Calvisson

French commune
nomcommune=Calvisson
The 19th century, neo-classical fronted, temple.
Région=Languedoc-Roussillon
département=Gard
arrondissement= Nîmes
canton=Sommières
insee=30062
cp=30420
maire=Jacques Cubry
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=Pays de Sommières
longitude=4.1927
latitude=43.78583
alt moy=50 m
alt mini=23
alt maxi=215 m
hectares=2897
km²=28.97
sans=3597
date-sans=1999
dens=124
date-dens=1999

Calvisson is a commune in Vaunage in the department of Gard in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. It lies between Nîmes, Montpellier, the Cevennes and the Camargue and has a strong Protestant history.

Geography

Calvisson is a commune in Gard 17 km west of Nîmes. It is in the northern foothills of the Vaunage, a fertile valley surrounded by a rim of limestone hills rising to 200 m. The most prominent hill is the Rock of Gachone, which was the site of an important oppidum, or a fortified town, under the Romans. The natural vegetation is classic garrigue; today the valley is used for vineyards and horticulture. A tiny stream, the Éscatte, flows through the village [http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/articles/languedoc-villages-calvisson.htm] . Calvisson also includes the hamlets of Sinsans and Bizac.

History

* the site is occupied since the Chalcolithic transition, 4300–3200 BC.
* It was under the domination of Counts de Toulouse that the name Calvisson appears for the first time:" In terminium of Calvitione" 1060. Calvisson then was a fortified town surmounted one by two towers which coverd 2000 m². This fortified town controlled all of the Vaunage.
* In 1304 the King of France Philippe IV of France gave to Guillaume de Nogaretas a fiefdom.
* From the 16th century, with the beginnings of reformation, Calvisson was divided by the wars of religion . The village becomes a centre of protestantism. In 1681, the Catholic King Louis XIV, used his troups to re-convert Protestants. On the 30 June 1685, being Protestant became illegal in Nîmes. The religion moved underground, the paid pastor was replaced by the lay "prophet". The wars slowly destroyed the castle which, by the middle of the 17th century is used as stone quarry.
* In 1703, Calvisson was embroiled in the war of Camisards. The village was used as a base for the royalist troops in the battle of Nages against the forces of Jean Cavalier who was a Protestant prophet.
* In 1787, the Rock of Gachone which stands above the village is used as triangulation point by Cassini for mapping the area.

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

* The church of St Saturnin is 12th Century Romanesque and 15th Century Provençal Gothic
* the Temple is 19th Century neo-classical.
* the Rock of Gachone rises over the village to the west. There were four windmills there, three have been partially restored.
* The beginning of 21st century saw the old railway transformed into Voie Verte- that is a metalled cycleway through the Vaunage: from Caveirac, through Calvisson and Congénies to Junas and Sommières. This is used by horses, cycles, and pedestrians. The two major roads on the route are avoided by means of bespoke tunnels.
* Three of the four windmills for which it was known have been restored.

Tradition and events

Bull running happens in Calvisson. This is in the Carmargues tradition, where no bull gets hurt. The annual event takes place around the 20th July over a period of five days. There are four events, the Abrivado where over ten bulls are run together through the street guided by a group of twelve 'guardians' mounted on white Camargues horses, an Encierro where one bull is released outside the foyer and finds his own way back to the pen, the Bandido where one bull is run accompanied through the streets, and the Bandido de nuit which is the same thing but after dark. Boys and men run with the bulls and try and separate them from the horses, stop them, and physically turn them away from the horses.

Personalities related to Calvisson

* Guillaume de Nogaret
* Jean Cavalier

References

External links

* [http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/articles/languedoc-villages-calvisson.htm English description on the Languedoc Page]
* [http://gerard.verhoest.chez.tiscali.fr Calvisson on the site of Gerard Verhoest ]
* [http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1087&CommuneId=31523 Calvisson on the site of the national geographical Institute ]
* [http://www.recensement.insee.fr/RP99/rp99/co_navigation.co_page?nivgeo=C&codgeo=30062&theme=ALL&typeprod=ALL&lang=FR&quelcas=LISTE Calvisson on the site of INSEE ]
* [http://www.quid.fr/communes.html?mode=query&req=Calvisson Calvisson on the site of Quid ]
* [http://www.lion1906.com/Pages/ResultatLocalisation.php?InseeVille=300062 Calvisson on a map of France showing neighbouring communes ]
* [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=43.7858&longitude=4.1927&zoom=8 Townplan of Calvisson on Mapquest ]