Country France Department Gers Canton Condom Area 97.37 km² Local time Saturday 3:06 PM | Region Occitanie Arrondissement Condom Intercommunality La Ténarèze Population 7,251 (1999) | |
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Weather 8°C, Wind W at 29 km/h, 76% Humidity Points of interest ARMAGNAC RYST DUPEYRON, Musée de l'Armagnac, Coureau Maurice | ||
Condom (Occitan: Condòm; [kɔ̃dɔ̃]), also referred to as Condom-en-Armagnac, is a commune in southwestern France in the department of Gers, of which it is a subprefecture.
Contents
- Map of 32100 Condom France
- Localisation
- Roads and transports
- Toponymy
- Twin towns
- Sites of interest
- Notable people
- References
Map of 32100 Condom, France
Localisation
The town of Condom is located in the northern part of the department of Gers, halfway between Mont-de-Marsan (to the west) and Montauban (to the east), and north of Auch.
Roads and transports
Condom is a town on the Via Podiensis, one of the three major French arms of the pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James. This particular route begins in Le Puy and ends in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Pilgrims arrive at Condom after Miradoux and continue on to Larressingle.
Toponymy
There is no relationship between the English word condom and this town. The toponym Condom comes from the Gaulish words condate and magos combined into Condatomagos, which means "market or field, of the confluence". Condatómagos evolved into Condatóm and then into Conddóm. Condom was first recorded in Latin in the 10th century as Condomus or Condomium. It is where the river Gèle flows into the river Baïse.
Although the French word for a condom is préservatif, in 1995 the town's mayor, taking advantage of the incidental relationship between the town's name and the English word, opened a museum of contraceptives, which closed in 2005.
In 1987, a letter was sent from Condom asking to twin with Oakham, England. However this was denied due to the embarrassment caused by the town name in English.
Twin towns
Sites of interest
Condom is the site of two castles, the Château de Mothes and the Château de Pouypardin, both started in the 13th century. In total, 19 sites in Condom are listed as monuments historiques by the French Ministry of Culture, including the cathedral, churches and houses.
Condom is known for the production of Armagnac, an international music festival of "bandas", an international chess tournament and an international chess marathon. It is also known for its tourism with farm campings and boating on waterways. It is also home to a museum about Armagnac.
A statue of The Three Musketeers and d'Artagnan can be found near the church. It was created in 2010 by Zurab Tsereteli.