Fougères
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| Commune of Fougères | |
| Location | |
| Longitude | 01° 11' 55" W |
| Latitude | 48° 21' 09" N |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Bretagne |
| Department | Ille-et-Vilaine |
| Arrondissement | Fougères |
| Canton | Chief town of 2 cantons
Canton of Fougères-Nord Canton of Fougères-Sud |
| Intercommunality | Fougères Communauté |
| Mayor | Jacques Faucheux (2001) |
| Statistics | |
| Altitude | 62 m–171 m (avg. 97 m) |
| Land area¹ | 10.47 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
21,779 |
| - Density (1999) | 2,080/km² |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 35115/ 35300 |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| ² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel). | |
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Fougères (Felger in Breton, Foujerr in Gallo)is a town, a commune and a sous-préfecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine département in France.
Contents |
[edit] Sights
Fougères' major monument is a medieval stronghold built atop a granite ledge, which was part of the ultimately unsuccessful defence system of the Duchy of Brittany against French aggression. Fougeres also has one of only three Belfries in Brittany. Its location serves as the center of the weekend market. Fougères is a town of Art and History.
[edit] Economy
There used to be an important shoemaking industry which is now extinct. There was also an important glass making industry.
During the Middle Ages, salt was heavily taxed and was imported from the Breton regions to the rest of France. Fougeres was made a stronghold for "salt smugglers," who would creep along the wall of the city with confiscated salt, to sell in other regions. There is a communal garden in modern Fougeres that commemorates this interesting and little known fact.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Fougères was the birthplace of Georges Franju (1912-1987), filmmaker.
[edit] External links
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