Luçon | |
|---|---|
%2c_cath%25C3%25A9drale_Notre-Dame-de-l%25E2%2580%2599Assomption_01.jpg) Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Luçon | |
_v2.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Luçon | |
  Luçon  Luçon | |
| Coordinates:46°27′20″N1°09′53″W / 46.4556°N 1.1647°W /46.4556; -1.1647 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays de la Loire |
| Department | Vendée |
| Arrondissement | Fontenay-le-Comte |
| Canton | Luçon |
| Intercommunality | Sud Vendée Littoral |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Dominique Bonnin[1] |
Area 1 | 31.52 km2 (12.17 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 9,450 |
| • Density | 300/km2 (777/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 85128 /85400 |
| Elevation | 1–40 m (3.3–131.2 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Luçon (pronounced[lysɔ̃]) is acommune in theVendéedepartment,Pays de la Loireregion, western France. Its inhabitants are known as Luçonnais.
Luçon Cathedral is the seat of theDiocese of Luçon (comprising the Vendée), whereCardinal Richelieu once served as bishop.
Once aRoman town (Lucionensis),[3] Luçon takes its name from theLatin word for thenorthern pike (Lucius) and this fish decorates the coat of arms to this day.[4] The town had an important position on the Roman road fromLes Sables d'Olonne toNiort, and was a sea port in the Roman period.[3]
During theDark Ages, a monastery was founded here bySaint Philbert.[5] The town was sacked by theNormans in 846 and plundered by theVikings in 853. In theMiddle Ages, the receding seas left Luçon inland, but a canal allowed it to maintain a port connected to theAtlantic.[3] The town remained an important commercial centre throughout this period.
Luçon became the spiritual capital of Bas Poitou in 1317, whenPope John XXII located the seat of theDiocese of Luçon here.[6] Today, the town is perhaps most famous for its association with Armand Jean du Plessis (Cardinal Richelieu). Before becoming a minister ofLouis XIII, Richelieu was the bishop of Luçon. During his tenure he directed the rebuilding of much of the town after it was destroyed during theFrench Wars of Religion. This included restoring the magnificentCathedral of Notre Dame, whose 85-metrespire dominates thecountryside formiles.[7] Within the cathedral can be found achurch organ donated byNapoleon III, while astatue of Richelieu stands outside.
In the 18th-19th centuries, the town was refurbished in a pseudo-medieval style. Many of the most remarkable buildings, including those in the quartier Bourgneuf, were constructed at this time.[8] The elegant town park, the Jardin Dumaine, was donated to the inhabitants by local doctor Pierre-Hyacinthe Dumaine in 1872.[9]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 8,243 | — |
| 1975 | 9,002 | +1.27% |
| 1982 | 9,066 | +0.10% |
| 1990 | 9,099 | +0.05% |
| 1999 | 9,311 | +0.26% |
| 2007 | 9,722 | +0.54% |
| 2012 | 9,437 | −0.59% |
| 2017 | 9,540 | +0.22% |
| Source: INSEE[10] | ||
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