Richelieu, Indre-et-Loire
Richelieu | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 47°00′54″N 0°19′28″E / 47.015°N 0.3244°E | |
Country | France |
Region | Centre-Val de Loire |
Department | Indre-et-Loire |
Arrondissement | Chinon |
Canton | Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Étienne Martegoutte[1] |
Area 1 | 5.09 km2 (1.97 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[2] | 1,635 |
• Density | 320/km2 (830/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 37196 /37120 |
Elevation | 47–77 m (154–253 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Richelieu (French pronunciation: [ʁiʃ(ə)ljø] ⓘ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
It lies south of Chinon and west of Sainte-Maure de Touraine and is surrounded by mostly agricultural land. Its inhabitants are called Richelais, and Richelaises.
Because of its design as the "ideal city" of the seventeenth century, the town is the subject of protective measures for its architecture.
History
In 1343, salt became a state monopoly by order of the Valois king Philip VI, who established the gabelle, the tax on salt. Anjou was part of the "great gabelle" area and encompassed sixteen special tribunals or "salt granaries", including that of Richelieu.
The village was a 17th-century model "
A smaller chateau built for the Cardinal's mistress is located 4 km outside the town.[6]
Geography
The town
The town itself (as distinct from the Château grounds) is about 700 meters long by 500 meters wide. It is accessible by three monumental gates; a fourth, dummy gate exists to respect the symmetry of the whole. The urban plan revolves around two symmetrically arranged places: Place Royale (now Place des Réligieux) and the Place du Cardinal (now Place du Marché), in which are grouped the presbytery, the "audience" (now the town hall), a covered open market hall (still surviving, with wooden pillars and roof beams) and shops.
To ensure quick settlement, the Cardinal imposed no city taxes. In return, buyers of plots for construction undertook to build within two years a "flag" or a house according to the plans and specifications filed with the court of the city, while being required to choose as builder one of the Cardinal's appointees. A register of specific transactions is kept, allowing historians to know today the list of owners of the original buildings of the city.
Upon the death of Cardinal, the city ceased to grow, but continued to have illustrious visitors, like
In 1790, during the convening of the
The château
Population
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1968 | 2,214 | — |
1975 | 2,444 | +1.42% |
1982 | 2,433 | −0.06% |
1990 | 2,223 | −1.12% |
1999 | 2,165 | −0.29% |
2007 | 1,971 | −1.17% |
2012 | 1,848 | −1.28% |
2017 | 1,716 | −1.47% |
Source: INSEE[7] |
Administration
The mayor of Richelieu between 2008 and 2020 was Hervé Novelli, formerly a Secretary of State in the French cabinet. In 2020 Étienne Martegoutte was elected mayor.[1]
Festival
Periodically the town holds historical re-enactments.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ The château was engraved by Jean Marot, La magnifique chasteau de Richelieu, about 1660; it is unlikely that essential changes had been made since the Cardinal's death. The château was described, on the basis of Marot's engraving, by H. Carrington Lancaster, "The Chateau de Richelieu and Desmaretz's Visionnaires" Modern Language Notes 60.3 (March 1945:167-172) on which the present description is based.
- ^ SMarot's engraving preserves the layout of the gardens in detail.
- ^ Derek Clifford, A History of Garden Design 1963 fig. 26 facing p. 65.
- ^ "Chateau/Manor, Nr. Richelieu, Indre-et-Loire". Winkworth International.
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
External links
- Official town site (in French)