Bagnols-sur-Cèze

Bagnols-sur-Cèze Banhòus de Céser (Occitan)
Commune
The main square in Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Coat of arms
Location of Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Bagnols-sur-Cèze Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Coordinates: 44°09′44″N 4°37′09″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Gard
Arrondissement	Nîmes
Canton	Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Intercommunality	CA Gard Rhodanien
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Jean-Yves Chapelet
Area 1	31.37 km2 (12.11 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	18,248
• Density	580/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	30028 /30200
Elevation	30–268 m (98–879 ft) (avg. 47 m or 154 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Bagnols-sur-Cèze (French pronunciation: [baɲɔl syʁ sɛz], lit. "Bagnols-on-Cèze"; Occitan: Banhòus de Céser) is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitania region in Southern France.

History

A small regional centre, Bagnols-sur-Cèze was quite certainly a Roman town (the name of the town comes from the Latin balnearius meaning "related to baths, bathing-place") before the main part was built in the 13th century around a central arcaded square that is still preserved today. At the same period, the regional market was installed here, undoubtedly contributing to its expansion.

Demographics

Bagnols-sur-Ceze expanded steadily after the Marcoule nuclear centre was established in 1956.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 4,800 —     1800 4,888 +0.26% 1806 4,994 +0.36% 1821 4,921 −0.10% 1831 4,902 −0.04% 1836 4,847 −0.23% 1841 4,090 −3.34% 1846 4,827 +3.37% 1851 4,780 −0.20% 1856 4,870 +0.37% 1861 5,050 +0.73% 1866 5,184 +0.53% 1872 4,876 −1.02% 1876 4,930 +0.28% 1881 4,666 −1.09% 1886 4,458 −0.91% 1891 4,454 −0.02% 1896 4,500 +0.21%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 4,461 −0.17% 1906 4,582 +0.54% 1911 4,445 −0.61% 1921 3,918 −1.25% 1926 4,450 +2.58% 1931 4,481 +0.14% 1936 4,669 +0.83% 1946 5,211 +1.10% 1954 5,546 +0.78% 1962 12,905 +11.13% 1968 16,468 +4.15% 1975 17,534 +0.90% 1982 17,602 +0.06% 1990 17,872 +0.19% 1999 18,103 +0.14% 2009 18,105 +0.00% 2014 18,172 +0.07% 2020 18,072 −0.09%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968–2020)

Sights

The old center of Bagnols-sur-Cèze retains its historic feel, with small streets and largely preserved architecture. Several façades are remarkable. The towns contains a notable museum of contemporary art, the Musée Albert-André, founded in 1868 as well as an archaeological museum with a collection of artifacts found mainly in nearby Roman sites.

The shoegaze music band named Alcest is from this city.

There are several murals featuring optical illusions.

International relations

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

Bagnols-sur-Cèze is twinned with:

• Braunfels, Germany, since 1959
• Feltre, Italy, since 1961
• Newbury, England, since 1971
• Eeklo, Belgium, since 1976
• Carcaixent, Spain, since 1982
• Kiskunfélegyháza, Hungary

Notable people

• Gersonides (born 1288), Jewish philosopher, Talmudist, mathematician, physician and astronomer/astrologer
• Albéric Pont (1870-1960), dentist and pioneer in maxillofacial surgery
• Lionel Pérez (born 1967), goalkeeper
• Neige (born 1985), blackgaze musician
• Sandie Toletti (born 1995), footballer for Real Madrid and the France national team

Albert André, art collector of late 19th century art, who bequeathed his magnificent collection to the town of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, where it resides in the Mairie, as the Musée Albert André

See also

• Communes of the Gard department
• List of works by Auguste Carli

External links

• Official website (in French)
• Bagnols sur Cèze tourist office website
• Overview of Bagnols sur Cèze