Blaye

Blaye
Subprefecture and commune

Coat of arms
Blaye
Location within Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
Blaye
Coordinates: 45°07′43″N 0°39′40″W / 45.1286°N 0.6611°W / 45.1286; -0.6611Coordinates: 45°07′43″N 0°39′40″W / 45.1286°N 0.6611°W / 45.1286; -0.6611
Country France
Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Gironde
Arrondissement Blaye
Canton L'Estuaire
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Denis Baldès
Area1 6.42 km2 (2.48 sq mi)
Population (2008)2 4,959
 • Density 770/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code 33058 /33390
Elevation 0–41 m (0–135 ft)
(avg. 7 m or 23 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Blaye (French pronunciation: ​[blaj]; Occitan: Blaia pronounced [ˈblajɔ]) is a commune and subprefecture in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
17934,715—    
18003,580−24.1%
18063,428−4.2%
18214,013+17.1%
18313,855−3.9%
18363,801−1.4%
18414,174+9.8%
18464,410+5.7%
18514,659+5.6%
18564,302−7.7%
18614,972+15.6%
18664,761−4.2%
18724,478−5.9%
18764,522+1.0%
18814,512−0.2%
18864,340−3.8%
18915,015+15.6%
18964,799−4.3%
19014,775−0.5%
19064,890+2.4%
19114,741−3.0%
19214,274−9.9%
19264,240−0.8%
19314,054−4.4%
19363,768−7.1%
19463,788+0.5%
19544,047+6.8%
19624,291+6.0%
19684,355+1.5%
19754,051−7.0%
19824,559+12.5%
19904,286−6.0%
19994,666+8.9%
20084,959+6.3%

Its inhabitants are called Blayais or the Blayaises.

Geography

Blaye is located on the right bank of the Gironde estuary (which is some 3 km (1.9 mi) wide at this point), close to the A10 autoroute, 56 km (35 mi) north of Bordeaux. There is a rail line with occasional freight trains, but no passenger services. A small ferry crosses the Gironde to Lamarque, in Medoc.

History

In ancient times Blaye (Blavia) was a port of the Santones. Tradition states that the Frankish hero Roland was buried in its basilica, which was on the site of the citadel. It was early an important stronghold which played an important part in the wars against the English (who burnt it in 1352) and the French Wars of Religion (when it was the site of a Spanish naval victory in 1593). The duchess of Berry was imprisoned in its fortress in 1832–1833.[1]

The town was formerly named Blaye-et-Sainte-Luce and was renamed Blaye in June 1961.

Sights

The town has a citadel built by Vauban on a rock beside the river, which contains the ruins of a medieval castle, Château des Rudel(fr), and the ruins of Basilica of Saint-Romain, which holds the tomb of Charibert II, king of Aquitaine, and son of Clotaire II. Nearby, Fort Paté, on an island in the river, and Fort Médoc on its left bank, also of the 17th century, completed Vauban's defenses of the water approaches of Bordeaux .[1]

The citadel of Blaye, its city walls, Fort Paté and Fort Médoc (the latter in nearby Cussac-Fort-Médoc) were listed in 2008 as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as part of the "Fortifications of Vauban" group.

Economy

Blaye, unloading dock c. 1905

Blaye has a small river-port, mainly used for grain exports. Fine red wine is produced in the district, in the AOC Côtes de Blaye. A large nuclear power station with four reactors[2] is located nearby.

Education

Several schools are located in Blaye .

Public schools include the following:

  • École Maternelle Pierre Bergeon
  • École Maternelle Lucien Grosperrin
  • École Elementaire Pierre Malbeteau
  • École Elementaire Andre Vallaeys

The town has tribunals of first instance and of commerce.

See also

References

  1. 1 2  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Blaye-et-Ste Luce". Encyclopædia Britannica. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 49.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
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