Libourne

Libourne (French pronunciation: ​[libuʁn]; Gascon: Liborna [liˈbuɾnɔ]) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.

Libourne
Subprefecture and commune
Town hall
Coat of arms
Location of Libourne
Libourne Libourne
Coordinates: 44°55′N 0°14′W
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Gironde
Arrondissement	Libourne
Canton	Le Libournais-Fronsadais
Intercommunality	Libournais
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Philippe Buisson[1] (PS)
Area ^1	20.63 km^2 (7.97 sq mi)
Population  (2017-01-01)[2]	24,845
• Density	1,200/km^2 (3,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	33243 /33500
Elevation	2–28 m (6.6–91.9 ft) (avg. 15 m or 49 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.

Bridge over the Dordogne

Geography

Libourne is located at the confluence of the Isle and Dordogne rivers.

History

In 1270, Leybornia was founded as a bastide by Roger de Leybourne (of Leybourne, Kent), an English seneschal of Gascony, under the authority of King Edward I of England. It suffered considerably in the struggles of the French and English for the possession of Gironde in the 14th century, and joined France in the 15th century.

In December 1854 John Stuart Mill passed through Libourne, remarking "I stopped at Libourne as I intended & had a walk about it this morning quite the best thing there is the bridge of the Dordogne, the view from which is really fine".[3]

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1793 9,100 —     1800 8,076 −11.3% 1806 8,293 +2.7% 1821 8,787 +6.0% 1831 9,838 +12.0% 1836 9,714 −1.3% 1841 9,814 +1.0% 1846 11,813 +20.4% 1851 12,650 +7.1% 1856 13,290 +5.1% 1861 13,565 +2.1% 1866 14,639 +7.9% 1872 14,960 +2.2% 1876 15,231 +1.8% 1881 15,981 +4.9% 1886 16,736 +4.7% 1891 17,867 +6.8%

Year Pop. ±% 1896 18,016 +0.8% 1901 19,175 +6.4% 1906 19,323 +0.8% 1911 20,085 +3.9% 1921 18,083 −10.0% 1926 18,453 +2.0% 1931 19,103 +3.5% 1936 19,491 +2.0% 1946 20,166 +3.5% 1954 19,474 −3.4% 1962 19,834 +1.8% 1968 22,123 +11.5% 1975 21,651 −2.1% 1982 22,119 +2.2% 1990 21,012 −5.0% 1999 21,764 +3.6% 2008 23,725 +9.0%

Sights

The Gothic church, restored in the 19th century, has a stone spire 232 ft (71 m) high. On the quay there is a machicolated clock-tower which is a survival of the defensive walls of the 14th century. The town-house, containing a small museum and a library, is a quaint relic of the 16th century. It is located by the main square, the Place Abel Surchamp, which hosts every weekend one of the largest fresh food market in the region. There is a statue of Élie, duc Decazes, who was born in the region.

Notable people

• Eugène Atget (1857–1927), French photographer, "Creator and Purveyor of a Collection of Photographic Views of Old France
• Louis Le Provost de Launay (1850–1912), French deputy and senator
• Jean-Marie Londeix (1932–), French saxophonist
• Jean Marcadé (1920–2012), French Hellenist and historian
• Jean-Marie Poumeyrol, (born 1946), artist

See also

• Hull town walls, the town of Hull, also established under Edward I, is said to have been similar in design to the Bastides, in particular Libourne
• Communes of the Gironde department
• Keynsham, twinned with Libourne

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
2. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
3. The Collected Works of John Stuart Mill Vol XIV, Page 251. ISBN 0-8020-5261-4

External links

• "Libourne" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 16 (11th ed.). 1911.
• Official website (in French)
• Unofficial website (in French)