- Montélimar
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For the Italian wine grape as known as Montelimar, see Dolcetto.
Montélimar
MontélimarAdministration Country France Region Rhône-Alpes Department Drôme Arrondissement Nyons Canton Montélimar-1
and Montélimar-2
(chef-lieu)Intercommunality Communauté d'agglomération Montélimar-Sésame Mayor Franck Reynier (PR)
(2008–2014)Statistics Elevation 56–213 m (184–699 ft)
(avg. 81 m/266 ft)Land area1 46.81 km2 (18.07 sq mi) Population2 36,194 (2009) - Density 773 /km2 (2,000 /sq mi) INSEE/Postal code 26198/ 26200 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: 44°33′29″N 4°45′03″E / 44.55805556°N 4.750833333°E
Montélimar (Latin name: Acumum, and Montelaimar in Occitan) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in the department after Valence.
Contents
History
The site where the city of Montélimar stands today has been inhabited since the Celtic era. It was reconstructed during the Roman reign, including a basilica, aqueducts, thermae and a forum. The Adhémar family reigned over the city in the Middle Ages and built a castle (Château des Adhémar) which dominates the city silhouette even today.
Population
Historical population of Montélimar 1793 1800 1806 1821 1831 1836 1841 1846 1851 1856 6240 6320 5864 7161 7560 7966 8245 9445 9362 11,523 1861 1866 1872 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896 12,044 11,100 11,122 11,946 12,894 14,014 13,764 13,741 1901 1906 1911 1921 1926 1931 1936 1946 13,351 13,554 13,281 11,716 11,210 13,696 15,187 15,972 1954 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2008 16,639 19,999 26,748 28,058 29,161 29,982 31,344 34,847 Personalities
It was the birthplace of the French navigator Louis de Freycinet and the hometown of Émile Loubet, President of France from 1899 till 1906, who worked also as the mayor of Montélimar.
Economy
Montélimar is widely regarded as the world capital of nougat.[citation needed] The local nougat is one of the 13 desserts of Provence and highly appreciated throughout the country. Montelimar nougat is mentioned in the opening lines of the Beatles' Savoy Truffle from The White Album. Travellers used to buy nougat de Montélimar on their way to the south of France (or when returning) as the city is next to the Rhône river and to the primary route N7. Since the construction of the A7 autoroute, many nougat factories have been forced to close as tourists no longer stop in Montélimar but bypass it instead.
International relations
See also
References
External links
Categories:- Communes of Drôme
- Drôme geography stubs
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