Céret

commune in Pyrénées-Orientales, France

Céret is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It was the capital of the historic Catalan comarque of Vallespir.

Céret
The city of Céret
The city of Céret
Coat of arms of Céret
Location of Céret
Map
Céret is located in France
Céret
Céret
Céret is located in Occitanie
Céret
Céret
Coordinates: 42°29′21″N 2°45′08″E / 42.4892°N 2.7522°E / 42.4892; 2.7522
CountryFrance
RegionOccitanie
DepartmentPyrénées-Orientales
ArrondissementCéret
CantonVallespir-Albères
IntercommunalityCommunauté de communes du Vallespir
Government
 • Mayor (2020 - 2026) Michel Coste
Area
1
37.86 km2 (14.62 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)
7,663
 • Density200/km2 (520/sq mi)
DemonymCérétans
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
66049 /66400
Elevation107–1,440 m (351–4,724 ft)
(avg. 154 m or 505 ft)
WebsiteOfficial website
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It is a subprefecture in the department and the capital of the Céret arrondissement.

Name of the city change

The name Céret comes from the Catalan name for the town: Ceret.[1]

Former known names of Céret are, in order of appearance, vicus Sirisidum in 814, vico Cereto in 866, villa Cerseto in 915, vigo Ceresido in 930, also Cered and Ceriteto in the 10th century, Ceret, Cericeto in the XIth and XIIth centuries, Cirset around 1070, Cersed (one of the most common forms) in 1130 and Cerset in 1138, and from the XIIIth to the XVth centuries Cereto, Ceret, Seret and Saret. Ceret becomes the most common form around the XVIth century.[2][3]

Geography change

Céret lies in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, in southern France. It is in the valley of the Tech river.

It has an area of 37.86 km2 (14.62 sq mi) and its average altitude is 154 m (505 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 160 m (520 ft).[4] The lowest point (107 m [351 ft]) of the commune is on the Tech river and the highest is on the Roc de Frausa (1,440 m [4,720 ft]).

Céret and its neighboring communes
 

The commune is at 35 km (22 mi) from Perpignan, 200 km (124 mi) from Montpellier and at 250 km (155 mi) from Toulouse. It is surrounded by the communes Vivès, Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts, Maureillas-las-Illas, Reynès, Oms.

Climate change

The climate of Céret, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - Oceanic climate with template summers.[5]

Population change

The inhabitants of Céret are known, in French, as cerétans (women: céretanes).[6]

With a population in 2014 of 7,663,[7] Céret has a population density of 202 inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Céret

Administration change

Céret is a subprefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department since 1790. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Céret and the administrative centre (French: chef-lieu) of the canton Vallespir-Albères with 13 communes and 29,894 inhabitants in 2014.

It is part of the intercommunality Vallespir (French: Communauté de communes du Vallespir).

Mayors change

Mayor Term start Term end
Onuphre Tarris 1919 1940
Henri Rey 1940 1941
Henri Mouchard 1941 1943
Jean Maler 1943 1944
Jacques Souquet 1944 1945
Gaston Cardonne 1945 1947
Henri Guitard 1947 1963
Marcel Parayre 1963 1964
Michel Sageloly Sr. 1964 1983
Henri Sicre 1983 1995
Michel Sageloly Jr. 1995 1996
Henri Sicre 1996 2001
Alain Torrent 2001 2020
Michel Coste 2020

Twin cities change

Céret is a twin town of:

Economy change

The region around Céret is a major fruit producer, in particular famed for its cherries. The first of the season's pick are, by local tradition, sent to France's President. Céret has a cherry festival each year. The cherry season is during the end of April and May.[8]

Sites of interest change

Céret is famous for its Musée d'Art Moderne (Museum of Modern Art), which has numerous Picasso paintings, sculptures and ceramics. The museum also features paintings by Chagall, Matisse, Herbin, Soutine, lots of Fauves and a few Impressionists.

The Museum of Musical Instruments opened in May 2013 and has a unique collection of instruments and musical scores.

The Pont du Diable (Devil's Bridge) is a single arch stone bridge built between 1321 and 1341.

Gallery change

 
Céret seen from the north

Related pages change

References change

  1. Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Université de Perpignan (2007). Nomenclàtor toponímic de la Catalunya del Nord (PDF) (in Catalan and French) (1st ed.). Barcelona. p. 80. Retrieved 4 June 2014.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. Basseda, Lluís (1990). Toponymie historique de Catalunya Nord (in French). Vol. t. 1. Prades: Revista Terra Nostra. p. 796.
  3. Sagnes, Jean, ed. (1985). Le pays catalan (Capcir, Cerdagne, Conflent, Roussillon, Vallespir) et le Fenouilledès (in French). Vol. 2. Pau: Société nouv. d'éd. régionales et de diff. pp. 579–1113. ISBN 2904610014.
  4. "Céret". Map-France.com. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  5. "La ville de Céret". Annuaire-Mairie.fr (in French). Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  6. "Céret" (in French). habitants.fr. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  7. "Régions, départements, arrondissements, cantons et communes" (PDF). Populations légales 2014 (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  8. "Céret: La cerise et le mimosa" (in French). Office de Tourisme de Céret. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2014.

Other websites change