Agen
Description
The commune of Agen (French pronunciation: [aʒɛ̃]; Occitan pronunciation: [aˈd͡ʒen]) is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne 135 kilometres (84 miles) southeast of Bordeaux.
Geography
The city of Agen lies in the southern department Lot-et-Garonne in the Aquitaine region. The city centre lies on the east bank of the Garonne river close to the Canal de Garonne, approximately halfway between Bordeaux (132 km, 82 mi) and Toulouse (107 km, 66 mi).
Toponymy
From Occitan Agen (1197), itself from Latin Aginnum (3rd century Itinéraire d'Antonin), from a Celtic root agin- meaning "rock or height".
Population
Historical population Year Pop. ±% 1800 9,876 — 1806 10,850 +9.9% 1821 11,659 +7.5% 1831 12,631 +8.3% 1836 13,399 +6.1% 1841 14,987 +11.9% 1846 15,517 +3.5% 1851 16,027 +3.3% 1856 17,667 +10.2% 1861 17,263 −2.3% 1866 18,222 +5.6% 1872 18,887 +3.6% 1876 19,503 +3.3% 1881 20,485 +5.0% 1886 22,055 +7.7% 1891 23,234 +5.3% 1896 22,730 −2.2% 1901 22,482 −1.1% 1906 23,141 +2.9% 1911 23,294 +0.7% 1921 23,391 +0.4% 1926 23,530 +0.6% 1931 24,939 +6.0% 1936 27,152 +8.9% 1946 33,397 +23.0% 1954 32,593 −2.4% 1962 32,800 +0.6% 1968 34,949 +6.6% 1975 34,039 −2.6% 1982 31,593 −7.2% 1990 30,553 −3.3% 1999 30,199 −1.2% 2006 33,728 +11.7% 2009 33,920 +0.6%Sights
The old centre of town contains a number of medieval buildings.
The twelfth century Agen Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Caprasius, is one of the few large churches in France with a double nave, a regional trait also found in the Church of the Jacobins in nearby Toulouse.
The Saint Hilaire church, dedicated to the theme of the Holy Trinity which the Saint in question did a lot to defend, is notable for its unusual statues in front of the Church – Moses on the right, and St Peter on the left.
The Fine Arts museum, Musée des Beaux Arts contains artefacts, furniture and sculptures from prehistoric times onwards. The art gallery contains several hundred works, including several by Goya, and others by Bonnard and Seurat. The collection also contains a large number of works by artists who lived locally. The museum is made up of twenty or so rooms.
The Canal des Deux Mers, which joins the Mediterranean with the Atlantic, crosses the river Garonne at Agen via the town's famous canal bridge.
Entertainment
The municipal theatre "Théâtre Ducourneau" presents theatre, and occasionally classical concerts. The smaller "Théâtre du jour" has a resident theatre company presenting a variety of recent or older plays (Shakespeare, Becket, as well as lesser known playwrights).
There are two cinemas, one a commercial multiscreened affair, the other an arts cinema run by a voluntary organization. The latter organizes film festivals every year.
Transport
The Gare d'Agen connects Agen with Toulouse and Bordeaux as well as Périgueux. It is around an hour from Toulouse and around an hour from Bordeaux. The fast trains to Paris take four hours and ten minutes.
Agen is connected, by the A62 autoroute, to both Toulouse and Bordeaux.
The Agen Airport is serviced by Airlinair service to Paris Orly 6 days a week. It is also used for business and leisure flying.
Agen stands on the voie verte cycle path between the Mediterranean and close to Bordeaux.
Diocese
Agen is the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese that comprises the Département of Lot and Garonne. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Bordeaux.
Miscellaneous
Agen is the "capital of the prune", a local produce sold as a sweet (stuffed with prune purée) or as an after-dinner delight (prunes soaked in Armagnac – a type of brandy). Every September, the Prune festival organizes rock concerts, circuses and prune tasting.
Yahudi
The first Jews settled in the town in the twelfth century AD. They were expelled from the town in 1306. A number of Jews returned to the town in 1315, and a "Rue des Juifs" is documented ever since this period. In 1968, about 600 Jews lived in the town, though most of them emigrated to the town from North Africa. A Jewish synagogue still exists in the town.