Barran
Encyclopedia
Barran is a commune
in the Gers
department in southwestern France
.
It is located on the river Baïse
15 km (9.3 mi) from the capital of the Gers department, Auch
.
Barran is a typical example of a bastide, those villages that were erected in Gascony
in the late Middle Ages
. It was founded by the end of the 13th century. It is well known in the region for the very unusual helical shape of the tower of its church. Not in the village itself but still on the territory of the commune (the third largest of the department in surface area) are several interesting places, like the castle of Mazères, which was the summer residency of the bishop
s of Auch and then a military hospital during World War I
. Close to the castle is the bridge of Mazères, which was built around the 16th century over the river Baïse
. In the 19th century Barran was famous for its snails, from which special gums were made to prevent people from coughing.
The proximity of Auch
, the chef-lieu (capital) of the department, and Toulouse
, the regional capital, which is only 100 km (62.1 mi) to the east, as well as the current migration trend toward Southern Europe, should boost the further development of Barran.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Gers
Gers
The Gers is a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France named after the Gers River.Inhabitants are called les Gersois or Gersoises.-History:...
department in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It is located on the river Baïse
Baïse
The Baïse is a 188 km long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Garonne. Its source is in the foothills of the Pyrenees, near Lannemezan...
15 km (9.3 mi) from the capital of the Gers department, Auch
Auch
Auch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.-The Ausci:...
.
Barran is a typical example of a bastide, those villages that were erected in Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
in the late Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. It was founded by the end of the 13th century. It is well known in the region for the very unusual helical shape of the tower of its church. Not in the village itself but still on the territory of the commune (the third largest of the department in surface area) are several interesting places, like the castle of Mazères, which was the summer residency of the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s of Auch and then a military hospital during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Close to the castle is the bridge of Mazères, which was built around the 16th century over the river Baïse
Baïse
The Baïse is a 188 km long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Garonne. Its source is in the foothills of the Pyrenees, near Lannemezan...
. In the 19th century Barran was famous for its snails, from which special gums were made to prevent people from coughing.
Population
Before the migration movement from the countryside to the cities, Barran was quite populous, as was Gers, with up to 2,000 people on the eve of the First World War. Then the population began to fall dramatically, but the trend has changed since the beginning of the '90s: nowadays around 700 people live in the commune, making it the 24th out of 476 communes by population. All basic private and public services (e.g., doctor, grocery and bakery, school, post office, sport facilities) are to be found in the village.The proximity of Auch
Auch
Auch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.-The Ausci:...
, the chef-lieu (capital) of the department, and Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, the regional capital, which is only 100 km (62.1 mi) to the east, as well as the current migration trend toward Southern Europe, should boost the further development of Barran.