Couture-sur-Loir
| Couture-sur-Loir | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Manoir de la Possonnière, birthplace of Pierre de Ronsard | ||
| ||
  Couture-sur-Loir | ||
|
Location within Centre-Val de Loire region  Couture-sur-Loir | ||
| Coordinates: 47°45′16″N 0°41′19″E / 47.7544°N 0.6886°ECoordinates: 47°45′16″N 0°41′19″E / 47.7544°N 0.6886°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Centre-Val de Loire | |
| Department | Loir-et-Cher | |
| Arrondissement | Vendôme | |
| Canton | Montoire-sur-le-Loir | |
| Intercommunality | Pays de Ronsard | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2014–2020) | Monique Richard | |
| Area1 | 14.3 km2 (5.5 sq mi) | |
| Population (4013)2 | 411 | |
| • Density | 29/km2 (74/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 41070 / 41800 | |
| Elevation |
54–136 m (177–446 ft) (avg. 70 m or 230 ft) | |
|
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
.svg.png)
Couture-sur-Loir is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.
It is situated in the northwest of the Loir-et-Cher department, 33 km (21 mi) to the west of Vendôme. It lies mainly on the left bank of the Loir River.
Geography
Couture is in the canton of Montoire-sur-le-Loir, which corresponds to the historic Bas-Vendômois district.
Adjacent to the village centre (with a crossroad street pattern) or bourg are two parallel settlements, Le Poirier and more distinctly Le Pin.
Economy
The main industry (apart from farming and tourism) is gravel extraction; excavated areas have been adapted for water sports. A number of inhabitants are employed by the paper manufacturers at Bessé-sur-Braye (Sarthe).
History
It is first referred to as Villas culturas in a charter of the 9th-century bishop of Le Mans, Saint Aldric (earlier references are doubtless fictitious).
A partial source for the history of Couture in the later 17th century are the memoirs of Louis XIV's valet, Marie Dubois, who came from the village.
Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1793 | 825 | — |
| 1806 | 950 | +15.2% |
| 1821 | 878 | −7.6% |
| 1831 | 930 | +5.9% |
| 1841 | 909 | −2.3% |
| 1851 | 930 | +2.3% |
| 1861 | 906 | −2.6% |
| 1872 | 854 | −5.7% |
| 1881 | 836 | −2.1% |
| 1891 | 843 | +0.8% |
| 1901 | 782 | −7.2% |
| 1911 | 749 | −4.2% |
| 1921 | 681 | −9.1% |
| 1931 | 640 | −6.0% |
| 1946 | 720 | +12.5% |
| 1954 | 635 | −11.8% |
| 1962 | 618 | −2.7% |
| 1968 | 606 | −1.9% |
| 1975 | 535 | −11.7% |
| 1982 | 467 | −12.7% |
| 1990 | 450 | −3.6% |
| 1999 | 433 | −3.8% |
| 2008 | 425 | −1.8% |
| 2013 | 411 | −3.3% |
Sights
The housing reflects periods of prosperity and villégiature-type occupation in recent centuries.
Renowned for the Renaissance chateau of La Possonnière, birthplace of the poet Pierre de Ronsard, the village also possesses an Angevin-style church dedicated to Saints Gervase and Protase. The church contains the tombstone of Ronsard's parents and is known for its spire.
Personalities
Notable 20th-century inhabitants have included the Hallopeau and Sainte-Claire Deville families (noted scientists), the academic inspector Jean Pasquier and the Catholic historian François Lebrun.
See also
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Couture-sur-Loir. |
