Castrate

Currency

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Geography

Castrate is located near the Mounts of Sidobre (exceptional Site granitic) and of the Black Montagne, at an altitude of 172 meters above level of the Mer, with 42 kilometers in the south-south-east of Albi (prefecture of the Tarn), with 15 kilometers of Mazamet (with which it forms a community of agglomeration) and with 77 kilometers in the east of Toulouse. Castrate is traversed north in the south by the named Rivière Agout, Affluent of the Tarn.

History

Foundation

The name of the city comes from the Latin word castrum which means " place fortifiée". Castrate grew around the Benedictine abbey of Saint Benoit, which is supposed to have been founded about year 647, probably on the site of an extremely Roman old man ( castrum ). Castrate became an important stop on the international routes of the Pèlerinage of Saint-Jacques-to-Compostelle (through the Via Tolosane ) in Spain because its abbey-church, built at the 9th century, kept the relics of Saint Vincent, the famous martyr of Spain. It was a place of importance as of the 12th century, and arranged like second city of the Albigensian behind Albi.

In spite of the decline of its abbey, which in 1074 concerned the authority of the abbey Saint Victor of Marseilles. It is at the 12th century that the famous family Trencavel of the Viscount of Albi granted to Castres a liberal charter which enabled him independently to manage its business through a council of consuls.

County

See also: List of the counts de Castres .

During the Albigensian Crusade Castres went to Simon de Montfort, and entered the kingdom of France in 1271 following the Traité of Paris. In 1317, the pope Jean XXII establishes Castres as évêché, it will remain it until the Revolution. In 1356, the seigniory of Castrate was promoted county by King Jean II of France. However, the city considerably suffered from the Black Death between 1347 and 1348, then free Prince Noir of England and companies (bands of the anarchistic mercenaries) which foamed the country during the Guerre One hundred Year old. Consequently, the 14th century was for Castres one period of deep decline. In 1375, he remained only 4.000 inhabitants on left bank of the city, that is to say half of the population of the previous century. After the confiscation of the possessions of Jacques of Armagnac, duke of Nemours, to which belonged the county of Castrate; the county was granted in 1476 by King Louis XI to Boffille de Juge (Boffillo del Giudice), noble Italian and adventurer who served the King as a diplomat. But following a dissension of family between the girl of Boffille de Juge, and his/her brother-in-law, the county returned under the bosom of the crown of the King de France François Ier in 1519.

Reform

In the years 1530 - 1560, the population of Castrate converts with the Protestantisme. It is taken by the Protestants at the time of (Fifth war of religion) in 1575. In the wars which follow, the inhabitants traded with the Protestants, the city grew rich, and is established in independent republic. Castrate is then one of largest places Protestant to southernmost France.

Henri de Navarre, who later becomes the king of France Henri IV, remains in Castres in 1585. However the Protestants of Castrate are expelled in extreme cases of Castrate by order of Louis XIII in 1629, and Richelieu itself comes to Castres to see the dismantled fortifications. Nevertheless, after these religious wars found peace takes part in one period of fast expansion. The traditional businesses and marketing activities are restored, in particular concerning the fur, leather and especially wools. The culture opens out again, with the foundation of the Academy of Castrate in 1648. Castrate profited from the Counter-Reformation of the Catholic church, with the construction of several convents downtown, and that of a new episcopal palate by Michel de Tubœuf, bishop of Castrate. A new cathedral is also built, after the destruction of the religious wars. Perhaps much more important still, Castres is the seat of the Chambre of the Edict of the Parlement of Toulouse, a Court of justice specialized in the businesses implying the Protestants of the Languedoc (a protection measure granted by the Édit of Nantes). This court attracted a good number of businesses with Castres. In 1665, there was 7 000 inhabitants with Castres, 4 000 catholics, and 3 000 Protestants.

Sirven business

However in 1670, the Room of the Edict is transferred to Castelnaudary, with the great dissatisfaction with the inhabitants (even catholic), who lost an important source their businesses with the departure of lawyers and the plaintiffs. The revocation of the Édit of Nantes followed soon, and Castrate suffered much when a great number of the Protestants chose to enter in exile. Then came the plague from 1720 to 1721 and the fire of 1724. Lastly, Castres lost its liberal charter in 1758. Towards 1760, a few years after famous the Affaire Fixed with Toulouse, Castres makes known itself in all the country by the Affaire Sirven: Pierre-Paul Sirven and his wife, both Protestants, were wrongfully shown to have assassinated their daughter in order to prevent it from converting with Catholicism. After being itself flee, they were considered and condemned to death in absentia the March 29th 1764. But they were defended and cleared by Voltaire in 1771.

Revolution

The French revolution was generally well accommodated in Castres, in particular among the local traders and Protestant contractors, but the majority of the population is remained moderate for all the period. In 1793 for example, Pasteur Alba Lasource, the representative of Castrate with the national Convention in Paris, was opposed to the deportation of the catholic priests “not-sworn” in French Guiana (see the civil Constitution of the clergy). The priests “not-sworn” were by far the majority in the area of Castrate. Alba Lasource was shown to be too moderate and was guillotine in October 1793. Suspecté to be “tepid” towards the Revolution, Castres was punished hard. Évêché which had been established by the pope the Jean XXII in 1317 was removed, Castres was placed under the supervision of évêché of Albi. Of prefecture of the department of the Tarn in 1790, the city was reclassified in sub-prefecture in 1797 for the benefit of Albi which was made prefecture of the department.

Great growth at the XIXème century

In spite of these retreats, at the 19th century the economy of Castrate developed considerably, and the city extended apart from its old medieval center. As of 1815, the first mill mechanized of wools was installed downtown. At the fabric origin specialized of luxury, the Textile industry of Castrate then turns worms of the more ordinary types of fabric, (the markets were considerably larger). Around 1860, there were 50 wool mills downtown, employing 3.000 people. At the end of the 19th century, industries of mechanical engineering appeared in addition to textile industry. That made it possible Castres to become a important Arsenal military during the First World War. Castrate was connected to the Railway network French in 1865. At the end of the 19th century, Castres was more the big city in the department of the Tarn, with 5.000 inhabitants moreover than Albi.

Today

However, at the 20th century the city underwent a new period of decline. Although Castres emerged from the two world wars without too many problems, the local economy was seriously reached by the change. As so many cities and villages of Europe which had profited from the Industrial revolution, Castres test a difficult reorganization of its industrial base. The textile particularly suffered from it. Castrate also is choked by its geographical location, isolated with the foot from the black Montagne, far from the principal routes of exchange and transport.

In 2004 Castres is still not connected to the network of highway of France, it is the only town of this size in France not to be connected not yet. One expects that the recent creation of the Communauté of agglomeration of Castrate - Mazamet in 2000 makes it possible to deal with the problem of transport, and works to attract new industries. The good fortune of Castrate must be located at only 72 kilometers of a very dynamic Toulouse.

The long bond promised with Toulouse must be soon accomplished, and Castrate hopes to draw the benefit from its proximity with his/her big sister occitane. Work of deviation of the town of Puylaurens having to begin at the beginning of 2006, this deviation of 7 kilometers in 2 X 2 ways will make it possible to bring closer Castres regional capital.

While waiting, the city tries to be disenclosed via its airport which makes it possible to join Paris and Lyon by the airs.

At the end of 2006, a project of highway connecting the city of Castrate in Toulouse by 2013, was validated by the Minister for transport. If the promises are held and the respected times this infrastructure to give an oxygen bowl for all the south of the Tarn could make it possible, which suffers from its enclavement.

Administration

Between 1790 and 1797, Castres was the Préfecture Tarn. Since 1797 it is the Sous-préfecture.

Castrate is chief town of four cantons:

the canton of Castrate-Is made of part of Castrate (13 527 inhabitants);
the canton of Castrate-North is made of part of Castrate and the commune of Laboulbène (10 853 inhabitants);
the canton of Castrate-West is made of part of Castrate and the communes of Navès and Saïx (11 444 inhabitants);
the canton of Castrate-South is made of part of Castrate (11 786 inhabitants).

Castrate is located in the 3rd district of the Tarn.

Since 2001, the mayor elected of Castrate is Pascal Bugis (right, member of the UMP), which has demolishes the socialist mayor Arnaud Mandement.

Castrate is associated with the city close to Mazamet (to 18 km in the south-east of Castrate) as well as suburbs and villages independent in the Communauté of Agglomeration Castrate-Mazamet , which was born in January 2000 (making a success of a preceding zone which had been created in 1993 with less capacity than the current council). This community gathers 16 independent communes (Castrate including and Mazamet), with a total population of 79.988 inhabitants (in date of census 1999), 54% of the latter living in the commune of Castrate itself, 13% in the commune of Mazamet, and the remainder in common the peripherals.

The Community of Agglomeration Castrate-Mazamet was created in order to improve transport, the infrastructure, housing as well as the economic policies between the communes of the sector. The current president is Jacques Limouzy, former mayor of Castrate before 1995.

Demography

Economy

With a population of 61.760 inhabitants in the metropolitan zone in 1999, Castres is the third-large industrial hub of the Midday-Pyrenees behind Toulouse and Tarbes, and the largest industrial hub in the part of the Languedoc between Toulouse and Montpellier.

Castrate is the seat of the Chamber of commerce and of industry of Castrate-Mazamet. It manages the airport.

Textile industry remains important in the basin of employment of Castrate-Mazamet. Beside that, the economic main actors are:

the Laboratories Pierre Fabre (Pharmaceutical & Beauty care)
Comau Systèmes France (Manufacture of machines and equipment)
SEPIPROD groups liquid air (chemistry)
GROUP BIGARD (slaughter-house)
JANOPLAST Groupe Polypipe (plastic industry)
DEVOTEAM OUTSOURSING (Data-processing)
8th Regiment Parachutist of Marines
the Young economic room of Castrate-Mazamet

The community of agglomeration since 2001 developed a vast zone of activity (ZAC of causse) near the airport. It is mainly dedicated to new technologies and industries of fine chemistry (within the framework of the pole of competitiveness biocancer). This zone which represents the future of the basin of employment, was seen allotted the Technopole label at the beginning of year 2006.

With the doors of Castrate, 200 companies annually extract 150.000 tons from rough granite of the zone of Sidobre covering 12.000 hectares.

Famous characters

Pierre de Fermat (1601 - 1665 deceased with Castres) Juriste and Mathématicien French.
Marc David Lasource (1763 - 1793) Pasteur with Castres which became president of the legislative Assemblée from April 18th to May 2nd, 1793
Etienne Pierre Sylvestre Ricard (1771 - 1843) is a general of Empire born in Castres
Paul Painter-Thoyras (1661 - 1725), French historian.
Jean Jaurès (1859 - 1914 born in Castres) French Politician.
Marcel Briguiboul (1837 - 1892), painter
Camille Rabaud (1827 - 1921), Pasteur
Roger Peyrefitte (1907 - 2000) Man of letters, author of the Homosexual relationships
Pierre Rivemale (1910 - 1945), painter
Frédérick Tristan 1931, writer, Price Goncourt 1983, secondary studies with Castres
Damien Herraud (1984), writer data base neo-SF, discovered in Angouleme 2006
Yannick Jauzion (1978), French rugby player, evolving/moving at the station of three-quarter centers

Monuments and museums

Castrate is crossed north in the south by the Agout. This river is equipped by old coloured houses whose heavy last history is projected above its water.

The church of Saint Benoit, who was the cathedral of Castrate, is most important today of the churches of Castrate, it dates only from 17th and 18th centuries. The town hall occupies the old episcopal palate, designed at the 17th century by the famous architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart (the architect of Versailles), and finished by the Garden of Evêché conceived by Ours (originator of the gardens of Versailles). Close to the palate, the tower Saint Benoit of Romanesque architecture is the only vestige of the old Benedictine abbey. The city has some old manors of 16th and 17th century, of which the Hotel of Nayrac, going back to the Rebirth.

Castrate opened in 1840, the museum Goya, containing the largest collection of Spanish paintings in France, after the Musée of Louvre. Considerably enriched by the legacies by the family by the painter Marcel Briguiboul, one discovers works of primitive there 14th - 16th century, like Pacheco (the Master of Velasquez), and of the chiefs of work of the large Masters of the century of gold, Velasquez, Murillo, Ribera, Valdés Leal, Alonso Cano, like three Goya, and of multiple series of engravings of the Spanish Master.

The museum of Jaurès was also open in 1954 in its native house in full center town.

The theater of the city in a style Rococo date of 1904. Arranged on the model of the Comic Opera of Paris (by Joseph Galinier raises of the architect Charles Garnier), the cupola interiors is signed Jean-Paul Laurens.

The center of contemporary art of Castrate proposes to discover the artistic creation of our temp in a private mansion of the 17th century.

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