Castres (Castras in Occitan) is a town and commune of Languedoc in south-western France. It is the capital of an arrondissement in the départment of Tarn, itself in the région of Midi-Pyrénées. Occitan, or lenga dòc, or languedoc, is a Romance language (or group of languages), spoken mainly in southern France. ... The commune (in French: commune, word appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, meaning a gathering of people sharing a common life, from Latin communis, things held in common) is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ... Coat of arms of the province of Languedoc, now being used as an official flag by the Midi-Pyrénees region as well as by the city of Toulouse Languedoc (Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc... The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. ... For other uses, see Tarn (disambiguation). ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... Capital Toulouse Land area¹ 45,348 km² Regional President Martin Malvy (PS) (since 1998) Population  - Jan. ...

With a population of 61,760 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 1999, Castres is the third-largest industrial centre of Midi-Pyrénées (a predominantly rural région) after Toulouse and Tarbes, and the largest industrial centre in the part of Languedoc between Toulouse and Montpellier. The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French (help· info), in local Toulouse accent (help· info)) (Occitan... Tarbes, Musée des Beaux-Arts Location within France Tarbes is a French city and commune, in the département of Hautes-Pyrénées, of which it is the préfecture. ... Location within France Montpellier (Occitan Montpelhièr) is a city in the south of France. ...

Castres is best known as the home of famous socialist leader Jean Jaurès, as well as for its major Goya Museum of Spanish paintings. The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... Jean Jaurès Jean Léon Jaurès—full name Auguste-Marie-Joseph-Jean-Léon Jaurès—(September 3, 1859 – July 31, 1914) was a French Socialist leader. ... Goya self-portrait. ...

Demographics

Population in 1831 was 12,032 inhabitants, and Castres was the largest town of Tarn. As it was one of the few industrial towns in the region of Albigeois (the old name of Tarn), it grew rapidly and population of the commune proper was 19,483 in 1901, and 34,126 in 1954 (44,161 inhabitants in the metropolitan area). However, with the decline of its industries, population growth diminished. Albi passed Castres as the most populous metropolitan area of Tarn. The population of Castres is now stagnating: after small growth in the 1970s and 1980s, it registered zero growth in the 1990s. At the 1999 census, population in the commune proper was 43,496 inhabitants, whereas the population of the metropolitan area of Castres was 61,760. For other uses, see Tarn (disambiguation). ... Albigensians ( French: Albigeois) are the inhabitants of Albi, France. ... The commune (in French: commune, word appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, meaning a gathering of people sharing a common life, from Latin communis, things held in common) is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ... In France an aire urbaine (literally: urban area) is roughly the equivalent of a US Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... Location within France Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albi Albi is a town and commune in southern France. ...

Geography

Castres is located at an altitude of 172 meters (564 ft) above sea level. It is located 45 km (29 miles) south-southeast of Albi, the préfecture (capital) of Tarn, and 79 km (49 miles) east of Toulouse, the capital of Midi-Pyrénées. Castres is intersected from north to south by the Agout River. Location within France Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albi Albi is a town and commune in southern France. ... In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a département. ... For other uses, see Tarn (disambiguation). ... The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French (help· info), in local Toulouse accent (help· info)) (Occitan... Capital Toulouse Land area¹ 45,348 km² Regional President Martin Malvy (PS) (since 1998) Population  - Jan. ...

Administration

Castres is the capital of an arrondissement in the Tarn départment, itself in the Midi-Pyrénées région. Between 1790 and 1797 Castres was the préfecture of Tarn. The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ... For other uses, see Tarn (disambiguation). ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. ... Capital Toulouse Land area¹ 45,348 km² Regional President Martin Malvy (PS) (since 1998) Population  - Jan. ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... For other uses, see Tarn (disambiguation). ...

Since 2001, the mayor of Castres is Pascal Bugis (right, member of UMP), who defeated the then socialist mayor in the 2001 election, after a campaign focused on the bad records of the socialist mayor on fighting crime, and the high level of insecurity in town. The Union for a Popular Movement, initially named the Union for a Presidential Majority, and in both cases also known by its French acronym UMP (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire and Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle, respectively) is a French center-right, conservative political party. ... The emblem of the French Socialist Party The Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste or PS), founded in 1969, is the main opposition party in France. ...

Castres has teamed up with the nearby town of Mazamet (22 km/13 miles southeast of Castres) and the independent suburbs and villages in between to create the Greater Castres-Mazamet Council (Communauté d'agglomération de Castres-Mazamet), which was born in January 2000 (succeeding a previous district which had been created in 1993 with less powers than the current council). The Greater Castres-Mazamet Council groups 16 independent communes (including Castres and Mazamet), with a total population of 79,988 inhabitants (as of 1999 census), 54% of these living in the commune of Castres proper, 13% in the commune of Mazamet, and the rest in the communes in between. Mazamet is a town and commune of southwestern France, in the Tarn département, 41 m. ... The commune (in French: commune, word appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, meaning a gathering of people sharing a common life, from Latin communis, things held in common) is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ...

The Greater Castres-Mazamet Council was created in order to better coordinate transport, infrastructure, housing, and economic policies between the communes of the area. Current president of the Greater Castres-Mazamet Council is Jacques Limouzy (Gaullist, member of UMP), former mayor of Castres before 1995, who became president in 2001. Charles de Gaulle, in his generals uniform Gaullism (from French Gaullisme) is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Charles de Gaulle. ...

History

The name of the town comes from Latin castrum, and means "fortified place". Castres grew up round the Benedictine abbey of Saint Benoît, which is believed to have been founded in AD 647, possibly on the site of an old Roman fort (castrum). Castres became an important stop on the international pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain because its abbey-church, built in the 9th century, was keeping the relics of Saint Vincent, the renowned martyr of Spain. It was a place of some importance as early as the 12th century, and ranked as the second town of the Albigeois behind Albi. Despite the decline of its abbey, which in 1074 came under the authority of Saint Victor abbey in Marseille, Castres was granted a liberal charter in the 12th century by the famous Trencavel family, viscounts of Albi. Resulting from the charter, Castres was ruled by a college of consuls. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... In the Roman Empire, a castra (the plural form of castrum, castri, a fortification) was a Roman military camp. ... A Benedictine is a person who follows the Rule of St Benedict. ... An abbey (from the Latin abbatia, which is derived from the Syriac abba, father), is a Christian monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serve as the spiritual father or mother of the community. ... Events The Cheomseongdae astronomical observatory is constructed in Silla around this time. ... St James the Moor Slayer. ... Some of the Roman Catholics relics are two thousand years old A view inside the shrine of Saint Boniface of Dokkum in the hermit-church of Warfhuizen. ... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for their convictions or religious faith, such as during the persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire. ... Albigensians ( French: Albigeois) are the inhabitants of Albi, France. ... Location within France Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albi Albi is a town and commune in southern France. ... City motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis. ... The Trencavel were an important noble family in Languedoc (in the southeast of modern-day France) during the 10th through 13th centuries. ...

During the Albigensian Crusade it surrendered of its own accord to Simon de Montfort, and thus entered into the kingdom of France in 1229. In 1317, Pope John XXII established the bishopric of Castres. In 1356, the town of Castres was raised to a countship by King John II of France. However, the town greatly suffered from the Black Plague in 1347-1348, then from the Black Prince of England and the Free Companies (bands of lawless mercenaries) who laid waste the country during the Hundred Years' War. Consequently, by the late 14th century Castres entered a period of sharp decline. In 1375, there were only 4,000 inhabitants left in town, only half the figure from a century before. Following the confiscation of the possessions of Jacques d'Armagnac, duke of Nemours, to which the countship of Castres had passed, it was bestowed in 1476 by King Louis XI on Boffille de Juge (Boffillo del Giudice), an Italian nobleman and adventurer serving as a diplomat for Louis XI, but the appointment led to so much disagreement (family feud between Boffille de Juge, his only daughter, and his brother-in-law) that the countship was united to the crown by King Francis I in 1519. The Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the religion practiced by the Cathars of Languedoc, which the Roman Catholic hierarchy considered heretical. ... Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester, also Simon IV de Montfort (1160 – June 25, 1218) was a French nobleman who took part in the Fourth Crusade (1202 - 1204) and was a prominent leader of the Albigensian Crusade. ... Events March 18 - Sixth Crusade of Emperor Frederick II ends in truce with Sultan al-Kamil and coronation of Frederick as King of Jerusalem. ... Pope John XXII, born Jacques Duèze or dEuse (1249 – December 4, 1334), was the son of a shoemaker in Cahors. ... John II the Good (French: Jean II le Bon) (April 16, 1319 – April 8, 1364), was King of France 1350–1364, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou and Maine 1332–1350, Count of Poitiers 1344–1350, and Duke of Guienne 1345–1350. ... This article concerns the epidemic of the mid-14th century. ... Edward the Black Prince - illustration from Cassells History of England circa 1902 Effigy on the Black Princes tomb in Canterbury Cathedral Edward, Prince of Wales, known as the Black Prince (June 15, 1330 - June 8, 1376) was the eldest son of King Edward III of England. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my [birth]right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked... A map of Europe in the 1430s, near the end of the Hundred Years War The Hundred Years War is the name modern historians have given to what was actually a series of related conflicts, fought over a 116-year period, between England and France, and later Burgundy; beginning in... Louis XI the Giver (French: Louis XI le Donner) (July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483), also informally nicknamed luniverselle aragne (old French for universal spider), was King of France (1461–1483). ... Boffille de Juge (d. ... Francis I (French: François Ier) (September 12, 1494 – July 31, 1547), called the Father and Restorer of Letters (French: le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres), was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547. ...

Around 1560, the majority of the population of Castres converted to Protestantism. In the wars of the latter part of the 16th century the inhabitants sided with the Protestant party, fortified the town, and established an independent republic. Castres was one of the largest Protestant strongholds in southern France, along with Montauban and La Rochelle. Henry of Navarre, leader of the Protestant party, who later became King Henry IV of France, stayed in Castres in 1585. The Protestants of Castres were brought to terms, however, by King Louis XIII in 1629, and Richelieu came himself to Castres to have its fortifications dismantled. Nonetheless, after these religious wars, the town, now in peace, enjoyed a period of rapid expansion. Business and traditional commercial activities revived, in particular fur and leather-dressing, tanning, and above all wool trade. Culture flourished anew, with the founding of the Academy of Castres in 1648. Castres was turned by the Catholic church into an active center of Counter-Reformation, with the establishments of several convents in town, and the building of a renowned bishop's palace by Mgr. Tubœuf, still the most famous monument in town today. A new cathedral was also built, after the destructions of the religious wars. Perhaps even more important, Castres was made the seat of the Chambre de l'Édit of the Parliament of Toulouse, a court of justice detached from the Parliament of Toulouse and in charge of dealing with the cases involving the Protestants of Languedoc, a measure of protection granted to them by the Edict of Nantes. This court attracted lots of business to Castres. In 1665, there were 7,000 inhabitants in Castres, 4,000 of whom Catholic, and 3,000 Protestant. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Montauban (Montalban in Occitan) is a town and commune of southwestern France, préfecture (capital) of the Tarn-et-Garonne département, 31 miles north of Toulouse. ... Location within France La Rochelle is a city or commune of western France, and a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean (population 76,584 in 1999). ... Henry IV (French: Henri IV; December 13, 1553–May 14, 1610), was the first of the Bourbon kings of France, reigning from 1589 until his death. ... Louis XIII (September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643), called the Just (French: le Juste), was King of France from 1610 to 1643. ... For other uses of Richelieu, see Richelieu (disambiguation). ... The Counter-Reformation or the Catholic Reformation was a strong reaffirmation of the doctrine and structure of the Catholic Church, climaxing at the Council of Trent, partly in reaction to the growth of Protestantism. ... The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French (help· info), in local Toulouse accent (help· info)) (Occitan... The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French (help· info), in local Toulouse accent (help· info)) (Occitan... Coat of arms of the province of Languedoc, now being used as an official flag by the Midi-Pyrénees region as well as by the city of Toulouse Languedoc (Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc... The Edict of Nantes was issued on April 13, 1598 by Henry IV of France to grant French Protestants (also known as Huguenots) substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. ...

In 1670 however, the Chambre de l'Édit was transferred to Castelnaudary, much to the discontent of even the catholic citizens of Castres, who lost a major source of business and revenue with the departure of the lawyers and the plaintiffs. The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes soon followed, and Castres suffered a lot when a great number of Protestants chose to go into exile. Then came the plague of 1720-1721 and the fire of 1724. Last but not least, Castres lost its liberal charter in 1758. In the 1760s, a few years after the famous Calas Affair in Toulouse, Castres made the headlines nationwide: Pierre-Paul Sirven and his wife, both Protestants, were wrongly accused of having murdered their daughter in order to prevent her from converting to Catholicism. Tried and sentenced to death in absentia on March 29, 1764, they were defended by Voltaire, and eventually exonerated in 1771. Canal du Midi in Castelnaudary Castelnaudary is a commune of the Aude département in southwestern France. ... The Edict of Fontainebleau (October 1685) was an edict issued by Louis XIV of France. ... Jean Calas (1698 - 1762) was a merchant living in Toulouse, France, famous for having been the victim of a biased trial due to his being a Protestant. ... The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French (help· info), in local Toulouse accent (help· info)) (Occitan... The last of Voltaires statues by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1781). ...

The outbreak of the French Revolution was generally welcomed in Castres, particularly among the local Protestant merchants and entrepreneurs, but the majority of the population remained moderate during the whole period. In 1793 for instance, Protestant pastor Alba La Source, Castres' representative at the Convention in Paris, opposed the deportation of "non-juror" Catholic priests to French Guiana, where death in the horrid jungle was certain (see Civil Constitution of the Clergy). "Non-juror" priests were by far the majority in the region of Castres. Accused of being a moderate, Alba La Source was guillotined in October 1793. Suspected of being lukewarm toward the revolution, Castres was duly chastised. The bishopric which had been established by Pope John XXII in 1317 was abolished, Castres later becoming part of the bishopric of Albi. Capital of the département of Tarn in 1790, the town was downgraded to capital of an arrondissement in 1797, Albi being made the capital of the département. The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period in the history of France. ... This article is about a legislative body and constitutional convention during the French Revolution. ... The law of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (Fr. ... The Maiden, an older Scottish design The guillotine is a device used for carrying out executions by decapitation. ... Pope John XXII, born Jacques Duèze or dEuse (1249 – December 4, 1334), was the son of a shoemaker in Cahors. ... Location within France Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albi Albi is a town and commune in southern France. ... For other uses, see Tarn (disambiguation). ... The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ...

Despite these setbacks, in the 19th century the economy of Castres developed greatly, and the town grew outside of its old medieval center. As early as 1815, the first mechanized wool mill was set up in town. Originally specialized in luxury cloth, the Castres textile industry then turned toward more ordinary types of cloth, whose markets were considerably larger. Around 1860, there were 50 wool mills in town, employing 3,000 people. In the end of the 19th century, mechanical engineering industries appeared beside the textile industry, which led to Castres becoming a major arsenal for the French army during the First World War. Castres was linked to the French railway network in 1865. At the end of the 19th century, Castres was the largest town in the département of Tarn, with 5,000 more inhabitants than Albi. Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 8 million Full list Military dead: 3 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 6 million Full... For other uses, see Tarn (disambiguation). ...

However, in the 20th century the town entered a new period of decline. Although Castres emerged from the two world wars unscathed, no military operations or combats taking place in southwest France, the local economy has been hard hit by change. Like so many towns and cities of Europe which had benefited most from the Industrial Revolution, Castres is experiencing a difficult restructuring of its industrial base. Textile has particularly suffered. Castres is also crippled by its geographical location, isolated in a dead end at the foot of the Massif Central mountains, away from the main exchange and transport routes. In 2004 Castres is still not connected to the motorway (freeway) network of France, the only town of that size in France not yet connected. Recent creation of the Greater Castres-Mazamet Council in 2000 is expected to deal with the transport problem, and to work on attracting new industries. The good fortune of Castres is to be located only 79 kilometers (49 miles) away from very dynamic Toulouse. The long promised motorway link with Toulouse is due to be completed soon, and Castres is hoping to benefit from its proximity with the big Occitan city. A Watt steam engine in Madrid. ... France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission. ... The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French (help· info), in local Toulouse accent (help· info)) (Occitan...

Economy

The principal industries are mechanical and electrical engineering, machine tools, wooden furniture, granite, textile, fur and leather-dressing, tanning, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and selective breeding of cows. This article treats electronics engineering as a subfield of electrical engineering, though this is not universally accepted. ... A machine tool is a powered mechanical device, typically used to fabricate metal components of machines by the selective removal of metal. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... It has been suggested that Textile manufacturing be merged into this article or section. ... A dogs fur usually consists of longer, stiffer, guard hairs—which can be straight, wiry, or wavy, and of various lengths, hiding a soft, short-haired undercoat. ... Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ... Tanning is the process of making leather from skin. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon is drug, and logos is science) is the study of how chemical substances interfere with living systems. ... Selective breeding in domesticated animals is the process of developing a cultivated breed over time. ...

Traditional and polluting industries such as textile, tanning, fur and leather-dressing, or chemicals, are in sharp decline. Fortunately for Castres, a multinational pharmaceutical group (Pierre Fabre Group) has emerged in Castres in the 1960s, and it has kept its headquarters and R&D division in the metropolitan area, helping to counter-balance the general decline in industry. Some now accuse its founder and president, Pierre Fabre, to be the real "master" of Castres, making and unmaking Castres' mayors at will. Pierre Fabre Group is a multinational pharmaceutical and cosmetics company based in Castres, France, near Toulouse. ...

Despite this isolated success, local industry is still undergoing painful restructuring at the moment.

Famous people

Castres is the hometown of famous socialist politician and newspaper publisher Jean Jaurès (1859-1914), who was murdered in Paris the day before the start of the First World War. The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... Jean Jaurès Jean Léon Jaurès—full name Auguste-Marie-Joseph-Jean-Léon Jaurès—(September 3, 1859 – July 31, 1914) was a French Socialist leader. ... The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ... Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 8 million Full list Military dead: 3 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 6 million Full...

World famous mathematician Pierre de Fermat died in Castres in 1665, while attending a session of the Chambre de l'Édit there. Pierre de Fermat Pierre de Fermat (August 17, 1601 – January 12, 1665) was a French lawyer at the Parlement of Toulouse, southern France, and a mathematician who is given credit for the development of modern calculus. ...

French writer Roger Peyrefitte was born into a wealthy family of Castres in 1907. He is best known for his book Les amitiés particulières (1944) (translated into English as Secret Friendships), in which he deals with his homosexual awakening as a young man. Roger Peyrefitte (August 17, 1907 – November 5, 2000) was a French diplomat and writer. ... Les amitiés particulières book cover Les amitiés particulières is a 1943 novel by French writer Roger Peyrefitte, probably his best known work today, which won the coveted prix Renaudot. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

Monuments and museums

Castres is intersected from north to south by the Agout River. The river is fringed by old houses the upper stories of which project over its waters.

The church of Saint Benoît, once the cathedral of Castres, and the most important of the churches of Castres today, dates only from the 17th and 18th centuries. The city hall occupies the former bishop's palace, designed in the 17th century by famous architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart (the architect of Versailles), and with gardens designed by Le Nôtre (the famous designer of the gardens in Versailles). The Romanesque tower beside it (tour Saint Benoît) is the only survival of the old Benedictine abbey. The town possesses some old mansions from the 16th and 17th century, of which the Hôtel de Nayrac, of the Renaissance, is of most interest. Jules Hardouin-Mansart, marble bust by Jean-Louis Lemoyne: a full-dress Baroque portrait bust demonstrates that the Kings architect is no mere craftsman Jules Hardouin-Mansart (Paris, April 16, 1646 – Marly, France, May 11, 1708) was a French architect whose work is generally considered to be the apex... Versailles: Louis Le Vau opened up the interior court to create the expansive entrance cour dhonneur, later copied all over Europe Monument of Louis XIV in the cour dhonneur The Château de Versailles —or simply Versailles— is a royal château, outside the gates of which the... Painting of André Le Nôtre by Carlo Maratti André Le Nôtre (March 12, 1613 - September 15, 1700) was a landscape architect and the gardener of King Louis XIV of France from 1645 to 1700. ... Versailles: Louis Le Vau opened up the interior court to create the expansive entrance cour dhonneur, later copied all over Europe Monument of Louis XIV in the cour dhonneur The Château de Versailles —or simply Versailles— is a royal château, outside the gates of which the... Romanesque St. ... In the traditional view, the Renaissance is understood as an historical age that was preceded by the Middle Ages and followed by the Reformation. ...

Castres possesses the renowned Goya Museum, created in 1840, which contains the largest collection of Spanish paintings in France: 28,000 visitors every year. A Jaurès Museum was also opened in 1954 in the house where Jean Jaurès was born in 1859: 10,000 visitors every year. This article is about Francisco Goya, a Spanish painter. ... Jean Jaurès Jean Léon Jaurès—full name Auguste-Marie-Joseph-Jean-Léon Jaurès—(September 3, 1859 – July 31, 1914) was a French Socialist leader. ...

Sports

Rugby (Rugby Union) is the main sport in Castres. The local team is Castres Olympique, which was three times champion of France (in 1949, 1950, and 1993). Castres Olympique is the property of local tycoon Pierre Fabre, founder and president of Pierre Fabre Group. Image from a test-match between Ireland and the New Zealand All Blacks. ... Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club currently competing in the top level of the French league system. ... Pierre Fabre Group is a multinational pharmaceutical and cosmetics company based in Castres, France, near Toulouse. ...

External links

• official website of the city hall of Castres - In French only
• official website of the Greater Castres-Mazamet Council - In French only
• Chamber of Commerce of Castres-Mazamet In French only
• Goya Museum - In English
• website of Castres Olympique rugby club - In French only
• Castres for visitors - In English