the commune: 152 in agriculture, 128 in industry, 226 in construction, 851 in Trade, transport, and services (of which 303 in automobile trade and repair), and 170 in administration, education, health, or social services.

Notable businesses in the commune

Among local businesses, the ''Craft Brewery of Beaucaire'' produces and markets several varieties of beer regionally with some Camargue rice. There are also: a Ciments français cement plant (subsidiary of the Italcementi group), and a Casanis plant from the Bacardi group which markets Get 27. The headquarters of the multinational group Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits (formerly Belvédère) has been located in Beaucaire since 2011.

Culture and heritage

A large number of buildings and sites in Beaucaire are registered as historical monuments, including: * Chateau de Beaucaire and its triangular

Keep A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...

. *Many Mansions and facades from the 17th and 18th century. *Taureau Cocardier (Cocardier bull) Goya, a sculpture by Camille Soccorsi (1984) in the Place Jean-Jaurès. *Paul Laurent bullring where are held bullfight events, and shows and concerts during the feria of Sainte-Madeleine. *Sculpture of Drac in the Place de la Republique. *Vieux Mas, a farmhouse from 1900. *Columns of Caesar. On the plateau north-west of the town, near the cemetery, lie milestones from the ancient Via Domitia. Consisting of a single stone, they are positioned to the right of the way in the direction Beaucaire-Narbonne. There are many due to the addition of a new milestone in the name of the emperor reigning at each significant repair. These multiple milestones are called ''Columns of Caesar''. Rhône, château de Beaucaire.jpg, The

and the Château of Beaucaire Beaucaire - Chateau 2.jpg, Château de Beaucaire Chateau de Beaucaire donjon 1.JPG, Triangular

keep A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...

of the Chateau of Beaucaire Hotel Margallier.jpg, Hotel of Margallier Bornes milliaires Beaucaire.jpg, Columns of Caesar Taureau de la manade Nicollin dans les arènes Paul-Laurent de Beaucaire.jpg, Bullring Beaucaire - Casino.jpg, Beaucaire Casino

Religious heritage

*The Troglodytic Abbey of Saint-Roman: atop a limestone outcrop overlooking the Rhone valley at the confluence of the Gardon. This cave monastery, which depended on Psalmody Abbey was abandoned in the 16th century. A fortress was later built partly with stones from the abbey. It was dismantled in 1850 and only a few vestiges of the fortifications are still visible. *The Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame-des-Pommiers dating from the 18th century, the largest church in the city, baroque. *The Church of Saint Paul, built in the Provençal Gothic style. *An Oratory in memory of Saint Bonaventure and the Virgin; Second Empire period; near Place Jean-Jaurès and the road to Nîmes. Beaucaire (Gard) - Abbaye de Saint-Roman - interior (13954219053).jpg, Abbey of Saint-Roman Collégiale Notre-Dame-des-Pommiers de Beaucaire 03.jpg, Collegiate church of Notre-Dame-des-Pommiers Église St Paul 5.jpg, Church of Saint Paul
(western portal) Beaucaire, église St Paul, intérieur1.jpg, Church of Saint Paul
(main altar)

Croix Couverte de Beaucaire

Beaucaire-Oratoire de la croix couverte-20130617

The ''Croix Couverte de Beaucaire'', or the Covered Cross, is a 14th-century stone oratory located in Beaucaire at what is now the intersection of the ''Route to Fourques'' and the ''Chemin de Beauvoir.'' The monument has three faces rising off a triangular base, each with a large Gothic arched opening and an open stone balustrade at the top. The vaulted space holds the support for a stone cross, the oratory's original cross is now located in the Auguste Jacquet Museum at the Château de Beaucaire. Classified as a historical monument since October 10, 1906, the structure was likely built by John, Duke of Berry, Governor of Languedoc. In 2019, the commune of Beaucaire inaugurated a program to study the monument and create a plan to repair damage to the stonework, improve adjacent drainage, relocate adjacent power poles and lines, and make general improvements to the site.

Museums

*The Auguste-Jacquet Museum: a museum of history, archeology and traditions of Beaucaire. Located in the former convent of the Augustinian sisters at the foot of the medieval castle. *The Horse and Equestrian Art Museum, Hall of the Four Kings, Rue du 4 September.

Literature

Poets, living in or passing through Beaucaire, remembered it through their lyrical writing: Joseph D'Arbaud, Marie-Antoinette Rivière (Antoinette of Beaucaire), Juliette Borely, Artalette of Beaucaire.

Legend

Beaucaire has a legend of the formidable '' drac'', a monster that rises from the depths of the sea to seize and devour its prey. One day the monster grabbed a young laundress and brought her to his cave. The story says the woman expected the worst, but the ''drac'' explained that what he wanted was a nanny for his son, the ''draconnet''. Thus the washerwoman fed the little monster for seven years before she was set free. But one day at the fair the ''drac'' came to the market, having taken on a human appearance. The washerwoman recognized her former captor and incited the crowd to riot. Furious at being unmasked, the ''drac'' blinded the washerwoman. According to Gervase of Tilbury who wrote this tale in 1214, she remained blinded until the end of her days.

Notable people linked to the commune

* Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse (1197-1249) returned Beaucaire, his birthplace, to the lords of Nord in 1216; * Jacques Cœur (around 1395/1400-1456), took refuge in 1455; * François de Rovérié de Cabrières (1830-1921), Bishop of Montpellier then

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

; * Jack Thieuloy (1931-1996), French writer of ''L'Opéra de Beaucaire''; *

Bonaparte, author of ''Souper de Beaucaire''; * (Jean-)Pierre Blaud (1773/74-1859), inventor of Blaud's pills; * César Blaud, (died at 77 years old), researcher and author of ''Antiquité de la ville de Beaucaire'', 1819; * Madeleine Blaud (1887-1942), graduate of the Montpellier school of pharmacy, author of ''The high schools of tomorrow'', 1918; * Alexandre Pleindoux, doctor, author of medical books and a militant republican; * Noël Vandernotte (1923-), retired author, youngest athlete in the history of the modern

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

''ad vitam æternam'' (Medal in 1936 as a rowing coxswain); * Sauveur Betelli, called ''Toto'', bullfighter, resistance fighter; * Jacques Lardie (1947-), publisher, political journalist, polémicist cartoonist, illustrator, diploma of fine arts, he signed his articles and cartoons with various nicknames with the most common ''Jihel''. Creator of an important historical series called ''Ciment de l'histoire''; * Michel Odasso (1947-2010), professional footballer from Nîmes Olympique and

AS Monaco FC Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club, commonly referred to as AS Monaco (), is a professional association football, football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco, Fontvieille, Monaco. Although not in France, they are a member of the Frenc ...

; * Myriam Stocco (1951-), Miss France 1971, 5th princess of Miss Universe 1971, finalist in Miss World 1971, 3rd princess in Miss Europe 1971; * Élizabeth Blaud-Costes (1962-), author of ''Épopée du costume provençal, de l'orient à la foire de Beaucaire, de l'Antiquité à nos jours'', 2012; * Ludovic Zerti (1968-), bullfighter; * Johnny Ecker (1973-), professional footballer professionnel for Nîmes Olympique,

Lille OSC Lille Olympique Sporting Club (), commonly referred to as LOSC, LOSC Lille or simply Lille, is a French professional association football, football club based in Lille, Northern France competing in Ligue 1, the top division of Football in Franc ...

Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille (, ; , ), also known simply as Marseille, or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional Association football, football club based in Marseille which competes in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top f ...

, EAG; * Youssef Hajdi (1979-), actor; * Pierrick Vidal (1981-), president of the ''Fédération française de la course camarguaise''; * Stéphanie Chantry (1983-), Bronze medallist in light weight doubles Rowing championship of France in 2003 at Vaires-sur-Marne, champion of France 2012 at

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

, and silver medallist at the World Championships of Rowing in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

in 2013. Bronze medal in mixed doubles in the Championships of France sprint in 2013 at Mantes-la-Jolie, silver medal in 4X at the French Cup in 2014 at Brive-la-Gaillarde, and bronze medal at the Championships of France in the double light weight rowing at

Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...

on 8 June 2014.

References

External links

Beaucaire official website
in French
Beaucaire Blog and Photos
{{authority control Communes of Gard