Sète - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

Sète (in Occitan Seta ) is a common French, located in the department of the Herault and the area Languedoc-Roussillon. Its inhabitants is called Sétois.

Called " the Island singulière" , Sète is a city with share, having a strong cultural identity, with its traditions, its kitchen, its jargon. Town of artists like Paul Valéry, Georges Brassens, Manitas de Plata, Jean Vilar, the brothers Di Rosa, it oscillates inlassablement between tradition and avant-garde.

Until 1927, Sète changed name on several occasions. This name finds its origin in the form which has the Mount St-Clearly seen of the neighborhood cities. Making think of a whale overhanging the sea, one decided to call the site " Cette" in reference to the Cetacea. De Seta with the Middle Ages, the city became Ceta and Cetia at the 16th century, then Montmorencette with the construction of a fort éponyme on the mount by the duke of Montmorency. In 1666, under the reign of Louis XIV, begins the construction of the port and one generally spells Sète, but also Sette and This.

At the beginning of the 18th century, This becomes the official writing, which however does not prevent the authors from using different orthographies. The October 23rd 1793, the municipal council decides that This “ambiguity the pronoun” and that the city will be called Sète. But a few years later, This reappears, and this until in 1927. The August 27th of this same year, the municipal council, chaired by the mayor of the time, Honore Euzet, is based on the advanced arguments in 1793 to request the name change near the public authorities. A satisfied request by a decree on January 20th 1928.

Geography

Fishing port and chief town of canton, bathed by the Mediterranean and the pond of Thau. Until 1927, the orthography of its name was “ This ”. Georges Brassens evokes this name change in its song Jeanne Martin .

Étymologiquement, the name “This” would have the same origin as that of “Ceuta” (Spanish city, wedged on the Moroccan territory), i.e. “Cétacé”, the shape of the mountain of This sight of the sea evoking with the eyes of the sailors a whale. This interpretation is to be taken with precaution insofar as the name of the place existed before at the 16th century the term Cetacea appears, which is French. According to another assumption, the word This (or Sette) would come from the term pre Indo-European Set which indicates a mountain.

Sète is called “the singular island” or “the blue island”.

Communal territory

The territory of the commune of Sète can be divided as follows:

the pond of Thau.
the offshore bar between Sète and Marseillan with its long beach, a trunk road and the railway Montpellier - Béziers, as well as a wine field.
the singular island in itself: the Mount Saint-Clearly. In against-low in the east, the town of origin. In north, in the west and on the slopes of the mount, the residential districts recent.
in the east of the city extends harbor spaces from pleasure, of voyage and industrialist.
particular relation with the channel of midday by the pond of Thau (known as channel of the two seas) by Marseillan (Toulouse Bordeaux), as well as the connection by the channel of the Rhone the Mediterranean pond of Thau/Frontignan Acute dead.

History

the name appears in the past at

Ptolémée (Geography II.10.2.): Σήτιον όρος
Avienus (Ora maritima): Setius… Mons
the cartulaire of Aniane: fiscum. .qui nuncupatur Sita

July 29th, 1666 : Official installation of the first stone of the mole Saint Louis.
1684 : Visit port by Vauban.
1703 : Dedication of the church Saint Louis.
24 July 29th, 1710 : And taken of Sète by the Britanniques, quickly driven out by the Duc of Noailles
Fin at the end of 1710-1711 attacks: Construction of strong the Saint Pierre and Ridges Round.
1724 : Purchase of the town hall.
1744 : Construction of the Richelieu citadel and the tower of Castellas.
November 1807 - September 1808 : British attempts to set fire to the city.
May 21st, 1821 : First stone of the mole (finished in 1869)
June 9th, 1839 : Opening of the railway line Montpellier - This.
May 6th, 1872 : Foundation of the Chamber of commerce.
1882-1888 : Great work in the port.
1895 : Inauguration of the college of boys, future college Paul Valéry
1901 : Installation of a network of electric trams
January 20th, 1928 : The city of This takes the name of Sète.
1934 : Football club of Sète gains the Championnat and the Coupe de France of football, first French club to realize doubled.
November 12th, 1942 : Occupation of the city by the German Armed .
June 25th, 1944 : Bombardment of Sète (marshalling yard), Balaruc (Oil refineries) and Frontignan (oil refineries) by the 15th USAAF.
August 20th, 1944 : Release of the city.
1960 : Creation of the Theater of the sea.
1962 : Inauguration of the technical school Joliot Curie.
1966-1978 : Important work in the port.
1970 : Inauguration of the museum Paul Valéry.
1981-1984 : Construction of a new hospital
2003 : Presentation of a project intended to be developed economically and démographiquement the city, while preserving its environment.
2004 : the municipality launch the protection plan of the beach of the Lido: the littoral is protected from erosion and the beach is increased
2005 : Beginning of work of a new district: " Villeroy"
January 1st, 2007 : The Languedoc area - Roussillon ensures the management of the port of Sète
2007 : The mayor François Commeinhes announces the construction of two new districts including one " ludique" with room of bowling and cinema multiplexes and the other " écologique" behind the Villeroy district.

Patron saint of the city

In 1703, at the time of the dedication of the church Saint-Louis , Louis IX, patron saint of the port, becomes also patron saint of the city. Since, Sète pays homage to him each year, the August 25th, except period of conflict.

Administration

The commune of Sète is divided into two cantons:

the Canton of Sète-1
the Canton of Sète-2

Demography

Economy

The Languedoc-Roussillon Area is owner of the harbor installations since January 1st, 2007. It ensures, for this reason, the functions of harbor authority and conceding authority.

Sète is a port commercial to the 11th rank of the French ports with 3,6 million tons treated in 2005. It has also an important traffic of ferries with the countries of North Africa.

The port of Sète is also the first fishing port French in the Mediterranean (at the national level, it is Boulogne-sur-Mer)

Sète is also an important platform of wine import-export.

The Chamber of commerce and of industry of Sète - Frontignan - Mèze, chaired by Michel Mateu manages, currently, the commercial port, the fishing port and the marina of the city. But to the end of the year 2007, the 3 concessions fall due and the Languedoc-Roussillon Area should start again a new public service delegation.

Higher education

the IUT of Montpellier (University Montpellier 2) has an antenna on Sète as well as a station of marine biology.

Places and monuments

Sète is a very tourist city, in particular during the summer period. The Tourist office of Sète forms part, since 2006, of " ranked establishments; 4 étoiles".

Church décanale Saint-Louis
Theater of the Sea (strong Saint-Pierre)
Molière Theater - National scene of Sète and of the Basin of Thau
the royal Channel
the mount Saint-Clearly
white Stones

the Marine Cemetery
Space Brassens
the Museum Paul Valéry
the International Museum of Modest Arts
the Regional center of Contemporary art

Personalities related to the commune (alphabetically)

Eve Angeli, Singer.
Georges Brassens, Singer and lyric writer.
Robert Combas, painter.
Herve Di Rosa, painter.
Richard Di Rosa, sculptor.
Etienne-Louis Arthur Hand lantern, doctor.
Marcel Jeanjean, Illustrator
Bobby Lapointe, chansonnier.
Georges Moureaux, footballer and captain emblematic of the F.C.Sète, godfather of the group of supporters extremists: BRIGATA VERDE BIANCA since 2003.
Manitas de Plata, Guitarist, Singer and Musician
Pons of Herault, revolutionist, administrator of the mines of the isle of Elba when Napoleon i unloads there. He left a famous account of the reign inhabitant of Elba of the Emperor.
Yves Rouquette, Novelist Occitan.
Marius Roustan, politician, minister, senator.
Pierre Soulages, painter.
Roger Thérond, Journalist, Collector of Photographs, former director of the drafting of Paris Match.
Pierre-Jean Vaillard, Chansonnier.
Paul Valéry, writer
Agnes Varda, Scenario writer author in 1955 of the film the Short Point (one of the typical districts of Sète)
Jean Vilar, man of theater, creator of the Festival of Avignon.
Steward J.M, radio operator and producing Organizer of various sponsored emissions FM to success, with Antoine de Caunes (canal+), Alain Chabat (Canal+), Laurent Blowtorch (rock'n'roll & Folck), Philippe Operates (M6 and Canal Jimmy).