Simiane-Collongue

Simiane -Collongue is a commune with 5437 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Bouches -du -Rhône in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur.

Geography

The municipality is located fifteen kilometers south of Aix -en- Provence. Marseille is 25 miles away. Neighboring towns are Cabriès, Gardanne, Mimet and Bouc -Bel -Air.

Etymology

During the Revolution, the church Simiane- lès -Aix -et -Marseille said. Between 1791 and 1814 it was called Collongue and 1814-1919 Simiane before they finally received its current name.

History

Already 7000 years ago there was a settlement here. This makes the village is the oldest settlement in the department of Bouches -du -Rhône. The Romans put the area dry. Many Roman villas arose then. In the Middle Ages the villages Venel and Collongue frequently changed hands. 1727 several hundred people died of the plague. During the 19th century Simiane remained a small farming village. Two events mark the end of this period: From 1876, a council was elected, in 1877 the village was served by a railway line. Most residents continued to live from agriculture. In the hills, however, various rocks were used industrially. The proximity to the two major cities of Aix -en- Provence and Marseille often led to rural depopulation.

Culture and sights

• Romanesque chapel of Saint- Germain of the 11th century
• Saint-Pierre church from the 18th century
• Town Hall from the 18th century
• Saracen tower of the 13th century
• Archaeological Museum

Traffic

Near the entrance is to the A51.

Demography

Demographics

Age structure

28 percent of the population are 19 years old or younger. Six percent of the population 75 years of age or older. Thus, the average age is below the national average.