Angers

Angers is a French city , Préfecture of the department of Maine-et-Loire in the area Pays of the Loire. Old capital of the Anjou, it owes its development and its historical political role with its position on the level of a hydrographic convergence point (the Maine, with a few kilometers of the the Loire).

It is the center of a community of agglomeration, Angers the Loire Métropole, of 283  000 inhabitants.

The town of Angers is also called several nicknames:

  • Athens of the West (date of XIXesiècle, because of its university, its universities and its cultural circles)
  • the city of the flowers (, with the Contest of the cities and flowered villages)
  • the black city (because of its slate roofs)
  • the green city (because of its industries of the plant and its very many parks).

Its inhabitants is called Angevins , in the past the Andégaves.

Geography

Angers , prefecture of Maine-et-Loire, is the old capital of the Anjou. The agglomeration angevine extends on the site from the the Loire Valley, classified with the world heritage of UNESCO. The city is located at the edge of the Maine, with a few kilometers of the the Loire (the point). Presence of an artificial lake called Maine Lake. Angers is the first horticultural pole of Europe (schools…)

Old port with strong river activity. Crossing point between Paris, the the Vendée and the Loire-Atlantique.

Strong presence of religious orders with missionaries sent around the world.

A modern identity with the construction of the new project of city is built adapted to the modern life while leaving one 19th rather middle-class century and rural culture. Economic difficulties in the field of the controlled electronics industries.

See also the articles on the districts of the city:

  • Baumette
  • Beautiful-Beille
  • Capuchins-Verneau
  • Downtown area of which Doutre
  • Two Cross-Built
  • Justice-Madeleine St Léonard
  • Fayette-Éblé
  • Lac of Maine
  • Monplaisir
  • the Rosery
  • St Jacques-Nazareth
  • Saint-Serge

Transport

Road infrastructures

  • highway Service road:

    • Autoroute A11 continues towards Mans, Paris and Nantes. Northern Skirting of the highway A11 in work (opening envisaged in August 2008).
    • Highway A87 towards Cholet and the Rock on Yon
    • Highway A85 towards Saumur and Turns

  • By-passs in roads expresses 2x2 ways:

    • Rocade Is (highway A87 in the past RN1160 and RN260)
    • Western Rocade (RD775 and RD106)
    • Southern Rocade in project (by 2015) which permetrait a complete skirting of the city connecting the district of the Baumette of Angers to the Ripe-Erigné town of .

  • Axis traversal:

    • the bank roads (RN23), road bond between the A11 section Angers Nantes and the A11 section Angers Paris, separate the city into two. The municipality has as a project to transform them into an urban boulevard as of the opening of the northern skirting of A11.

Crossing bridges Maine

The Maine is crossed to Angers by 7 bridges:
  • Bridge of Segré: Bridge of the old railway line of Angers with Segré
  • Viaduct of Maine: opening the August 31st 2008 within the framework of the Northern Skirting of the highway A11
  • Bridge Jean-Mill: built in September 1993 connecting the plate of the Capuchins to the district of Saint-Serge
  • Bridge of the High-Chain
  • Bridge of Verdun: It is the oldest passage from one bank to another. It connects the downtown area to the Doutre
  • Pont of the Low-Chain: built in 1960 close to the castle
  • Bridge of the Atlantic: used by (RN23 in direction of Nantes).
  • an eighth bridge will be born by 2010. Located between the CHU and multiplexes it Gaumont, it will be reserved the tram, bicycles and to pedestrians.

Public transport

Company of Bus COTRA serves its agglomeration and town suit. The network is composed of a score of lines.

In urban area and perish-urban

Network of heterogeneous, wide bus towards the periphery (29 communes).

  • Lines day laborers:

    • line 1: connecting the district of the Beautiful-Beille Rosery with (University of Angers)
    • line 2: connecting Eventard- Monplaisir to St Lézin- Trélazé
    • line 3: connecting Sown in April with Saint-Barthelemy-in Anjou
    • line 4: connecting the Private clinic of Anjou to Claverie
    • line 5A and 5B: fact it tower of the city while passing by the Downtown area, with like terminus Monplaisir
    • line 6: connecting the Saint-Sylvain-in Anjou with Bouchemaine
    • line 7: connecting the Z.I. Is with Pouillé
    • line 8: connecting Beaucouzé to the |Bridges of C - Ripe-Erigné
    • line 9: connecting Montreuil-Juigné to Jean Vilar
    • line 10: connecting Guillebotte-Sorges to Saint-Serge
    • line 15: connecting the face of Maine to Space Anjou
    • line 16: connecting the Holy-Gem-on-Loire to the Lake Maine

  • Lines of night:

    • line 11: connecting the district of the Rosery to the Lake Maine
    • line 12: connecting the district of Monplaisir to Beaumanoir
    • line 14: connecting Sown in April with Saint-Barthelemy-in Anjou

The Tramway connecting Avrillé (north of Angers) to the district of the Rosery (southern of Angers) is in the process of development (opening envisaged semi-2010).

At the departmental level , regional, national and European

  • the coach station is located Sémard place (just beside the Gare of Angers Saint-Laud). It profits from many connections in the agglomeration (by COTRA), in the department (by Anjoubus), in the area (coaches FOR THE THIRD TIME Pays-de-la-Loire) and in Europe (by Eurolines). The old coach station of the place Molière (hypercentre) was dismantled.

  • the Gare of Angers Saint-Laud is the main station of the city. The SNCF serves many destinations: Direct TGV de/pour Paris (in 1:30), Nantes (in 40 min), Lyon (in 3:45), Lille, Avignon, Marseilles, Corails interloire, FOR THE THIRD TIME towards Cholet (in 30 min), Saumur, Tours… the station are very well served by the networks of bus of COTRA (and soon by the tram). The station of Angers-Master-School sees only some trains stopping daily. It is located in the east of the city. The connections between the two stations angevines are not very frequent but very short (2 minutes) and good market.

  • the Aéroport of Angers-Marcé is located at 20 km in the North-East of Angers and at 70 km in south-west of Mans. It is very easily accessible thanks to its immediate proximity with exit 12 from the A11. It accommodates three weekly flights bound for Southampton.

soft Modes

  • Center not very wide pedestrian town, still many road commercial streets very , the arrival of the tram angevin will change the way of moving in the hyper-center.

  • cycle Network under development (83 kilometers currently), still missing continuity in the routes (Angers is member of the club of the cycle cities). The municipality set up the system VéloCité: the city lends free blue bicycles to those which live or work in Angers.

History of Angers

  • See also with " Anjou " whose history is closely related to that of Angers .

Heraldic

Currency

  • Antiquity: Assiuis conciliis (or consiliis)
  • Of 1434 with 1480 (reign of the King Rene, duke of Anjou): Of burning desire
  • In 1499: Ancient key of France
  • Since June 1987: Angers, quality

Administration

List successive mayors

See also: mayors of Angers

  • Angers receives its communal charter of Louis XI in February 1475. But the free exercise of the election of the mayor and the aldermen is obtained only in 1484, thanks to Charles VIII.

  • 174 mayors followed one another Angers since 1475.

List cantons

Angers is divided into 8 cantons :

Demography

As from 2005, it does not act any more a census but of estimate.

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Angers has a rather great center town. The commune of Angers rather vast and is very populated with close to: 153000 inhabitants. The urban Unit account: 283000 inhabitants and the urban Surface: 333000 inhabitants.

Economy

  • wholesale Trade

    • Spad, limited liability company Hasloiun (international Gpe)

Angers is the seat of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Angers. It manages the river port.

Health

Angers has a University hospital which has a little less than 1500 beds, nearly 800 doctors, more than 4500 hospital agents and nearly 300.000 various consultations (internal and external).

At the side of the CHU, two private clinics born of the regrouping of the various private clinics of the city:

  • Clinical of Anjou, the largest private clinic of the area Country of the Loire
  • Village Health Angers the Loire, located on the commune of Trélazé

Education

Primary education

Secondary education

List colleges

Alphabetically:

  • California - District St Jacques Nazareth (public)

  • Chevreul - District Center Town (public)
  • Claude-Debussy - Monplaisir District (public)
  • David of Angers - District Center Town (public)
  • Felix-Landreau - District Justices (public)
  • François-Rabelais - District Beautiful-Beille (public)
  • Immaculate Conception - District Orgemont Rosery (private)
  • Jean-Lurçat - Monplaisir District (public)
  • Jean-Mermoz - District Orgemont Rosery (public)
  • Jean-Monnet - District Lake Maine (public)
  • Jeanne d' Arc - District center town (private)
  • Jean-Vilar - District Rosery Orgemont (public)
  • the Bar-Jean XXIII - District Beautiful-Beille (public)
  • the Cathedral - District Center Town (private)
  • the Madeleine - District Madeleine St Léonard (private)
  • Mongazon - District Madeleine St Léonard (private)
  • Montaigne - District Two-Cross Built (public)
  • Saint-Augustin - District Madeleine St Léonard (private)
  • Saint-Charles - District Center Town (private)
  • Saint Martin's day - District Center Town (private)

List colleges

alphabetically:

  • College Auguste and Jean Renoir (public)

  • College Chevrollier - District the Rosery (public)
  • College David of Angers (public)
  • Emmanuel-Mounier College - Monplaisir District (public)
  • College Henri-Bergson - District Beautiful-Beille (public)
  • College Jean-Mill (public)
  • College Joachim-of-Bellay the - Center Town (public)
  • private College Jeanne-in Arc (private)
  • Saint-Agnes (private)
  • Sacred Heart - Center Town (private)
  • Saint Martin's day (private)
  • Saint-Serge (private)
  • Sainte-Marie (private)
  • Urbain-Mongazon (private)

Higher education and universities

The city accommodates each year more than 30.000 students out of its 4 campuses (Beautiful-Beille, Saint-Serge, Santé and Catholic University) and in its universities.

Culture

Arts of the live performance

The live performance articulates the cultural offer of the city and rate/rhythm its life within the framework of several popular demonstrations. Angers is the host of national structures and regional which are complementary and answer themselves in arts of the theater, the music and the dance.

The city accommodates several national scenes:

  • an national orchestra: ONPL - National orchestra of the Countries of the Loire, directed by Isaac Karabtchevsky, proposing one symphonic season in Angers and Nantes (the orchestra has its head office and logistics in Angers since its creation in 1971); the musicians are divided per half between the two cities.
  • a national dramatic Center: New theater of Angers (NTA), under the direction of Claude Yersin.
  • the choreographic National center of dance (CNDC), directed by Emmanuelle Huynh, uses the " Bodinier" studios; , street Bodinier in Angers, as well as the " Studios of Abattoirs" , boulevard of the Deanery in Angers.

These structures have missions of diffusions and artistic creations which result in the reception of international artists, the formation (the CNDC is also a national school) and the presentation of creations in France and abroad.

Other formations come to enrich and supplement the cultural offer angevine:

  • the Opera, Angers-Nantes Operated, which officiates in Angers with the Grand Theater.

  • a scene of the current musics Chabada .
  • a company of theater, circus and arts of the street: the Company OJ Bithume .
  • a company of expression, production and diffusion of the live performance: " Company Gaïa ".

The live performance in festivals

The Hang-Hearts

Since 1999, each year in September, the streets of Angers are the theater of very many free and convivial festivities within the framework of the Hang-Hearts . The festival of the Hang-Hearts is under the artistic director of the Compagnie OJ Bithume which takes an active part, with its 35 actors, with the spectacles.

In 2006, more: 170000 people attended spectacles of street (theater, circus, music, dance…) given by troops of various nationalities and even cinema in the open air. The spectacles presented, of day like night, are connected on several occasions over four days and go from the setting in scene minimalist to productions important in the open air and accessible to some: 10000 people.

The success of this popular festival also rests on the active participation of the inhabitants of Angers and the public.

Gypsy Swing Festival

Since 1992, Gypsy Swing Festival accommodates the best musical formations roms, Tziganes and manouches. This type of festival being developed little, the stage angevine is now recognized in France and Europe on the road of the musics of the travelling entertainers.

Turn of scenes

This musical festival, organized each year since 1998 during May, was born from a collaboration from the mission youth from the town of Angers and Musica association. It attempts to promote the emergent artistic practices.

The Festival of Anjou

In June and in July, the Festival of Anjou proposes in Angers and in the department of the representations of more than one about fifteen parts of which many creations, in the most beautiful historic sites of Maine-et-Loire: (the castle of the Plessis-Macé, the cloister of Ronceray in Angers and Arenas of Gifted-the-Fountain). Important theatrical event in the area, it gathers on average: 23000 spectators, which locates it at the second national rank of the festivals of theater after that of Avignon. The festival of Angers, become festival of Anjou, begins with Rene Rabault in 1950 - 1951, before being officially created in 1952. Its artistic director is currently ensured by Nicolas Briançon.

See also: Festival of Anjou

International festival of the scoop and journalism

Each year in November proceeds the international festival of Scoop and Journalism. Sequences current events, exposures of photographs, testimonys, debates… this great appointment dedicated to the craftsmen of information never forgets to slice in the national topicality and international.

Around the cinema

Two festivals dedicated to the cinema are proposed in Angevins:

  • the festival Foregrounds is an annual demonstration, opened with all the young European realizers who wish to present their first film to it. For more than 15 years, each year, the first 60 films have contributed under the presidency and the sponsorship of great names of the cinema (Theo Angelopoulos, Bertrand Tavernier, Agnès Varda, Gerard Depardieu, Jeanne Moreau…), it makes it possible to approach and reveal the realizers of tomorrow. The festival made it possible to discover, inter alia, Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit), Danny Boyle (Petits murder between friends), Xavier Beauvois…

  • the festival Cinémas of Africa takes place once every two years and offers a selection long and court-measurings turned on the African continent.

The whole of the cinemas of the place of Angers take part in the demonstrations. One multiplexes Gaumont (12 rooms, 2250 places) opened in center town, shouldering another cinema (Gaumont him also) " screens larges" of 1580 places also located in the middle of the city. These two structures diffuse films general public. At their side, the cinema of the 400 blows is one of the cultural lungs of the city. Like all the cinemas of art and test of France, he proposes eclectic film programming in original version, retrospectives, films public young person, meetings with the realizers… He has from now on 7 rooms renovated for a little more than 800 places.

Places of history and culture

The city preserves many buildings, private mansions and districts whose construction goes back to several centuries. The museums found residence in these privileged places.

  • the House of Adam, located in full heart of the city, just behind the cathedral, is one of superb architectural testimonys of the moyenâgeux inheritance existing still nowadays. The house of Adam accommodates the house of the craftsmen today.

  • the Museum Jean Lurçat and of the contemporary tapestry is located under the vaults of old the medieval hospital Midsummer's Day. The Song of the world , masterpiece of Jean Lurçat, together of nine eighty meters length tapestries on four top is exposed there. Although Lurçat does not have any direct link with the town of Angers, Mrs Lurçat chose to expose works of sound united to it to echo the greatest whole of medieval tapestries known to date: the Tapestry of the Apocalypse.

  • the Castle of Angers, built by holy Louis about 1230, is a drawn up fortress of seventeen turns overhanging the Maine. It shelters in its center the Tapisserie of the Apocalypse, ordered by Louis I {{er}} of Anjou to Jean of Bruges and with Nicolas Bataille at the end of the 14th century.

  • the Home Barrault, together architectural of which certain parts date from the 15th century, was entirely renovated between 2000 and 2005. It lodges the Musée of the Art schools of Angers where paintings (14th century at our days) and sculptures are exposed. The museum is especially recognized for its funds 18th gathering works of Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Van Loo, Watteau, Fragonard, Chardin…

  • the Home Gripped which accommodates the museum of the same name, is a remarkable building rebirth, in full center town of Angers. It is there a whole of antiquities Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan as well as Japanese and Chinese art.

  • the Gallery David of Angers is located in the Abbaye All Saints' day of Angers of the 13th century renovated. The roof of the building derogates from the tradition angevine of the roof in Ardoise. It is entirely of glass and shelters sculptures, pediments and portraits in bust worked by the artist.

  • the Tour Saint-Aubin is a central point of the town of Angers, with some steps of the cathedral. This fifty four height meters building, completed in 1170, is the place of temporary exhibitions of works of contemporary artists.

  • many other places are the framework of temporary exhibitions throughout the year: the abbey of Ronceray in Doutre, the Chemellier room, the living rooms Curnonsky, the town hall of Angers…

  • Also with the doors of Angers, the Museum European of the Communication located in the castle of Pignerolle property of the urban community Angers the Loire Metropolis.

  • Finally located apart from the city, but dependant on it, the superb one and enthralling Regional Museum of the Air of Angers-Marcé, which presents, just beside the Aéroport of Angers-Marcé an important collection of biplanes and old planes (in particular that of Rene Gasnier). Public restoration the beautiful ones and ancient machines given in operating condition by the whole of voluntary of association.

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Important sports associations

Some other important associations:

  • VAT Badminton Angers Club

  • A.C. Beautiful-Beille Tennis (acbbtennis)
  • Angers Budo Gymnastic (ABK) Karate
  • Angers (Gymnastic Angers)
  • Angers Tennis Club ATC
  • Nautical Angers Association Oar (Oar)
  • Sports association of Gliding (ASVV Angers)
  • Association S.W.I.C.A. (Wind Surfing Inter Angers Club) (Board with veil)
  • Canoe Kayak Club of Angers (CKCA)
  • sporting Club Jean-Bouin Angers (Athletics)
  • School of Veil NDC
  • Valiant Omnisport Angers
  • Olympic Handball of co. Gems/the Loire
  • NDC Angers (fencing)
  • Holidays Leisures Sports Adventures (motor bike any ground and quad)
  • Sporting Club Beaucouzé (Football) parainné by Julien Macé

Some key figures of the sport in Angers

Some figures of sporting infrastructures:

  • 43 football fields (of which the stage Jean Bouin: 17.500 places), 4 grounds of Rugby, 2 grounds of hockey, 10 tracks of athletics,

  • 20 big rooms (of which the room Jean Bouin: 3500 places), 43 specific rooms (including 1 with a wall of climbing),
  • 63 courts of tennis and 6 swimming pools including two with Olympic basin
  • 1 municipal center of sporting shooting, 1 shooting range to the arc,
  • 1 cycle-racing track of outdoor, 2 bowling pitches,
  • 1 regional center of judo, 1 regional center of canoe-kayak, 1 base of oar.
  • 1 municipal skating rink
  • 1 room of fencing (10 tracks)

Famous characters and personalities born in Angers

(For the personalities which was not born in Angers but in Anjou, to see with Anjou)

Musical groups angevins

Folk groups angevins

  • Association of the Friends of the Folklore and the Speeches of Anjou: 21 rue Haute de Reculée - 49100 Angers.
  • Association " Plantagenêts Companions of Marc Leclerc" , located a long time in the buildings of the Tourist office of Angers, since 2001, association is located at 3 rue André Gide, the Bridges of C.
  • Breeze of Anjou: Manpower in activity: 17 musicians and 24 dancers, association established with Angers-Sown in April, 16 rue Maridor Avrillé.
  • Queniaux of Anjou: 39 rue de la Tour Landry, 49000 Angers.

Tourist monuments and places

  • Castle of the King Rene (larger strong castle of France): This strong castle of the 13th century built on a schist headland slater dominates the Maine. It is associated with the company of general fortification of the city, also including/understanding a vast enclosure of which it constitutes the principal bastion. The built massive ramparts of 1230 with 1240 on the initiative of Saint Louis have a circumference of almost one kilometer length and are flanked of 17 turns. In the enclosure of the castle are built, at the 15th century, of the buildings of approval (the vault Holy-Genevieve, Châtelet). The castle shelters since the beginning of the years 1950 the Tapisserie of the Apocalypse, work woven of more than 140 m length in the beginning, ordered at the 14th century by Louis I {{er}} of Anjou to the famous liquid manure Nicolas Bataille (1330-1405) according to the paperboards of the Flemish painter Hennequin of Bruges. Hanging which represents the prophecy of Jean Saint.

  • Museum of the Art schools of Angers: After 5 years of work, the museum of the Art schools of Angers with reopened in 2004, and, in addition to an extremely interesting permanent collection, proposes temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists of world famous.

  • Museum Jean Lurçat: In the old hospital Midsummer's Day (12th century) is presented the " Song of the world " (1957-1966). Together of ten tapestries of the contemporary artist Jean Lurçat (1892 - 1966). It expresses its vision of the world there after the atomic bomb of Hiroshima.

  • Cathedral Saint-Maurice and other religious buildings

  • the Holy Sepulchre of Angers: Angers has one of the two counterparts of the the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. A cultural activity(AP) takes place there at the time of Easter.

  • the blue House , boulevard Foch (1927): chief of work of the Art déco by the architect angevin Roger Jusserand and the mosaïste Isidore Odorico

The city has the label Ville of Art and History.

Parks and gardens

Angers is a flowered city having obtained four flowers with the Concours of the cities and flowered villages with the prize list 2006.

One counts today more than 16.000 trees of alignment along the streets of Angers, against 9000 in 1980. A rewarded effort, in 2000, by the “National Price of the Tree”.

  • the project Terra Botanica or Park of the plant will be a park with topics directed towards the universe of the plant, the biodiversity and the use of the plants, located on the communes of Angers and Avrillé.

  • the Arboretum Gaston-Allard,
  • the island Saint-Aubin
  • the Botanical garden of Angers
  • the Botanical garden of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Angers
  • the Garden of the email
  • the Garden François-Mitterrand
  • Gardens of the Castle of Angers
  • the Park Balzac
  • the Park of $the Hague
  • the Park of the Maine Lake
  • the Parks Saint Nicolas
  • the Rosery of Angers

Photographs of Angers

Appendices

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