Descartes, Indre-et-Loire

Descartes
Descartes
Administration
Country	France
Region	Centre
Department	Indre-et-Loire
Arrondissement	Loches
Canton	Descartes
Mayor	Jacques Barbier (2001–2008)
Statistics
Elevation	37–121 m (121–397 ft)
Land area1	38.08 km2 (14.70 sq mi)
Population2	3,855  (2006)
- Density	101 /km2 (260 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	37115/ 37160
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.

Coordinates: 46°58′28″N 0°41′55″E / 46.9744444444°N 0.698611111111°E / 46.9744444444; 0.698611111111

Descartes is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It is approximately 13 miles east of Richelieu and about 24 miles east of Loudun, on the banks of the Creuze River.

History

Liberation of Descartes (then La Haye-Descartes) in 1944

Initially called La Haye en Touraine, the town was the birthplace of the philosopher René Descartes (1596–1650), although his family home was in nearby Chattellerault. Descartes left La Haye in approximately 1606 to attend the College Henri IV at La Fleche.^[1] The town was renamed La Haye-Descartes in 1802 in his honor, and then renamed again to Descartes in 1967.

The town is notable in Acadian genealogy as the birthplace of the Heberts.

See also

• List of places named after people
• Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department

References

1. ^ "Editor's Preface" in Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy (Hackett: 1998)