Céret

Subprefecture and commune in Occitanie, France

Céret
Subprefecture and commune
Céret seen from Fontfrède
Coat of arms
Céret Location within Occitanie region Céret
Coordinates: 42°29′21″N 2°45′08″E / 42.4892°N 2.7522°E / 42.4892; 2.7522Coordinates: 42°29′21″N 2°45′08″E / 42.4892°N 2.7522°E / 42.4892; 2.7522
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Pyrénées-Orientales
Arrondissement	Céret
Canton	Vallespir-Albères
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes du Vallespir
Government
• Mayor (2014-2020)	Alain Torrent
Area1	37.86 km2 (14.62 sq mi)
Population (2014)2	7,663
• Density	200/km2 (520/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	66049 /66400
Elevation	107–1,440 m (351–4,724 ft) (avg. 154 m or 505 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Céret (French: [seʁɛ]; Catalan: Ceret [səˈɾɛt]) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is the capital of the historic Catalan comarque of Vallespir.

Contents

• 
  1 Geography
  


• 
  2 Toponymy
  


• 
  3 History
  


• 
  4 Government and politics
  
  • 
    4.1 Mayors
    
  
  
  • 
    4.2 Twin towns
    
  
  


• 
  5 Population
  


• 
  6 Economy
  


• 
  7 Sites of interest
  


• 
  8 Culture
  
  • 
    8.1 Bulls
    
  
  
  • 
    8.2 Dances
    
  
  
  • 
    8.3 Market
    
  
  


• 
  9 Notable people
  
  • 
    9.1 Artists
    
  
  
  • 
    9.2 Other people
    
  
  


• 
  10 Gallery
  


• 
  11 See also
  


• 
  12 References
  


• 
  13 External links
  

Geography

The town lies in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, in southern France. It has an altitude of 175–1400 meters. It is located 7 km (4.3 mi) from the Autoroute A9, 200 km (120 mi) from Montpellier, 250 km (160 mi) from Toulouse and 180 km (110 mi) from Barcelona. It lies on the river Tech. The GR 10 footpath runs close by.

Céret is located in the canton of Vallespir-Albères and in the arrondissement of Céret.

Map of Céret and its surrounding communes

Toponymy

The name of the town in Catalan is Ceret.^[1]

Former known names of Céret are, in order of appearance, vicus Sirisidum in 814, vico Cereto in 866, villa Cerseto in 915, vigo Ceresido in 930, also Cered and Ceriteto in the 10th century, Ceret, Cericeto in the 11th and 12th centuries, Cirset around 1070, Cersed (one of the most common forms) in 1130 and Cerset in 1138, and from the 13th to 15th centuries Cereto, Ceret, Seret and Saret. Ceret becomes the most common form around the 16th century.^[2] · ^[3]

History

A plague epidemic hit Céret from 1651 to 1655 and killed about a hundred people. One of the doctors in charge, coming from Thuir, was fired for being repeatedly drunk and after having buried several sick people that were still alive.^[4]

Céret seen from the north

Government and politics

Mayors

Mayor	Term start	Term end
Onuphre Tarris	1919	1940
Henri Rey	1940	1941
Henri Mouchard	1941	1943
Jean Maler	1943	1944
Jacques Souquet	1944	1945
Gaston Cardonne	1945	1947
Henri Guitard	1947	1963
Marcel Parayre	1963	1964
Michel Sageloly Sr.	1964	1983
Henri Sicre	1983	1995
Michel Sageloly Jr.	1995	1996
Henri Sicre	1996	2001
Alain Torrent	2001

Twin towns

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Céret is twinned with:

• 
  Almonte, Spain
  


• 
  Banyoles, Spain
  


• 
  Lüchow, Germany^[5]

Population

Population change (See database)

1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1841	1846	1851	1856
1,754	2,181	2,517	2,692	3,251	3,313	3,519	3,586	3,488

1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896	1901
3,585	3,737	3,708	3,629	3,777	3,818	3,828	3,766	3,840

1906	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954	1962
3,841	3,921	4,472	4,918	5,052	5,118	5,148	5,091	5,421

1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2011	-	-
5,438	5,987	6,798	7,285	7,291	7,568	7,583	-	-

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006) · ^[6]

Population Over Time

0	1800   1820   1840   1860   1880   1900   1920   1940   1960   1980   2000
Sources - database Cassini of EHESS and Insee See database

Economy

The region around Céret is a major fruit producer, in particular famed for its cherries.

In France since the 1920s, the first cherries of the season always come in march from the region of Céret,^[7] where the local producers always send, as a tradition since 1932, the first crate of cherries to the French president of the Republic.^[8] In 1938, 45000 out of the 90000 cherry trees of Pyrénées-Orientales are in the canton of Céret. The 25000 cherry trees in Céret only then give 1250 tons of cherries each year.^[9] In the 1960s, the production of cherries in Céret rises up to 3000 tons, before being divided by 11 at the end of the 2000s.

Sites of interest

Official historical monuments

The Pont du Diable (Devil's Bridge) is a single arch stone bridge built between 1321 and 1341. With a single span of 45.45 m, it was at the time of its construction the world's largest arch bridge in terms of span length and remained so until 1356.^[4]

The church of Saint Peter is the main church in Céret and was built from the 11th to the 18th centuries.

The Château d'Aubiry is an Art Nouveau style château from the end of the 19th century built by rolling paper magnate Pierre Bardou-Job.

The War memorial was sculpted by Aristide Maillol and inaugurated in 1922.

Museums

Céret is famous for its Musée d'Art Moderne (Museum of Modern Art), which has numerous Picasso paintings, sculptures and ceramics, including the famous bullfighting bowl series. The museum also features paintings by Chagall, Matisse, Herbin, Soutine, lots of Fauves and a few Impressionists. The top floor of the Museum hosts touring exhibitions. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

The Museum of Musical Instruments, Céret opened in May 2013 and is hosting a unique collection of instruments and musical scores.

Culture

Bulls

Céret holds an annual festival for the corridas which run during three days. The first bullfighting with killing of the bull occurred in Céret in 1894 and has been a tradition ever since.^[10] This event is known as the feria. There are also bull runnings where young bulls (usually with their horns blunted) are run through the streets corralled by a group of horsemen and women. People wearing traditional white and blue (the Céret colors) outfits, chase from behind in an attempt to catch hold of the bull's tail and hold on for as long as they can. The feria is always held the weekend nearest to 14 July, Bastille Day and around 30 to 40,000 people participate in the streets each year.

Dances

Céret regularly holds communal dances, where local amateurs or professionals dance in a ring. The dance is known as the sardanes. No pre-arrangement is made on the dancers behalf, locals note the time and place on posters around the city and turn up as they wish. More formal arrangements are also made on other occasions.

Market

Céret has a market on Saturdays, where vendors sell mostly local produce, along with sausages, olives, cheese and wine. During the summer, there is also a market each Tuesday night that focuses on arts and crafts rather than produce.

Notable people

Artists

The Grand Café today

Céret has a continued tradition of being a home for artists, especially painters and poets. Pablo Picasso lived in Céret in the early part of the 20th century and Café Pablo in the town is dedicated to him. The Grand Café, still operating today, was a meeting place for many famous artists in the early part of the last century. Henri Matisse and Amedeo Modigliani, amongst other artists, visited at this time. Chaim Soutine, the Russian emigre painter, lived in Céret for a period and painted many landscapes of the village and its surrounds. Aristide Maillol, a famous sculptor born in the local village of Banyuls-sur-Mer, is represented by two public sculptures - one outside the visitors information centre and the other on the war memorial. Harold Weston, the American modernist, lived in a farmhouse above Céret from 1926 to 1929.

• 
  Pablo Picasso (resident 1911 - 1912)


• 
  Georges Braque (resident 1911 - 1912)


• 
  Georges Badin (1927-2014) : poet, painter and curator born in Céret.


• Aristide Maillol


• Chaim Soutine


• 
  Harold Weston (resident 1926-1929)

Other people

• 
  Louis Companyo (1781-1871), physician and naturalist.


• 
  François Jaubert de Passa (1785-1856) : engineer.


• 
  Déodat de Séverac (1871-1921) : composer, lived and died in Céret.


• 
  Edmond Brazès (1893-1980) : writer and poet both in Catalan and in French.


• 
  Martin Fourcade (1988-) : biathlete.

Gallery

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

See also

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Orientales department

References

• INSEE commune file

1. 
   ^ Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Université de Perpignan, Nomenclàtor toponímic de la Catalunya del Nord, Barcelona, 2007
   


2. 
   ^ Lluís Basseda, Toponymie historique de Catalunya Nord, t. 1, Prades, Revista Terra Nostra, 1990, 796 p.
   


3. 
   ^ Jean Sagnes (dir.), Le pays catalan, t. 2, Pau, Société nouvelle d'éditions régionales, 1985, 579-1133 p. (ISBN 2904610014)
   


4. 
   ^ ^ab Cárdenas, Fabricio (2014). 66 petites histoires du Pays Catalan [66 Little Stories of Catalan Country] (in French). Perpignan: Ultima Necat. ISBN 978-2-36771-006-8. OCLC 893847466. 
   
   


5. 
   ^ Céret - Lüchow : trente ans d'amitié Franco-Allemande, 28 August 2013
   


6. 
   ^ Census of population on 1 January 2006 on the site of Insee.
   


7. 
   ^ (in French) Fabricio Cardenas, Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, Premières cerises de Céret et d'ailleurs, 24 August 2014
   


8. 
   ^ (in French) Fabricio Cardenas, Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, Des cerises de Céret pour le président de la République en 1932, 1 June 2014
   


9. 
   ^ (in French) Fabricio Cardenas, Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, Culture du cerisier dans les Pyrénées-Orientales en 1938, 1st June 2015
   


10. 
    ^ (in French) Fabricio Cardenas, Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, Première corrida avec mise à mort à Céret en 1894, 11 July 2014
    

External links

• City Council website / Ceret tourist information office


• Information in Catalan Encyclopaedia


• Museum of Modern Art website


• Visite virtuelle de Céret à 360°


• 
  Media related to Céret at Wikimedia Commons

Places adjacent to Céret
Oms Vivès Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts Reynès Céret Maureillas-las-Illas Maçanet de Cabrenys (Spain)

v t e Communes of the Pyrénées-Orientales department

L'Albère Alénya Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda Les Angles Angoustrine-Villeneuve-des-Escaldes Ansignan Arboussols Argelès-sur-Mer Arles-sur-Tech Ayguatébia-Talau Bages Baho Baillestavy Baixas Banyuls-dels-Aspres Banyuls-sur-Mer Le Barcarès La Bastide Bélesta Bolquère Bompas Boule-d'Amont Bouleternère Le Boulou Bourg-Madame Brouilla La Cabanasse Cabestany Caixas Calce Calmeilles Camélas Campôme Campoussy Canaveilles Canet-en-Roussillon Canohès Caramany Casefabre Cases-de-Pène Cassagnes Casteil Castelnou Catllar Caudiès-de-Conflent Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes Cerbère Céret Claira Clara-Villerach Les Cluses Codalet Collioure Conat Corbère Corbère-les-Cabanes Corneilla-de-Conflent Corneilla-del-Vercol Corneilla-la-Rivière Corsavy Coustouges Dorres Égat Elne Enveitg Err Escaro Espira-de-Conflent Espira-de-l'Agly Estagel Estavar Estoher Eus Eyne Felluns Fenouillet Fillols Finestret Fontpédrouse Fontrabiouse Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via Formiguères Fosse Fourques Fuilla Glorianes Ille-sur-Têt Joch Jujols Lamanère Lansac Laroque-des-Albères Latour-Bas-Elne Latour-de-Carol Latour-de-France Lesquerde La Llagonne Llauro Llo Llupia Mantet Marquixanes Los Masos Matemale Maureillas-las-Illas Maury Millas Molitg-les-Bains Montalba-le-Château Montauriol Montbolo Montescot Montesquieu-des-Albères Montferrer Mont-Louis Montner Mosset Nahuja Néfiach Nohèdes Nyer Olette Oms Opoul-Périllos Oreilla Ortaffa Osséja Palau-de-Cerdagne Palau-del-Vidre Passa Perpignan Le Perthus Peyrestortes Pézilla-de-Conflent Pézilla-la-Rivière Pia Planès Planèzes Pollestres Ponteilla Porta Porté-Puymorens Port-Vendres Prades Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste Prats-de-Sournia Prugnanes Prunet-et-Belpuig Puyvalador Py Rabouillet Railleu Rasiguères Réal Reynès Ria-Sirach Rigarda Rivesaltes Rodès Sahorre Saillagouse Saint-André Saint-Arnac Saint-Cyprien Sainte-Colombe-de-la-Commanderie Sainte-Léocadie Sainte-Marie-la-Mer Saint-Estève Saint-Féliu-d'Amont Saint-Féliu-d'Avall Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines Saint-Hippolyte Saint-Jean-Lasseille Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque Saint-Marsal Saint-Martin-de-Fenouillet Saint-Michel-de-Llotes Saint-Nazaire Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet Saint-Pierre-dels-Forcats Saleilles Salses-le-Château Sansa Sauto Serdinya Serralongue Le Soler Sorède Souanyas Sournia Taillet Tarerach Targassonne Taulis Taurinya Tautavel Le Tech Terrats Théza Thuès-Entre-Valls Thuir Tordères Torreilles Toulouges Tresserre Trévillach Trilla Trouillas Ur Urbanya Valcebollère Valmanya Vernet-les-Bains Villefranche-de-Conflent Villelongue-de-la-Salanque Villelongue-dels-Monts Villemolaque Villeneuve-de-la-Raho Villeneuve-la-Rivière Vinça Vingrau Vira Vivès Le Vivier

Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP