Beaugency

Beaugency is a common French, located in the department of the Loiret and the area Center.

The inhabitants are called Balgentiens .

Geography

The city is located on Right Bank of the the Loire at a score of kilometers downstream from Orleans. It is included/understood in the zone of the Loire Valley registered with the world heritage of humanity.

Localities and variations

Communes bordering

in the canton of Beaugency :
Baule, Lailly-in-Valley, Messas, Tavers and Villorceau;
in the Canton of Bracieux (District of Blois, Department of Loir-et-Cher) :
Saint-Laurent-Nouan (in the past Saint-Laurent-of-Water).

History

The Middle Ages

Traces of prehistoric human occupation were found, as well as a Gallo-Roman village of the name of Balgentiacus . A council meets in 1152 there, ratifying the cancellation of the marriage of Louis VII and Aliénor of Aquitaine, the latter marrying two years later Henri II of England and becoming, by this fact, queen of this country. The seigniory is attached to the kingdom of France in 1292 under Philippe Beautiful the. The city was released from the English by Jeanne d' Arc in 1429.

Caption gold Mesh

The legend reports that Simon Ier de Beaugency (about the year 850) was reached of a very serious disease, that it was going to die when one morning, it felt an odor soft and pleasant which had been spread in the city and, that at the moment, it was cured. A few days later, he learned that the very same day of his “miraculous” cure the clergy of Amiens had found the remainders of Saint Firmin and that, on this occasion, an odor soft and pleasant had spread itself on Amiens. Simon was convinced that its cure related to was discovered remainders of Firmin Saint.

Simon Ier made gift of his seigniory to the clergy of Amiens which left it in management with its descendants in the condition that the lord de Beaugency comes to return Hommage to Amiens each year and pours a “gold Mesh” (gold coin) intended to finance students of Amiens. If the lord de Beaugency did not pour the “Gold Mesh”, besides the students of Amiens were in right to come in Beaugency to claim it while being made place and nourish with the expenses of the city until this famous “gold Mesh” was versed. One of the main streets of Beaugency is called Rue of the Gold Mesh.

An important parish church of Beaugency was Saint-Firmin whose nave crumbled at the 19th century but of which there remains the typical bell-tower which gives the silhouette characteristic of the city. This bell-tower contains a Carillon which plays three times per day the air of the Carillon of Vendôme . This song which one does not know any more that one stanza goes back to the blackest period of the Guerre One hundred year old where the kingdom of France was tiny room to the dimension of a handkerchief of pocket, and it is certainly “the” known oldest French song currently.

In XVIe century, Calvin, then studying in theology in Amiens, before becoming the reformer whom one knows, came in Beaugency with other students to claim the payment of this “Gold Mesh”.

Wars of religion

In 1562, the city is taken and plundered by the Protestants, the violated women.

The news of the Massacre of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre reaches Beaugency on August 24th, and massacres it Protestants repeats itself there.

Since the XIXe century

In 1848, the railroad arrives at Beaugency what is revolution for the city which was a very important relay of cars of stations, 350 people working with the maintenance of the horses and of the relays must reconvert itself.

Following the unloading of Combined in Normandy on June 6th, 1944, German divisions of which " Das Reich" who were stationed in the South of the Loire make movement towards North with the meeting of the Alliées troops. To stop this progression, the Allies decide to bombard/cut all the bridges on the Loire. The bombardment of the bridge of Beaugency intervenes on June 10th, 1944. The American bombers make only light damage with the bridge, but the city is seriously touched, 46 died civil. An inhabitant of Beaugency, farmer, seeing this catastrophe and understanding that the American bombers will return to finish work decides to make jump the first arch of the bridge with agricultural explosive. The first arch of the bridge is broadest, most fragile, because it was to leave the passage to the boats drawn by crews on the tow path. The arch is destroyed, the American reconnaissance aircraft note that the bridge is impracticable for the passage of an armor-plated division. The bombardment will not be renewed.

In September of the year 1944 (16), it is the division ordered by the general Botho Henning Elster who going up South-west goes to the men 83 {{E}} division of American infantry ordered by the Macon general in the presence of representatives of the 2 {{E}} armor-plated division French. The Elster general after engagements against French interior resistance, had had contacts with the maquis of the north of Indre and announced its intention to go because it was convinced that it could not return to Germany. But he wanted that its division is disarmed by regular troops. 18 850 soldiers and 754 officers of Elster division are disarmed at the southern entry of the bridge.

The Macon general had organized a " catch of armes" at the time of this rendering. The representatives of Resistance had very little appreciated the consecutive ceremony with their victory whose they had the impression that it had been to them " volée". The Elster general was condemned to died for treason by IIIe Reich, he was prisoner aus the USA and died at his place in Germany in 1952.

Administration

Demography

Economy

Antenna of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Loiret.

Heraldic

Two blasonnements are brought back:

“Of mouths, with the gold tower. ” ( illustrated France , 1882, of Malta-Brown) - “formerly”

“Fascé of gold and azure of six parts, sown flowers of lily of the one with the other. ” “The currency there was added: Manibus dates lilia plenis. ” ( illustrated France , 1882, of Malta-Brown) - “today” (in 1882)

It is this blazon which is currently used by the commune.

Inheritance

Medieval city, they remain the walls of an imposing keep, XIè century, dominating the town of its 36 m in height, like some enclosing walls. It comprises several Romance buildings of which the abbey Notre-Dame , built in XIIe century, including/understanding a nave with collateral with a short transept (like the majority of the local churches) and comprising capitals of columns historiés.

The town hall is a building rebirth (XVIe century) which comprises some beautiful tapestries.

In a remaining building of the fortress ( castle of Dunois , very posterior with the keep since going back in the neighborhoods to 1429, composed of a building on two floors with a turret of staircase) is a écomusée of the local life.

An old abbey of the XVIIè century was transformed into hotel trade of luxury.

The church Saint-Etienne , currently unused is a building of XIe century built on a plan in " cross latine" with a large transept (less traditional form in the area). This church was " sauvée" thanks to its recording carried out at the 19th century by Prosper Mérimée like Historic building. From where the name of the public garden " Mérimée" who is next to it.

The bridge

The bridge comprises some arches Gothic, dated from the beginning of XIVe century.

Initially there were two bridges in continuity one of the other, a passage of the one with the other was done by a drawbridge out of wooden with the height of an island on the Loire. " The island of Pont".

The bridge " nord" side Right Bank making 11,5 meters broad, the bridge " sud" side of the Sologne making only nine meters broad. The bridge levis represented a protection for the inhabitants of the city.

In 1505 a rising takes along " the island of Pont" and the drawbridge.

At that time the One hundred Year old war is finished, the protection of the city becomes less necessary, the drawbridge is removed and two arches with cusp are built.

While passing on the bridge one can always note the difference in width between the old bridges " nord" and " sud".

The bridge of Pierre with Turns being broken down, following a washing away of the piles (pious out of wood under the stone piles) an inspection of the old bridges of the Loire was undertaken in a systematic way. With this occasion it was discovered that the bridge of Beaugency suffered from the same evils as the bridge of Pierre with Tours and than of work were very urgent. Circulation on the bridge was partially stopped during several years. Consolidation work of the bases of the piles was undertaken, of the sheeting piles beaten and concreted the piles protect now from a washing away.

Demonstrations

Fair of May 1st.
the beach with Beaugency from July 14th to August 15th (in summer on the edges of the Loire)

Files

parochial Registers and of civil statue since:
genealogical Examinations:
municipal Deliberations since:

Folklore

The devil would have helped with the construction of the bridge on the Loire. Like payment, he asked the heart of the first passer by which would venture on its bridge. The single victim was in fact a cat that the inhabitants let slip by on construction. From there, comes can be the nickname cats given to the balgentiens although other sources think that it is only about the contraction of sweet chestnuts whose commune was rich.

Alexandre Dumas, in the " Three Mousquetaires" locate the first meeting of Artagnan with MILADY de Winter at the bridge of Meung on the Loire (distant of Beaugency of about fifteen kilometers). But there was no bridge with Meung on the Loire. Dumas took as a starting point the bridge of Beaugency in her novel while placing it at Meung on the Loire. Dumas made " enfants" with the History, but of so beautiful children! Balgentiens are not upset with him.

See too

Common of Loiret

External bonds

official site of the commune
1944: Botho Henning Elster - (in Wikip. ale.)

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