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Saumur



 
 
Saumur is a commune
Communes of France

The commune is the lowest level of administrative divisions in the France. The French word commune appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin Medieval commune, meaning a small gathering of people sharing a common life, from Latin communis, things held in common....
 in the Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire

Maine-et-Loire is a departments of France in west-central France....
 department in western France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
.

The historic town is located between the Loire
Loire River

The Loire is the longest river in France. With a length of , it drains an area of , which represents more than a fifth of France's land area....
 and Thouet
Thouet

The river Thouet is a tributary of the River Loire in the Poitou-Charentes and Pays de la Loire Regions of France of France. The Thouet rises at Secondigny, close to the source of the S?vre Nantaise, and joins the Loire just to the west of Saumur....
 rivers, which join to the west of the town.

ur is home to the Cadre Noir
Cadre Noir

The Cadre Noir is an equestrianism display team based in the city of Saumur in western France. The troop was founded in 1828, and gets its name from the black uniforms that are still used today....
, the École Nationale d'Équitation (National School of Horsemanship), known for its annual horse shows, as well as the officer
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
 school for armored forces (tank
Tank

A tank is a Continuous track, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and Military tactics Offensive and defence capabilities....
s). There is a tank museum, the Musée des Blindés
Musée des Blindés

The Mus?e des Blind?s or Mus?e G?n?ral Estienne is one of the world's leading tank museums. It is located in the Loire Valley of France in the city of Saumur....
, with more than 850 armored vehicles, wheeled or tracked.






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Encyclopedia


Saumur is a commune
Communes of France

The commune is the lowest level of administrative divisions in the France. The French word commune appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin Medieval commune, meaning a small gathering of people sharing a common life, from Latin communis, things held in common....
 in the Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire

Maine-et-Loire is a departments of France in west-central France....
 department in western France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
.

The historic town is located between the Loire
Loire River

The Loire is the longest river in France. With a length of , it drains an area of , which represents more than a fifth of France's land area....
 and Thouet
Thouet

The river Thouet is a tributary of the River Loire in the Poitou-Charentes and Pays de la Loire Regions of France of France. The Thouet rises at Secondigny, close to the source of the S?vre Nantaise, and joins the Loire just to the west of Saumur....
 rivers, which join to the west of the town.

History

Saumur is home to the Cadre Noir
Cadre Noir

The Cadre Noir is an equestrianism display team based in the city of Saumur in western France. The troop was founded in 1828, and gets its name from the black uniforms that are still used today....
, the École Nationale d'Équitation (National School of Horsemanship), known for its annual horse shows, as well as the officer
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
 school for armored forces (tank
Tank

A tank is a Continuous track, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and Military tactics Offensive and defence capabilities....
s). There is a tank museum, the Musée des Blindés
Musée des Blindés

The Mus?e des Blind?s or Mus?e G?n?ral Estienne is one of the world's leading tank museums. It is located in the Loire Valley of France in the city of Saumur....
, with more than 850 armored vehicles, wheeled or tracked. Most of them are from France but some were made in other countries such as Brazil
Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, or the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
.

The School of Saumur
Amyraldism

Amyraldism , also known as "hypothetical universalism" or "four-point Calvinism", primarily refers to a modified form of Calvinism theology. It rejects one of the Five points of Calvinism, the doctrine of limited atonement, in favour of an unlimited atonement similar to that of Hugo Grotius....
 is the name used to denote a distinctive form of Reformed theology
Calvinism

Calvinism is a theology system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes the rule of God over all things. It was developed by several theologians, but it bears the name of the French Protestant Reformation John Calvin because of his prominent influence on it and because of his role in the confessional and ecclesiastical debates t...
 taught by Moses Amyraut
Moses Amyraut

Moses Amyraut , also known as Amyraldus, was a France Protestant theologian and metaphysics. He is perhaps most noted for his modifications to Calvinist theology regarding the nature of Christ's atonement, which is referred to as Amyraldism or Amyraldianism....
 at the University of Saumur in the 17th century. Saumur is also the scene for Balzac's novel "Eugénie Grandet", written by the French author in 1833 and the title of a song from hard rock
Hard rock

Hard rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music....
 band Trust
Trust (band)

Trust was a famous France hard rock band closely associated with both AC/DC and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
 (whose lyrics express their poor opinion of the city: narrow-minded, bourgeois and militaristic).

Saumur was the location of the Battle of Saumur (1793)
Battle of Saumur (1793)

The Battle of Saumur was a battle during the War in the Vend?e. It occurred in the town of Saumur on 9 June 1793.As at the battle of Thouars, the Republican prisoners were released after swearing not to fight again in the Vend?e and having had their hair shaved off so they could be recognised lest they went back on their word and were reca...
 during the Revolt in the Vendée
Revolt in the Vendée

The War in Vend?e was a civil war and counterrevolution in Vend?e between House of Bourbon and French First Republic during the French Revolution....
.

World War II

Saumur was the site of the Battle of Saumur (1940)
Battle of Saumur (1940)

The Battle of Saumur occurred during the last stages of the Battle of France, when officer cadets from the Cavalry School at Saumur, led by superintendent Colonel Michon, made a defensive stand along the Loire River at Saumur and Gennes, Maine-et-Loire....
 during World War II
Battle of France

In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the Germany invasion of France and the Low Countries, executed from 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War....
, and 1944 Tallboy and Azon bombing targets:
Bombing of Saumur during World War II
Mission/Target Date Result
Saumur railway tunnel June 8/9, 1944 The first use of Tallboy bomb
Tallboy bomb

The Tallboy was an earth quake bomb developed by Barnes Wallis and brought into operation by the British in 1944. It weighed five long tons and, carried by the Avro Lancaster bomber, was effective against hardened structures against which earlier, smaller bombs had proved ineffective....
s was against a railway tunnel near Saumur, 125 miles south of the battle area. The hasty night raid was to stop a planned German Panzer Division
Panzer Division

A panzer division is an armored division in the German Army .Panzer Division are combined-arms formations having both armor and infantry as organic components, along with the usual assets of artillery, antiaircraft, signals, etc....
 expected later through the tunnel. No. 83 Squadron RAF
No. 83 Squadron RAF

No. 83 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II....
 illuminated the area with flares by 4 Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster

The Avro Lancaster was a United Kingdom four-engine World War II bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley-Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force and squadrons from other Commonwealth of Nations...
s and marked the target at low level by 3 de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito

The de Havilland Mosquito was a United Kingdom combat aircraft that excelled in a number of roles during the World War II. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, uses of the Mosquito included: low to medium altitude daytime tactical bomber, high altitude night bomber, Pathfinder , Day fighter or Night fighter fighter aircraft, fighte...
s. 25 Lancasters of No. 617 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron RAF

No. 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is better known as the "Dambusters" squadron. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland....
 then dropped their Tallboys with great accuracy; one pierced the roof of the tunnel, brought down a huge quantity of rock and soil, and blocked the tunnel for a considerable period, badly delaying the Panzer IV
Panzer IV

The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the World War II....
s.
Mission 432/Saumur bridge June 22, 1944 9 of 10 B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an United States heavy bomber, built by Consolidated Aircraft. It was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft of World War II and still holds the record as the most produced U.S....
s of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The direct precursor to the United States Air Force, its peak size was over 2.4 million men and women in service and nearly 80,000 aircraft in 1944, and 783 domestic bases in December 1943....
 used Azon
Azon

AZON was one of the world's first Precision-guided munition, deployed by the Allies of World War II and contemporary with the Germany Fritz X....
 glide bombs against the Samur Bridge; escort is provided by 41 of 43 P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allies of World War II air forces in the middle years of World War II....
s.
Mission 438/Saumur Bridge June 24, 1944 During the morning, 74 B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17 Flying Fortress

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps . Competing against Douglas Aircraft Company and Glenn L....
es are dispatched to the Saumur bridge; 38 hit the primary and 36 hit Tours/La Riche Airfield without loss; escort is provided by 121 of 135 P-51s who claim 4-0-2 Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 aircraft on the ground.


Personalities

Saumur was the birthplace of:
  • Anne Lefèvre
    Anne Lefèvre

    Anne Le F?vre Dacier, , better known during her lifetime as Madame Dacier, was a French people scholar and translator of the classics.She was born at Saumur and was raised there....
     (1654–1720), better known during her lifetime as Madame Dacier, scholar and translator of classics
    Classics

    Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean World; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity ....
  • Charles Ernest Beulé
    Charles Ernest Beulé

    Charles Ernest Beul? was a France archaeologist and politician....
     (1826–1874), archeologist
  • Coco Chanel (1883–1971), internationally renowned fashion designer
  • Yves Robert
    Yves Robert

    Yves Robert was a France actor, screenwriter, film director, and film producer.Born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, in his teens Robert went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting with unpaid parts on stage in the city's various theatre workshops....
    , (1920–2002), actor, composer, director, writer, producer
  • Fanny Ardant
    Fanny Ardant

    Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant is a French actress. She has appeared in more than fifty motion pictures....
    , (b. 1949), actress
  • Dominique Pinon
    Dominique Pinon

    Dominique Pinon is a France actor whose most famous roles have been in the films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Jean-Jacques Beineix. In the theatre, he has appeared in the plays of Gildas Bourdet, Jorge Lavelli and Val?re Novarina....
    , (b. 1955), actor


Twin towns

twinned
Town twinning

Town twinning, also known as sister cities, is a concept whereby towns or city in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links between their inhabitants....
 with: Verden
Verden, Germany

Verden , or Verden , is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the River Aller. It is the administrative centre of the district of Verden . Verden is famous for the alleged massacre of Saxons in 782, committed on the orders of Charlemagne , for its cathedral, and for its horse breeding....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
Warwick
Warwick

Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, Warwickshire, 18 km south of Coventry and 4 km west of Leamington Spa , with a population of 25,434 .....
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
Havelberg
Havelberg

Havelberg is a town in the Stendal , in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Havel, and part of the town is built on an island in the centre of the river....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, North Carolina, United States. The population was 68,889 at the United States Census, 2000....
, North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
Rusetu
Rusetu

Rusetu is a commune in the Buzau County, Romania.Notes...
, Romania
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....


External links

  • (in French)
  • - Article in the Catholic Encyclopedia
    Catholic Encyclopedia

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English language encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia Press....
     about a Catholic pilgrimage center in the town