Saint-Paul-lès-Durance (, literally ''Saint-Paul
near Durance''; also spelled Saint-Paul-lez-Durance;
Provençal: ''Sant Pau de Durença'') is a
commune in the
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...
department in
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 ...
, southern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
The
Cadarache
Cadarache () in Southern France is the largest technological research and development centre for energy in Europe. It includes French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, CEA research activities and ITER. CEA Cadarache is one of th ...
research center for
nuclear energy
Nuclear energy may refer to:
*Nuclear power, the use of sustained nuclear fission or nuclear fusion to generate heat and electricity
*Nuclear binding energy, the energy needed to fuse or split a nucleus of an atom
*Nuclear potential energy, the pot ...
is located in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance and next to it the international
nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction, reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei combine to form a larger nuclei, nuclei/neutrons, neutron by-products. The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as either the rele ...
research and engineering
megaproject
A megaproject is an extremely large-scale construction and investment project.
A more general definition is "Megaprojects are temporary endeavours (i.e. projects) characterised by: large investment commitment, vast complexity (especially in org ...
ITER
ITER (initially the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, ''iter'' meaning "the way" or "the path" in Latin) is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject aimed at creating energy through a fusion process s ...
one of the
most expensive buildings ever built and the largest scientific research collaboration in history.
The town was established in the 10th century
[Daniel Mouton, "Les fortifications de terre de la Provence médiévale : l’exemple du bassin de la Durance moyenne", Bastides, bories, hameaux. L’habitat dispersé en Provence, Actes des 2e journées d’histoire régionale de Mouans-Sartoux, 15 et 16 mars 1985, Mouans-Sartoux, Centre régional de documentation occitane, 1986, p. 118] and has around 1,000 inhabitants, a school, a church of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Aix, a 15th-century château, and a little shopping center.
Population
See also
*
References
External links
Town council website
*
ttp://www.clochers.org/Fichiers_HTML/Accueil/Accueil_clochers/13/accueil_13099.htm Picture of the belltower of the church of Saint-Paul-lès-DuranceTax information about Saint-Paul-lès-DuranceFinancial information about the commune of Saint-Paul-lès-DuranceWeather in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance
Communes of Bouches-du-Rhône
{{BouchesRhône-geo-stub