Rodez

Rodez ( Occitan Rodés ) is a commune with 23,794 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) in the Midi-Pyrénées region. It is the seat of administration ( préfecture ) of the Aveyron.

Geography

The southern French city is located between Toulouse and Lyon at 627 m altitude on the river Aveyron.

History

Rodez goes back to the Gallic settlement Segodunum, the capital of Rutener. In Roman times the city was called Ruthena civitas. He lay on the northern border of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis. Rodez is in the 4th century seat of a Catholic bishop.

Attractions

• The Notre -Dame Cathedral of Rodez is one of the small group of Gothic buildings in southern France. Construction began in 1277 with relatively late, and the construction lasted very long. The nave was only in the middle of the 16th century ready. The massive west side is quite different from the cathedrals of Chartres or Reims. The reason is that the Church was for construction outside the walls, and had therefore also serve to defend. Especially the bottom half of the western exterior front reveals the defensive character today. It also lacks the central portal; compensation is the upper part highlighted by a huge tracery windows and a Renaissance gable.

Look page is therefore the north facade, but which is also not comparable with northern French buildings. Inside, the cathedral is an innovation of Gothic architecture can be observed. Characteristic of a cathedral in the late Gothic period there that pillar and services are merged into undulating curves and the Kapitellzone is now only indicated by lines; it has thus developed a tendency to slurring of forms. The pillars should go through as vertical as possible, linear elements continuously from the base to the capital.

The wall elevation slurs in his turn the pillars with the wall. The triforium is framed rectangular as an isolated geometric element. Here, too, are late forms of Gothic, to a time when hardly a long time - namely since about 1490 - the Renaissance in France had taken hold.

• The Musée Fenaille shows, inter alia, Statuettes from prehistoric times

Traffic

• Rodez is connected via the N 88 to the A 75 motorway.

• The airport ( IATA code RDZ ) is located a few kilometers north- west of the city and is served by Ryanair, Air France and Hexair.

• Rodez has a railway station, the regional express trains (TER) is operated.

Education

Rodez has a branch of the University of Toulouse, where about 2,500 male and female students are enrolled. In addition, the local Chamber of Commerce (CCI - Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie ) has a training facility in operation.

Economy

The area is dominated by agriculture. The largest employer is the Robert Bosch SAS with about 1,800 workers, followed by the local hospital and a branch of the Lactalis dairy with around 300 employees.

Personalities

• Raymond Gayrard (* October 25, 1777 in Rodez, † May 4, 1858 in Paris), sculptor, medalist and engraver
• Emilie de Rodat (1787-1852), Catholic saint
• Anglès Auguste (1914-1983), Romance
• Pierre Soulages ( born 1919 ), painter and graphic artist
• Jean Rigal (* 1931), politician ( Parti Radical de Gauche )
• Michel Marre ( born 1946 ), musician
• Gaëtan Roussel (born 1972 ), musician
• Sabrina Viguier ( b. 1981 ), football player

Twinning

• Bamberg in Upper Franconia, in 2011 celebrated its 40th anniversary
• Pigüé, (Argentina )

Partner schools in

• Heusenstamm in Hesse
• Rodgau in Hesse
• Schmalkalden in Thuringia
• Bamberg in Upper Franconia

Climate

Climate of Rodez is determined in the winter of continental and in the summer of Mediterranean influences. In spite of the southern location, the mean annual temperature is comparatively low due to the location of 620 meters above the sea level. The annual sunshine duration of nearly 2200 hours, however, is high ..