Les Ponts-de-Cé

Les Ponts-de-Cé
Les Ponts-de-Cé
Location within Pays de la Loire region  Les Ponts-de-Cé
Coordinates: 47°25′31″N 0°31′27″W / 47.4253°N 0.5242°WCoordinates: 47°25′31″N 0°31′27″W / 47.4253°N 0.5242°W
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Maine-et-Loire
Arrondissement	Angers
Canton	Les Ponts-de-Cé
Intercommunality	Angers Loire Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Pierre-André Ferrand
Area^1	19.55 km^2 (7.55 sq mi)
Population (1999)^2	12,038
• Density	620/km^2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	49246 / 49130
Elevation	15–36 m (49–118 ft) (avg. 26 m or 85 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.

Les Ponts-de-Cé is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.

Les Ponts-de-Cé is in the suburbs of Angers.

History

In September 1432, during the Hundred Years' War, the routiers of Rodrigo de Villandrando, in the pay of Georges de la Trémoille, held Les Ponts-de-Cé against the assaults of Jean de Bueil.

In August 1620, a battle in Les Ponts-de-Cé definitely ended a civil war, waged by Marie de Médicis. Her troops were defeated by her son, the French King Louis XIII.

This short rebellion, subdued easily by the King's troops, is known in France under the name of "Drôlerie des Ponts-de-Cé" (Les Ponts-de-Cé's joke).

Names

In the past, Les Ponts-de-Cé had known many different names, which are :

• Castro-Seio (889)
• Pon Sigei (1009)
• In Saiaco (1036)
• Saiacus (1090)
• Seium (1104)
• Pons Sagei (1115)
• Pons Sagii (1148)
• Pons Saeii (1291)
• Le Pont de Sae (1293)
• Les Ponts de See (1529)

All these names contain the Celtic root sea, which has the same meaning as in English.

Indeed, the city has the characteristic of being spanned by many bridges which connect the various zones and roads of the city between them. This is also why the French meaning could be translated by "Cé's bridges".

See also

• Communes of the Maine-et-Loire department