Fronsac, Gironde
Encyclopedia
Fronsac is a French commune in the Gironde
department in the Aquitaine
region
in southwestern France
. The town gave its name to the Fronsac AOC wine.
. Fronsac is 40 km northeast of Bordeaux
and 5 km northwest of Libourne
and the Saint-Émilion
and Pomerol
appellations.
owes its history to its privileged position. It was the site of the Gauls' market, the Romans erected an altar there, and Charlemagne
built a fortified camp on the mound. In 849
, Fronsac was pillaged by Hasting, the chief of the Vikings. The Marechal of Richelieu had a "folly
" built there, to an extravagant architectural design, where he held courtly entertainments. As word spread of these events, the renown of Fronsac's wines was carried with it to the Court of Versailles
. In the 18th Century, the names of Fronsac and Canon Fronsac enjoyed a very good reputation. It was at this time that the concept of "cru
" first appeared in the Libournais.
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
department in the Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
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...
. The town gave its name to the Fronsac AOC wine.
Geography
The commune is situated in the Fronsadais and is bordered at the South by the Dordogne River, and at the East by the Isle River, which separates it from LibourneLibourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
. Fronsac is 40 km northeast of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and 5 km northwest of Libourne
Libourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
and the Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:Saint-Émilion's history goes back to prehistoric times and is a World Heritage site, with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.The Romans planted...
and Pomerol
Pomerol
Pomerol is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is located near Bordeaux.-Population:-Wine:The mostly small-sized producers in this area of about produce red wines. As in the neighbouring appellation of Saint-Émilion, the predominant grape variety is Merlot,...
appellations.
History
Fronsac's moundMound
A mound is a general term for an artificial heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. The most common use is in reference to natural earthen formation such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. The term may also be applied to any rounded area of topographically...
owes its history to its privileged position. It was the site of the Gauls' market, the Romans erected an altar there, and Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
built a fortified camp on the mound. In 849
849
Year 849 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* In the Tang Dynasty Chinese capital city of Chang'an, an imperial prince was impeached from his position by officials at court for erecting a building that obstructed a street in the northwesternmost ward in South...
, Fronsac was pillaged by Hasting, the chief of the Vikings. The Marechal of Richelieu had a "folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
" built there, to an extravagant architectural design, where he held courtly entertainments. As word spread of these events, the renown of Fronsac's wines was carried with it to the Court of Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
. In the 18th Century, the names of Fronsac and Canon Fronsac enjoyed a very good reputation. It was at this time that the concept of "cru
Cru (wine)
Cru is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croitre" . As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity ....
" first appeared in the Libournais.
Population
Administration
| Period | Name | Party | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–Present (re-elected in March 2008) | Marcel Durant | UMP Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party... |
Retired farmer Farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain... |
| Earlier data are not known | |||
Sights
- Saint-Martin's Church, which is classed as a Monument historiqueMonument historiqueA monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
, (historical monument).
Personalities
- Guillaume-Sanche de Pommiers, Sire of Pommiers, Viscount of Fronsac
- Joachim Rouhault de Gamaches
Wine
Situated on the right bank of the Gironde River, the commune is an appellation in itself, as well as a sub-appellation, Canon-Fronsac AOC.See also
- Communes of the Gironde department
- GuyenneGuyenneGuyenne or Guienne , , ; Occitan Guiana ) is a vaguely defined historic region of south-western France. The Province of Guyenne, sometimes called the Province of Guyenne and Gascony, was a large province of pre-revolutionary France....
- French wineFrench wineFrench wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
- Bordeaux wineBordeaux wineA Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
- Plan Bordeaux
- Bordeaux wine regionsBordeaux wine regionsThe wine regions of Bordeaux are the area around the city of Bordeaux within the Gironde department of Aquitaine. The region is naturally divided by the Gironde River into a Left Bank area which includes the Médoc and the subregions of St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St.-Julien, and Margaux and a Right Bank...