Marciac

Marciac is a commune of the Gers department in the Midi-Pyrénées region. Administratively Marciac is allocated to the district Mirande and is the capital ( chef-lieu ) of the Canton of Marciac, which they gave the name.

Geography

The village with 1241 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) is located in Gascony on the river Boues. The medieval city was - as in the center is still clearly visible - designed as Bastide. North of the center is a medium-sized lake.

History

Marciac (, the property of Mr. Marcellus ') was a royal bastide in 1298 by the three gentlemen Étienne de Lupé, abbot of the monastery Case- Dieu, afterwards the Earl of Pardiac Arnaud -Guilhem III. and the Seneschal of Toulouse, Guichard de Marciac, founded. The latter was built by the city and gave it its name and the right to exercise jurisdiction, which was founded in 1300 by the French king Philip IV confirmed. Marciac was then surrounded by a wall and a moat. Eight towered over by towers, gates enabled and secured access. Thanks to the award of numerous freedoms to the citizens of the city of Marciac quickly began to prosper.

In 1569 Marciac was at the behest of the Huguenots Führes Gabriel de Lorges, Earl of Montgomery, occupied by Lieutenant Sérignac and only released for a ransom of 2,000 livres. In this warlike fact, the church was damaged.

Coat of arms

Blazon: Shared: five golden Fleurs -de- Lys grouped in the First on Azure as an oblique cross; during the Second Red on a silver double key.

Demographics

Attractions

• The layout of the town center as it is for cities that were founded as bastide, typical checkerboard pattern. The center is a large, rectangular square surrounded by arcades and stately homes. One of these houses has three floors and now serves as the town hall ( Mairie ) and a second - Maison Guichard called - as the Tourist Office.

• The church of Notre -Dame-de - Assumption ( Assumption) is a late Gothic building from the 15th century. The tower is a gateway ( clocher - porche ) with a square base and a tall, arrow-shaped helmet. The three-nave building with its pentagonal choir home late Romanesque sculptures from the 14th century.

• From the former Augustinian monastery today is only the octagonal tower of the 14th century and a façade with a portal. The cloister was dismantled in 1880, shipped to the United States and acquired in 1910 by industrialist and art dealer Henry Walters.

• The chapel Notre -Dame-de -la -Croix was once a place of pilgrimage. Today it is located in a beautiful park.

Events

Marciac Jazz Festival was thanks to his "Jazz in Marciac " ( JIM ) is known. It takes place since 1978 every year in the month of August and attracted 225,000 visitors in 2010 and visitors.

The theater L' Astrada replaced 2011, to become small, old Festhalle. It can accommodate 500 people and viewers and is operated throughout the year. In addition to use during the jazz festival for more cultural events of national broadcasting instead.