Le Vigan | |
|---|---|
 Le Vigan and the Arre River | |
 Location of Le Vigan | |
  Le Vigan  Le Vigan | |
| Coordinates:43°59′35″N3°36′22″E / 43.9931°N 3.6061°E /43.9931; 3.6061 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Gard |
| Arrondissement | Le Vigan |
| Canton | Le Vigan |
| Intercommunality | Pays Viganais |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Sylvie Arnal[1] |
Area 1 | 17.24 km2 (6.66 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 3,786 |
| • Density | 219.6/km2 (568.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 30350 /30120 |
| Elevation | 184–640 m (604–2,100 ft) (avg. 231 m or 758 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Le Vigan (French pronunciation:[ləviɡɑ̃]ⓘ;Occitan:Lo Vigan) is acommune in theGarddepartment in southernFrance. It is asub-prefecture of the department.
Le Vigan is located at the south of theMassif Central and near theMont Aigoual, in theArre valley. The town is on the southern edge of theCévennes National Park and is the most populous town within the park.[3]
Le Vigan has ahot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsa). The average annual temperature in Le Vigan is 13.7 °C (56.7 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,494.8 mm (58.85 in) with October as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 22.6 °C (72.7 °F), and lowest in January, at around 6.2 °C (43.2 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Le Vigan was 44.0 °C (111.2 °F) on 28 June 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −13.7 °C (7.3 °F) on 16 January 1985.
| Climate data for Le Vigan (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1965−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) | 25.9 (78.6) | 29.0 (84.2) | 32.3 (90.1) | 34.0 (93.2) | 44.0 (111.2) | 42.0 (107.6) | 40.6 (105.1) | 36.9 (98.4) | 33.0 (91.4) | 26.0 (78.8) | 21.1 (70.0) | 44.0 (111.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.9 (51.6) | 12.1 (53.8) | 15.8 (60.4) | 18.4 (65.1) | 22.7 (72.9) | 27.4 (81.3) | 30.5 (86.9) | 30.2 (86.4) | 25.1 (77.2) | 19.6 (67.3) | 14.3 (57.7) | 11.2 (52.2) | 19.9 (67.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.2 (43.2) | 6.7 (44.1) | 9.7 (49.5) | 12.3 (54.1) | 16.0 (60.8) | 20.0 (68.0) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.3 (72.1) | 18.1 (64.6) | 14.2 (57.6) | 9.5 (49.1) | 6.6 (43.9) | 13.7 (56.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) | 1.2 (34.2) | 3.7 (38.7) | 6.1 (43.0) | 9.3 (48.7) | 12.6 (54.7) | 14.7 (58.5) | 14.5 (58.1) | 11.1 (52.0) | 8.8 (47.8) | 4.8 (40.6) | 2.1 (35.8) | 7.5 (45.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.7 (7.3) | −12.5 (9.5) | −11.3 (11.7) | −4.3 (24.3) | −0.9 (30.4) | 3.4 (38.1) | 4.8 (40.6) | 4.7 (40.5) | 0.6 (33.1) | −3.6 (25.5) | −9.0 (15.8) | −10.5 (13.1) | −13.7 (7.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 139.3 (5.48) | 89.7 (3.53) | 100.7 (3.96) | 120.1 (4.73) | 105.8 (4.17) | 71.5 (2.81) | 40.4 (1.59) | 53.4 (2.10) | 170.3 (6.70) | 226.6 (8.92) | 222.1 (8.74) | 154.9 (6.10) | 1,494.8 (58.85) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.0 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 5.8 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 6.5 | 10.6 | 10.4 | 9.4 | 91.8 |
| Source:Météo-France[4] | |||||||||||||
On a river at the southern edge of theMassif Central, Le Vigan is situated on a natural boundaryline. In the 2nd-3rd centuries BCE, it was situated between the territories occupied by theVolcae Arecomici, theAverni, and theGabali tribes. In 121 BCE the Romans gained control of much of southern France including the area around Le Vigan. TheVolcae Arecomici voluntarily surrendered their territory,[5] and theArverni gave up much territory in a treaty that nevertheless preserve their independence. Under Roman control, Le Vigan was part of the Roman "Provincia," (henceProvence) calledGallia Narbonensis.
Le Vigan is supposed to occupy the site of the old Gallo-Roman town of Vindomagus. The name implies that a Celtic population was settled there. "Magh" signifies meadow or plain, and "vindo" is the Latin form given to the word we find in so many places to signify open country, wind-swept, surt-scorched, rambled over by sheep,... No descriptive appellation could better suit Le Vigan.
— Sabine Baring-Gould, A book of the Cevennes (1907)[6]
TheVisigoths took control of the western half of Gallia Narbonensis in 462 CE, a part known asSeptimania which included Le Vigan, and they retained control despite attempts in 586 and 589 by theFrankish (Merovingian) KingGuntram to conquer the area from the north. In 587 the region came underCatholic rule with the conversion of the Visigoth kingReccared I. In 719, theMoorAl-Samh conquered Septimania and the Franks struggled to take it back over the next several decades. By 780, Charlemagne had conquered the entire territory.Le Vigan is on the site of an ancient Roman town which may be "Vindomagus",[7][6] but it is not certain.[8]: 851 There is a spring called "la source d'Isis," which has provided water to the city since at least 1069[9] and which was named in honor of theRoman goddess. The town was destroyed during theMoorish invasion of Provence.[6][10]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: EHESS[11] and INSEE (1968-2017)[12] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As with many towns in theCévennes, there were many textile industries there in the past. Severalquarries south of town aboveMontdardier were formerly important sources oflithographic limestone. Stone from these quarries earned an honorable mention inthe Great Exhibition of 1851.[13]: 28 [14]
Le Vigan is a tourist destination during summer time.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
Media related toLe Vigan (Gard) at Wikimedia Commons
| National | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
