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52-488: Cycles Gitane have their roots in 1925, when Marcel Brunelière opened a smith and agricultural repair works at Machecoul in the Loire-Atlantique region of France . He began making parts for bicycles and the following year opened a further workshop to assemble bicycles for G.M.B and Marbru. Brunelière began making his own bicycles in 1930, choosing the name Gitane (meaning "gypsy" [feminine]). He added light motorcycles in

104-509: A century later. In 2008, ten Frankish sarcophagi from that period were discovered where Saint-Morille church once stood during the tramway construction. From the 850s, Angers suffered from its situation on the border with Brittany and Normandy . In September 851, Charles the Bald and Erispoe , a Breton chief, met in the town to sign the Treaty of Angers , which secured Breton independence and fixed

156-620: A high natural potential, notably highlighted by the Saint-Aubin island, situated north of the center and covering a tenth of the city total surface. Protected, the island is formed of swamps and natural meadows. The oldest green areas date back from the Renaissance , when the moats of the castle were transformed into pleasure and kitchen gardens. Similar gardens were built by the aristocracy around their hôtels particuliers and physic garden were planted in hospices cloisters. The Jardin des plantes,

208-504: A marina. In 2010, a large amusement park, Terra Botanica , was inaugurated close to Saint-Aubin island. The first sign of human presence in Angers dates back to around 400,000 BC. Vestiges from the Neolithic are more abundant and include numerous polished stone axes. Burials from 4500  x  3500 BC were also discovered on the castle grounds. During the 5th century BC,

260-727: A new director-general at the head of Renault in 1985, Georges Besse, led the company to sell Micmo to raise capital. Micmo continued and then in 1992 joined Peugeot and the Spanish company, BH, to form the Cycleurope group to compete with growing competition from Asia. Later, BH sold Gitane/Peugeot and the rest of Cycleurope to the Swedish Monark conglomerate. Gitane sponsored its first professionals in 1948. From 1953 to 1955 it equipped Jean Stablinski . In 1960 it helped back Rapha–Gitane–Dunlop and Rudi Altig . In 1963 and 1964, Gitane bicycles won

312-509: A population of 154,508 inhabitants, while around 432,900 live in its metropolitan area ( aire d'attraction ). The Angers Loire Métropole is made up of 29 communes covering 667 square kilometers (258 square miles) with 299,500 inhabitants (2018). Not including the broader metropolitan area, Angers is the third most populous commune in northwestern France after Nantes and Rennes and the 18th most populous commune in France. For centuries, Angers

364-692: A rich cultural life, made possible by its universities and museums. The old medieval center is still dominated by the massive château of the Plantagenêts , home of the Apocalypse Tapestry , the biggest medieval tapestry ensemble in the world. Angers is also both at the edge of the Val de Loire , a World Heritage Site , and the Loire-Anjou-Touraine regional natural park . The city is first mentioned by Ptolemy around AD 150 in his Geography . It

416-573: A short but wide river that flows into the Loire several kilometres south. Today, Angers stands out for its specialization in the plant sector: Végépolys is Europe's leading horticultural competitiveness cluster, and the city is also home to the headquarters of the Community Plant Variety Office. In addition, the Angers metropolitan area is a major economic centre in western France, particularly active in industry and tourism. Angers enjoys

468-403: Is Nantes , the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 9 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants: Population development since 1801: Upper Brittany 's indigenous language is Gallo , a romance language related to French. The number of Gallo language speakers has been in steady decline since the early 20th century. The language is neither official nor taught in primary or secondary education. In

520-612: Is a department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France , named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean . It had a population of 1,429,272 in 2019. Loire-Atlantique is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally, it was named Loire-Inférieure , but its name was changed in March 9, 1957 to Loire-Atlantique. The area

572-457: Is a city in western France , about 300 km (190 mi) southwest of Paris . It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution . The inhabitants of both the city and the province are called Angevins or, more rarely, Angeriens . Angers proper covers 42.70 square kilometers (16.5 sq mi) and has

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624-410: Is also 118 km (73 mi) far from Pornic , the closest sea resort, situated on the Atlantic Ocean . Elevation varies 12 to 64 meters (39 to 210 ft) above sea level . Angers is a hilly town, particularly marked by a rocky promontory dominating the lower valley of Anjou . This was the site of the ancient city and still houses the town's castle , cathedral , and medieval quarters. At

676-709: Is on the TGV network, with high speed trains running to Paris by the LGV Atlantique in just over 2 hours. Nantes Atlantique Airport , located 8 km to the southwest of the city of Nantes, serves the département and surrounding areas. It is the biggest airport in northwestern France, linking with several French, North African and European cities, as well as Montreal in Canada. Angers Angers ( UK : / ˈ ɒ̃ ʒ eɪ / , US : / ɒ̃ ˈ ʒ eɪ , ˈ æ n dʒ ər z / ; French: [ɑ̃ʒe] )

728-560: Is part of the historical Duchy of Brittany , and contains what many people still consider to be Brittany's capital, Nantes . However, during World War II , the Vichy Government set up a system of regional prefectures whereby on 19 April 1941 Loire-Atlantique was excluded from the Region of Brittany and united with neighbouring French departments, under the lead of Angers . After the war these administrative changes were reimplemented in

780-491: The 1939–1945 War Cross and since then, the decoration is sometimes placed between the two fleurs de lys. Angers also had several mottos through its history: Angers is located at the geographical center of the Maine-et-Loire department, on the road ( A11 autoroute , L'Océane ) which connects Paris to the Atlantic Ocean . The city is situated just south of the confluence of the Loir , Mayenne and Sarthe , which form together

832-638: The Andecavi , a Celtic people, settled north of the Loire . By the end of the Iron Age , Angers was a relatively densely populated hillfort . While the settlement's Roman name—Juliomagus—may be older, it is only attested from the 3rd century. The Roman town consisted of many villas and baths and had an amphitheater as well as a Mithraeum , a temple dedicated to Mithra . Successive Germanic invasions in AD ;275 and 276 forced

884-663: The Angers castle stands. The urban structure there dates back from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. A military presence there was attested from the 3rd century and some remains of an antique city wall are still visible on the castle grounds. This wall was built to protect the city from the Germanic invasions of AD 275 and 276. During the Middle Ages, the castle was the core of the city's defence system, composed of tall city walls and river chains which prevented enemy ships from going up

936-744: The Black Death (1347–1350) and the Hundred Years War (1337–1453). A man of great culture and generosity, René transformed Angers into a cultural and political center and held court there. He transformed the castle moat into a menagerie and built several gardens. He also founded in Angers a new Ordre du Croissant which was supposed to compete with the Order of the Golden Fleece , created several years earlier. In 1474, Louis XI of France , in his attempt to conquer Anjou, came to Angers with his army, asking for

988-462: The Communauté urbaine Angers Loire Métropole . All these peripheral communes are situated within 17 km (11 mi) from Angers proper. Together, they have around 272,400 inhabitants. Angers has an oceanic climate , with moderate rain year-round. Winters have scarce frosts and snowfalls, and summers are warm and sunny. The oldest streets and buildings in Angers are located on the promontory where

1040-518: The Lila network ( fr ) of interurban buses, which link its villages, towns and cities. The urban areas of Nantes and Saint-Nazaire operate their own urban transport networks, known as TAN and STRAN ( fr ) respectively. By rail, the regional trains and buses of the TER Pays de la Loire link major towns and cities of the Pays de la Loire and adjoining regions, including those of the département . Nantes

1092-675: The Mayenne . It was the aldermen who stopped the slaughter. In 1598, the Edict of Nantes was prepared by Henri IV in Angers. From 6 March until 2 April, Angers was the de facto capital of France and the King tried all means to satisfy the Catholics of the city, for example by laying the cornerstone of the new Capucine convent. In 1619, Louis XIII of France gave the governance of Anjou to his mother, Marie de' Medici . The Queen Mother settled in Angers, at

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1144-460: The Second World War , several large council estates made of tower blocks were built around the city center, the first of them being Belle-Beille in 1953. Industrial activity changed drastically: port activity declined while new factories, such as Technicolor SA in 1957, were built. During the 1970s, the collective approach to urban development gave way to more individual houses being built for

1196-444: The middle class . As the metropolitan area continued to grow, commuting became more common. New shopping areas were constructed close to the villages which had been subsumed into the city. Because of the floodplains that surround the city north and south, Angers can only grow significantly on an east–west axis. Being both at the edge of the Val de Loire World Heritage site and on the largest river confluence in France, Angers has

1248-602: The province of Anjou . During the 12th century, after internal divisions in Brittany , the county of Nantes was annexed by Anjou . Henry II Plantagenêt kept it for more than 30 years. The grandson of Henry I of England , he also succeeded to the English crown and ruled the vast Angevin Empire , which stretched from the Pyrenees to Ireland . The castle of Angers was then the seat of

1300-443: The 1950s. The name changed to Micmo in 1960 but continued to sell Gitane bicycles. Nearly a third of Micmo was owned by Renault , the car-maker, which had acquired 30 per cent of the shares in 1974. In 1976 it bought the rest. Gitane bicycles were first imported into the U.S. in 1958 by Mel Pinto Imports of Virginia, and as such were among the first European racing bicycles to be regularly imported into that country. The arrival of

1352-487: The 1955 boundary changes intended to optimise the management of the regions. There has since been a series of campaigns reflecting a strong local mood to have the department reintegrated with Brittany. Loire-Atlantique is part of the current region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the department of Morbihan , Ille-et-Vilaine , Maine-et-Loire , and Vendée , with the Atlantic on the west. The most populous commune

1404-945: The 1990s. Gitane returned to road cycling after several years' absence, backing Française des Jeux and BigMat–Auber 93 . For 2010, Gitane sponsored the Saur–Sojasun team with its new line of Definitive Gitane "The One" ISP bicycles. Gitane bicycles are available in Europe only. The aluminum and steel Gitanes are still built in the factories in Machecoul (the original Gitane factory) and the Cycleurope facility at Romilly Sur Seine (the old Peugeot factory) in France, while all carbon bikes are built in Asia. Loire-Atlantique Loire-Atlantique ( French pronunciation: [lwaʁ atlɑ̃tik] ; Gallo : Louére-Atantique ; Breton : Liger-Atlantel ; before 1957: Loire-Inférieure , Breton: Liger-Izelañ )

1456-638: The Court and the dynasty. The Empire disappeared in 1204–1205 when the King of France, Philip II , seized Normandy and Anjou. Henceforth, there were no more counts of Anjou , as the French king had made Anjou a dukedom. Now a part of the Kingdom of France , Angers became the "Key to the Kingdom" ( Clé du Royaume ) facing still independent Brittany . In 1228, during Louis IX 's minority, Blanche of Castile decided to fortify

1508-587: The Departmental Council is Michel Menard, elected in July 2021. The capital of the administrative region is Rennes , although Nantes is considered the capital of historic Brittany and is located in Loire-Atlantique . The reunification of historic Brittany is supported by a majority of Loire-Atlantique and is considered a prerequisite to further autonomy of Brittany as a whole. The département operates

1560-596: The Logis Barrault, with her chaplain, Cardinal Richelieu . At the premature death of Louis XIII in 1643, his son Louis XIV was only an infant. France was troubled at this time by several famines and epidemics, and by political instability. In 1649, the people of Angers revolted against rising taxes, the start of the Fronde in Anjou . The Fronde was a nationwide military conflict opposing some aristocrats wanting more autonomy and

1612-621: The Maine. The walls were last reconstructed between 1230 and 1240, by order of King Louis IX . Today, portions of the wall are still visible in Rue Toussaint and on Boulevard Carnot, as are some towers, like the Tour Villebon and the Tour des Anglais . Before the first cadastre (1810), the city had not extended much beyond its medieval limits: on and around the castle promontory, with some dwellings on

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1664-653: The Royal forces loyal to Anne of Austria as Queen Mother and Regent, and her prime minister, Cardinal Mazarin . Royalist repression in Angers was narrowly averted by Bishop Henri Arnauld , who interceded with the Queen Mother. Arnauld, who would remain Bishop of Angers until 1692, was to leave a deep mark on the religious life of the city during the second half of the 17th century. In 1652, Henri Chabot , Duke of Rohan and governor of Anjou , decided to back Louis of Condé , leader of

1716-607: The Tour de France, ridden by Jacques Anquetil . Renault sponsored a professional team in the 1970s and, since it owned Micmo, the company behind Gitane, made Gitane the co-sponsor. Riders on Gitanes included Lucien Van Impe , Bernard Hinault , Laurent Fignon and Greg LeMond , all winners of the Tour de France. Gitane then sponsored the Système U team led by Laurent Fignon, RMO led by Charly Mottet , and Toshiba–Look led by Jean-François Bernard . Gitane sponsored mountain-bike teams in

1768-533: The borders of Brittany . However, the situation remained dangerous for Angers, and Charles the Bald created in 853 a wide buffer zone around Brittany comprising parts of Anjou , Touraine , Maine and Sées , which was ruled by Robert the Strong , a great-grandfather of Hugh Capet . In 870, the Viking chief Hastein seized Angers where he settled until a successful siege temporarily displaced him. He again took control of

1820-517: The city and to rebuild the castle. Later, during the 1350s and 1360s, the schools of Law, Medicine and Theology, renowned in Europe , were organized into a university. In 1373, Louis I of Naples and Anjou ordered the six tapestries illustrating the Apocalypse of St John known today as the Apocalypse Tapestry . King René of Anjou contributed to the economic revival in a city that had been diminished by

1872-494: The eastern bank of the Maine, where the former Juliomagus had been founded. The medieval city center was redeveloped and expanded from 1791. The Place du Ralliement , the main square, was then built in place of three churches destroyed during the French Revolution and, later, ring boulevards planted with trees replaced the city walls. The architectural style used is mainly Haussmanian , but there are also some Palladian , Art Nouveau or Art Deco buildings. After 1945 and

1924-669: The first botanical garden , dates back from the beginning of the 18th century. During the 19th century, others were built, for example the Faculty of Pharmacy garden and the Roseraie. The first recreational parks, for their part, were built during the Second French Empire . The étang Saint-Nicolas , made by a sluice on a small river, the Brionneau, was protected as early as 1936. The Jardin du Mail ( Mall Garden ), an esplanade situated outside

1976-466: The inhabitants to move to the highest point of their city and to build a wall around a small area of around 9 hectares (22 acres). Angers received its first bishop in 372 during the election of Martin of Tours . The first abbey, Saint-Aubin, was built during the 7th century to house the sarcophagus of Saint Albinius . Saint-Serge Abbey was founded by the Merovingian kings Clovis II and Theuderic III

2028-533: The key evokes the stronghold position of the city close to the Breton border. An acrostic from the Middle Ages calls it Antique clef de France , which means "Ancient key to France": Under Napoleon I 's rule, Angers was one of the "Bonnes villes" and was therefore allowed to ask for a new coat of arms. The bees, symbol of the First French Empire , then replaced the royal fleurs de lys. In 1949, Angers received

2080-471: The keys of the city. René, then 65 years old, did not want to lead a war against his nephew and surrendered his domains without a fight. Thus, Anjou ceased to be an appanage and fell into the Royal domain. After his death, René was buried in 1480 in Saint-Maurice cathedral . In 1551, Angers became the seat of a bailiwick and the presidial court of a jurisdiction, a position the city kept until 1790. At

2132-564: The modern one. It is successively mentioned as Andecava civitas (6th century), Andecavis (AD 769), Andegavis (861  -  882), Angieus (in 1127) and Angeus (in 1205). The form Angiers appeared during the 12th century and was later corrupted to "Angers". The Latin Andecavum also gave Anjou its name. This double formation is quite common in France and is also seen in Poitiers and Poitou , and Bourges and Berry . Angers

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2184-632: The north and south, where the river Maine arrives in and leaves Angers, the landscape is formed by islands, ponds and floodplains which are a haven for birds and a typical flora of the Val de Loire . The étang Saint-Nicolas and Lac de Maine , both artificial, are among the biggest green areas of the city. The commune of Angers is bordered by ten other communes which form various suburbs. These are, clockwise, Avrillé , Cantenay-Épinard , Écouflant , Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou , Trélazé , Les Ponts-de-Cé , Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire , Bouchemaine and Beaucouzé . 22 other communes situated farther form with them

2236-575: The other bank of the Maine in a neighbourhood called La Doutre . That part of the city developed quickly during the industrial revolution and became a big river port. Industry was encouraged by firms like Bessonneau (textile factories) and Cointreau (distillery). After 1850, many suburbs appeared around the train stations and the slate quarries to the south in Trélazé . Despite the port in La Doutre, demographic growth and urban extension were more significant on

2288-523: The ring boulevards, was built between 1820 and 1880 on the former Champs de Mars (Fields of Mars, a place where the garrisons used to train and parade). Another esplanade, the Mail François Mitterrand , was built in 1999 together with a garden inside the new Saint-Serge business district. During the 1960s the old gravel pits around the Maine were filled with water to form the Lac de Maine, which now hosts

2340-422: The river Maine . The Maine crosses Angers and heads south towards the Loire . The confluence of the three rivers and the proximity of the Loire make up a natural crossroads which favoured the foundation of the antique Juliomagus . Angers is located 91 km (57 mi) from Nantes , 124 km (77 mi) from Rennes , 132 km (82 mi) from Poitiers and 297 km (185 mi) from Paris . It

2392-645: The same time, with the growth of Protestantism in France, a Catholic was placed at the head of the city and its castle while the bourgeoisie formed a Catholic militia to protect Angers from the Huguenots . The bishop, Gabriel Bouvery , organized on his side an "Angevin League". When the news of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre reached Angers, another massacre took place in the city. The bodies of slain Protestants were thrown into

2444-698: The south of the département ( Pays de Retz ), the local language was Poitevin dialect . The Breton language , a Celtic language , native to Lower Brittany , was historically spoken in the western area of Loire-Atlantique, and up to 1920 in Batz-sur-Mer . This area ( Guérande , Le Croisic , and La Baule ) has a rather Breton toponymy : for instance, Guérande originates from the Breton Gwenn Rann (white or pure place). The folklore and musical traditions of eastern or Upper Brittany are generally similar to those of western or Lower Brittany. The president of

2496-520: The town in 873, before the Carolingian Emperor ousted him. Fulk I of Anjou , a Carolingian descendant, was the first viscount of Angers (before 898 until 929) and of Tours (898–909), and count of Nantes (909–919). Around 929, he took the title of count (earl) of Angers and founded the first Anjou dynasty, the House of Ingelger ( French: Ingelgeriens ). Angers subsequently formed the capital of

2548-406: Was an important stronghold in northwestern France. It was the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and became one of the intellectual centers of Europe during the reign of René of Anjou . Angers developed at the confluence of three rivers, the Mayenne , the Sarthe , and the Loir , all coming from the north and flowing south to the Loire . Their confluence, just north of Angers, creates the Maine ,

2600-438: Was known as Juliomagus Andecavorum ("Juliomagus of the Andecavi "), in reference to the principal Gallic tribe in and around the city. Around AD 400, the city came to be referred to as the civitas Andecavorum (" tribal capital of the Andecavi"). This was a common change in Gaul, also seen in the names of Paris , Tours and Évreux around this time. During the Middle Ages, the late Latin name gradually developed into

2652-447: Was then known as Juliomagus ( Ancient Greek : Ἰουλιόμαγος , Iouliómagos ), a name by which it also appears in the Tabula Peutingeriana . The name is a compound of the Latin name Julius (probably in reference to Julius Caesar ) and the Celtic magos , "market". Similar town dedications were common in Roman Gaul , and toponyms often kept a Gallic element. When the location needed to be distinguished from other Juliomagi, it

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2704-425: Was traditionally known as the "Black City" ( la Ville Noire ) because many roofs were built of slate , due to the quarry in neighbouring Trélazé . These have become less common since the development of the city in the 19th century. The city has also been known as: The coat of arms of Angers bears the French royal fleur de lys of the dukes of Anjou (the first duke was the son of the king of France, Jean II );

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