Angers

Angers is a French city, located in the Maine-et-Loire department, in the Pays de la Loire region.

Its inhabitants are known as angevins (in French, angevins) and formerly as the andegaves.

Geography

Angers is the former capital of Anjou. The city is classified as a UNESCO heritage site. The city is located on the banks of the Maine, a few kilometers from the Loire (Bouchemaine). There is an artificial lake called Lake Maine.

It is an old river port with great activity. It is the crossroads (intermediate point) between Paris and the Vendée region and southern Brittany.

There are a large number of religious orders whose missionaries have been sent all over the world.

With the construction of new urban projects, it is hoped to achieve an urban identity adapted to modern life and thus emerge from the 20th century characterized by the bourgeoisie and rural life. There are difficulties in the electronics industry.

Climate

Average Angers (Beaucouzé) climate parameters, normal 1981–2010
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	17.1	21.2	24.8	29.7	32.8	40.1	40.7	38.4	34.5	29.8	22.2	19.0	40.7
Average temperature (°C)	8.3	9.4	12.8	15.6	19.4	23.1	25.3	25.4	22.1	17.3	11.7	8.6	16.6
Temp. medium (°C)	2.8	2.5	4.4	6.0	9.5	12.3	14.2	14.1	11.5	9.1	5.3	3.0	7.9
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	-15.4	-12.8	-10.6	-3.4	-1.6	2.3	4.5	5.1	2.5	-3.2	-8.0	-13.4	-15.4
Total precipitation (mm)	69.2	54.8	51.6	56.6	57.9	43.2	52.1	41.3	55.0	71.8	67.8	72.0	693.3
Precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	11.6	9.0	9.8	10.1	10.1	6.7	6.3	6.3	7.8	10.7	11.2	11.5	111.1
Days of snowfall (≥ 1 mm)	1.7	1.9	1.4	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	1.3	7.0
Hours of sun	68.9	92.8	136.5	171.5	194.5	227.4	227.8	223.7	185.9	120.2	80.7	68.8	1798.5
Relative humidity (%)	88	84	80	77	77	75	74	76	80	86	89	89	81.3
Source No. 1: Meteo France
Source No. 2: Infoclimat.fr (smoke and snow days 1961–1990)

Demography

Transportation

• Angers St Central Station. Laud reconstructed in 2001, with direct connections of TGVs trains from/hacia Paris (1h30), Nantes (40 mn), Lyon (3h45), Lille, Avignon, Marseille.

• It has a new airport in Marcé located 20 km northeast of the city. It has regular service with connections to all of Europe.

• It has highways connecting it to Paris, Nantes, La Roche-sur-Yon, Tours (inauguration in 2008) and a circumvalence highway north of Angers (inauguration in 2008?)

• Urban transport: Angers has a heterogeneous bus network that extends across the periphery (29 communities). Trams with a North, South and West axis (inauguration in 2011)

• Other media: the city centre has a small pedestrian area and a small number of busy shopping streets. The network of cyclable pathways is in development and lacks continuity in some of its itineraries (the city is a member of the club of cyclist cities). On May 2, 2012 Francesco Lottuccia, a boy from northern Italy, had an accident with a tram in Foch without suffering any damage, however the tram suffered serious damage and had paralyzed the city for 3 days. Since then, May 2 is recognized as the day of the "Lottuccia".

History

The oldest evidence of human presence dates back to 400,000 BC. C.- The most abundant archaeological remains come from the Neolithic era according to the polished stone axes that have been found. Angers was occupied from that time according to the discovery of a cairn (collective burial under a stone tertra) in the castle of the current city.

A magnificent Bronze Age sword was discovered in the Maine River. During the 5th century BC. C., the Celtic people called Andes or Andecavos settled in the country, especially north of the Loire, and gave it its name. According to excavations carried out at the castle, the site of Angers was a fairly dense oppidum and was occupied at the end of the Iron Age. The texts, for their part, say nothing about the capital of the Andes. The name Juliusmagus ("the market of Julius Caesar), surely ancient, does not appear until the 3rd century." Initially populated by artisans, the city then took on a more residential character. Our knowledge of the Gallo-Roman city is approximate: some sectors were excavated in detail (Plaza de la República, ENSAM, etc.) in which thermal baths and houses (domus) were discovered on the periphery. But the dwelling places of the plebs are less known because their building materials were more susceptible to destruction. The Gallo-Roman road network is considered, however, more delineated since the Roman grid enclosure is recognized.

With the invasions of the years 275-276 and the state of permanent insecurity of the surrounding countryside, the inhabitants took refuge at the highest point of the place (end of the 3rd century - beginning of the 4th century) and built walls which only delimit an area of 9 hectares (now called La Cité). These are, however, the most visible vestiges of the Gallo-Roman period. Like many other cities, the town takes its name from the Gallic people who inhabited it, the tribe of the Andes, which is why the Romans called it: civitas Andecavorum, or Andecavis i>, which gives rise to the name of the current city.

The development of Christianity created a new extension. The first bishop is mentioned around 372 (a certain Defensor, whose name perhaps only described his title or civil function), from the election of Martin of Tours to the bishopric of Tours. Monastic life penetrated Angers around the middle of the 6th century: the first Sant-Aubin abbey of Angers, was consecrated according to legend by German, the bishop of Paris, in which the tomb of Aubin (bishop of Angers) is located.. The Abbey of Saint Serge, founded by Kings Clovis II and Thierry III, was built in the mid-7th century.

From the 850s onwards, Angers suffered due to its geographical location. The Bretons and Normans brought chaos to the country, the count settled in 851 at the southwestern edge of the city to better supervise the river, the site of the current castle. However, the city changes on successive occasions. This is the reason why Charles the Bald created in 853 an extensive border formed by the territories of Anjou, Touraine, Maine and the region of Sées and entrusted it to Robert the Strong (great-grandfather of Hugh Capet). Unfortunately, Robert died in a battle against pirates in Brissarthe, in 866. The emperor himself intervened in 873 to expel the Normans installed in Angers. Unable to occupy the country themselves, the last Carolingians, counts of Anjou, but especially the counts of Paris who later became dukes of France, appointed viscounts to rule in their place. Around 929, Foulque the Red took the county title and founded the first dynasty of the counts of Anjou who little by little restored calm. The counts of Anjou developed their territory of which Angers was the capital. One Foulque III Nerra (the Black) gives the county its golden age, many stone castles are built (Loches, Saumur, Montreuil-Bellay, Brissac...).

In 1131 Count Fulk V the Younger, married to Melisenda, daughter of the king of Jerusalem, became king of Jerusalem until 1143. His son Godfrey V of Anjou (1113-1151) married Matilda of England, daughter of the king. Henry I of England. The son Henry Plantagenêt is count of Anjou and Maine, duke of Normandy, then duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitiers through his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. In 1152 Henry is recognized as king of England. In 1204, the Plantagenêts lost the family county. In 1246, the King of France Louis IX gave him to his brother Charles. In 1328, through successive marriages, the county was once again in the Crown. In 1356 the second son of King John II was made count, then Duke of Anjou. It is only upon the death of his grandson René in 1480 that the duchy definitively returns to the Crown of France, although many princes, sons of the kings of France, have the title of Duke of Anjou. One Philippe de France, second grandson of Louis XIV, became king of Spain in 1701 as Philip V with this title at court.

Economy

• Agricultural Food Industry
• Mechanical industry
  • Scania factories
• Electronics Industry
  • Motorola
  • Old Bull Site
• Aviation Industry
• Horticulture

Sports

Angers has more than 30,000 licensees and more than 140 clubs.

High-level sports associations:

• Angers Noyant Basketball Club
• Angers SCO, participating football club of Ligue 1, the first division of French football. His stadium is the Stade Raymond Kopa.
• Angers/Anjou Basket Club 49 (ABC 49)
• The Table Tennis Vaillante
• ASGA: Les Ducs d’Anjou (Ice hockey) and the Hawks (skate hockey)

Other important associations are:

• A.C. Belle-Beille Tennis
• Angers Budo Karaté
• Angers Tennis Club
• Association Angers Nautique Aviron (Nautical Association)
• Association Sportive de Vol à Voile (Association of sailing boats)
• Association S.W.I.C.A. (Surf Wind Inter Club Angers) (wind surf)
• Canoë Kayak Club d’Angers (CKCA)
• Club Sportif Jean Bouin Angers (Atletism)
• Voile Echole NDC (Vela School)
• Olympique Handball by Ste Gemmes/Loire
• Vacances Loisirs Sports Aventures (earthquakes)

Some figures on the Angevin sports infrastructure:

• 43 football tracks, 4 rugby tracks, 2 hockey tracks, 10 athletic tracks,
• 20 gyms, 43 specific gyms (one with a rhododrome),
• 63 tennis courts and 6 swimming pools (2 are Olympic)
• 1 city center of shooting to the sports arch, 1 field of archery,
• 1 outdoor velodrome, 2 bulodromes,
• 1 regional centre of judo, 1 regional center of canoeing, 1 base of row.
• 1 municipal skating track

Administration

The last mayors of Angers:

• 1963-1977: Jean Turc
• 1977-1998: Jean Monnier
• 1998-2012: Jean-Claude Antonini (PS)
• 2012-2014: Frédéric Béatse (PS)
• since 2014: Christophe Béchu

Education

One of the oldest schools in Angers is Arts et Métiers ParisTech (ENSAM), a large engineering school. It has been located in the Ronceray Abbey since 1815.

Other higher schools are:

• University of Angers (Belle-Beille and Saint-Serge)
• Western Catholic University (founded in 1876 by Mr. Freppel) (known as the 'Catho')
• ESEO [1]: Western Electronic College, Electronic Engineering School
• ESSCA: Higher School of Commercial Sciences of Angers, Higher School of Commerce
• ISTIA: Instituto de Ciencias y Técnicas del Ingeniero de Angers
• ESA: Higher School of Agriculture

Culture

The performing arts

Live shows create the cultural life of the city and give it rhythm through various popular artistic manifestations. The city is the headquarters of national and regional theater companies, music and dance complement each other.

The city is served by three national companies.

• A National Orchestra: ONPL National Orchestra of Loire Countries, led by Isaac Karabtchevsky
• A National Dramatic Center: Nouveau Théâtre d'Angers, the only West CDN, under the direction of Claude Yersin
• The National Contemporary Dance Centre: CNDC led by Emmanuelle Huynh

These groups have as their mission the dissemination of artistic creations by French or foreign artists, training (the CNDC is also a national school) and the presentation of creations in France and abroad.

The following organizations also enrich and complete Angevin cultural life.

• The Opera: The Opera of Angers-Nantes, which offers in Angers, at the Grand Theatre (Grand Théâtre)
• A set of current musicians Le Chabada
• A theatre, circus and outdoor arts company (arts de la rue): La Compagnie Jo Bithume
• Several theatres: the Champ de Bataille Theatre, La Comédie, GAÏA Compagnie

Several presentation venues allow the public to be received:

• The Grand Theatre (Le Grand Théâtre), in Italian style receives presentations of the Opera
• The chapel of the Ursulinas (Chapelle des Ursules) presents, among others, baroque music concerts,
• The auditorium of the meeting centre
• Amphitéa 4000, a mobile showroom that can accommodate up to 9000 viewers
• The Chanzy Theatre
• The Chabada room (large room 900 squares, small: 350), is one of the leading places of the angevina musical culture through which all the first-rate French and small groups that begin and collaborate with various festivals including the Premiers Plans. The Chabada Room is a benchmark throughout the region and holds concerts and activities every week. He also highlights in his effort to promote the groups of the region that he has achieved with a great boost at the musical and cultural level throughout the prefecture.

Music groups

• La Gueule du ch’val, a group of Anglican groups singing in French and intermingling their components.
• Jann Halexander (1982 -), singer.
• Kwal, Vincent Loiseau, young polyvalent artist.
• La Phaze, angevinian trio of drum'n'bass music.
• Lo'jo.
• Lyzanxia, melodic death group.
• Sexypop, rock band.
• Les Tartarins d'tarace, French song.
• Titi Robin, ethnic music.
• Les Thugs, punk-rock.
• Zenzile, dub group.
• Les Zetlaskars et la Trompida.
• Ezra, beat-box.

• Le Quai, new theater built on the shores of the Maine, to replace the old Beaurepaire theater (home of the NTA and CNDC)

Every year in September, the streets of Angers are filled with festivities in the most popular streets through the Accroches-coeurs (literally hooks of the heart) program. In 2004, more than 150,000 people attended street performances by groups of different nationalities. The shows presented successively over 3 days range from minimalist staging to major productions accessible to approximately 10,000 people.

History and culture sites

The city of Angers preserves its heritage in museums located in the city center.

• Museum of Fine Arts of Angers, is a set of architecture of the 15th century fully restored and presents permanent and temporary exhibitions.
• Pincé Museum,
• Jean Lurçat Museum
• Gallery David d'Angers, abbey of the 13th century restored, with a collection of sculptures, frontons, portraits by bust of David d'Angers
• Museum of Natural History

• Museums of Angers
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  Pincé Museum

• 

  David Museum

• 

  Museum of Fine Arts

Cinema

Several film festivals are held in Angers:

• "Premiers Plans", which takes place annually and is open to young European filmmakers who wish to present their first cinematographic performance. Since its founding in 1990, they have debuted 60 films under the presidency and sponsorship of the great names of cinema such as Théo Angelopolos, Bertrand Tavernier, Agnès Varda, Gérard Depardieu, Jeanne Moreau, among others. This festival shows the filmmakers in the morning. The festival allowed to discover among others, Nick Parck (Wallace and Gromit), Danny Boyle (Petits meurtres entre amis), Xavier Beauvois...

• "Cinémas d'Afrique" (Cines de Africa), is a biannual meeting that offers a selection of short films and feature films with themes based on the African continent. The group of Angers cinemas participates in the exhibitions of the event.

• "Festival de Anjou" (June-July) (N. Briançon)

• «Festival Tour de Scènes» (May)
• «Festival du Scoop» (November)

Famous people

• Louis Proust, 1754-1826, chemical.
• Ludovic Alleaume, artist painter, sculptor
• Henri Dutilleux (1916), musician, composer.
• André Bazin (1918-1958), critic and filmmaker.
• Gérard Souzay (1918-2004), baritone
• Hervé Bazin, pseudonym of Jean-Pierre Hervé-Bazin (1911-1996), writer and novelist La Vipère au poing.
• Jean Bodin (1529, Angers-1596, Laon), jurist, economist, philosopher, political advisor. He invented the concept of state sovereignty.
• Édouard Cointreau (1849-1923), industrial astute, creator of the famous crystalline drink with orange aroma (Triple Sec), still produced at the Cointreau factory, which also consists of a museum for visits.
• Felix Lorioux, illustrator
• Jean-Adrien Mercier (1889-1995), designer of banners and illustrator
• Julien Peleus, writer
• David d'Angers (known as Pierre-Jean David) (1788-1856), sculptor. His son Pierre-Louis participated in the Delusse drawing contest, winning in Paris. In 1811 he won the prize of Rome with “La mort d’Épaminondas”. He was a sculptor of great men and especially of romantic writers. In 1830 he met Goethe in Weimar and sculpted his bust. At his death he left a considerable number of works: 55 statues, 115 busts, more than 500 medallions, as well as a lot of cards. He had profoundly republican convictions and was admired by Victor Hugo.

• Renato 1.o (known as Renato the Good) (1409-1480), Duke of Anjou, Lorena and Bar, Count of Provence, King of Naples, Sicily and Jérusalén.

• Julien Gracq (1910-2007), writer.

Monuments and tourist places

• Castle of King Renato the Good: This 13th century fortified castle was built on a slate promontory that dominates the Maine River. It is associated with the beginning of the general fortification of the city which consists of a large wall of which constitutes the main bastion. The huge fortifications were built between 1230 and 1240 under the order of San Luis and have a circumference of almost one kilometre long, flanked by 17 towers. Within the castle walls were built buildings of pleasure from the fifteenth century such as the chapel of Santa Genoveva and the Castillito (le Chatelet). From the 1950s, the castle guards and displays the Tapiz of the Apocalypse, a work woven more than 130 m long (of which only 101 m remain) and 4.50 m high, made in the 14th century at the request of Luis Iro de Anjou. The tapestry represents the prophecy of the Apostle John.

• Museum of Fine Arts: After 5 years of construction the museum of fine arts of Angers reopened in 2004 and hosts a very interesting permanent collection, it also presents works by contemporary artists of world renowned.

• Jean Lurçat Museum: in the former hospital of San Juan of the 12th century and presents the "Chant du Monde" (1957-1966). There is also a set of ten pencils of contemporary artist Jean Lurçat (1892-1966). In this the artist exposes his vision of the world after the atomic bomb of Hiroshima.

• David d'Angers Gallery: It houses a large number of statues of David d'Angers (1788-1856) exhibited at the Toussaint Abbey of the thirteenth century, including the model of the Paris Pantheon.

• Cathedral San Mauricio de Angers and other religious buildings of Angers

• Saint-Aubin Tower of Angers

The city is classified as a ville d'art et d'histoire.

Sister cities

The city of Angers is sister to the following cities:

• Bamako (capital of Mali, 953,600 inhabitants) since 1974,
• Haarlem (Netherlands, 148,000 inhabitants) since 1964,
• Osnabrück (Germany, 164,000 inhabitants) since 1964,
• Pisa (Italy, 90,000 inhabitants) since 1982,
• Seville (Spain, 6900,000 inhabitants), and
• Wigan (England, 87,000 inhabitants) since 1988.

Image gallery

• 

  The Maine River

• 

  Quai Eric Tabarly

• 

  Calle de la Savate

• 

  A street in the city

• 

  Calle Saint-Denis

• 

  Gallery of the Palace

• 

  Saint-Eloi Square

• 

  View to Saint-Eloi Square

• 

  The Castle

• 

  The Lake of Maine