The Rhône ( / r oʊ n / ROHN , French: [ʁon] ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea ( Gulf of Lion ). At Arles , near its mouth, the river divides into the Great Rhône (French: le Grand Rhône ) and the Little Rhône ( le Petit Rhône ). The resulting delta forms the Camargue region.
54-664: Beaucaire is the name of several communes in France: Beaucaire, Gard , in the Gard department Gare de Beaucaire , a railway station Beaucaire, Gers , in the Gers department See also [ edit ] Le souper de Beaucaire , a political pamphlet written by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1793 [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with
108-603: A Ciments français cement plant (subsidiary of the Italcementi group), and a Casanis plant from the Bacardi group which markets Get 27 . The headquarters of the multinational group Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits (formerly Belvédère) has been located in Beaucaire since 2011. A large number of buildings and sites in Beaucaire are registered as historical monuments, including: The Croix Couverte de Beaucaire , or
162-463: A 149 km (93 mi) section of the Rhône was made navigable for small ships up to Seyssel . As of 2017 , the part between Lyon and Sault-Brénaz is closed for navigation. The Saône, which is also canalized, connects the Rhône ports to the cities of Villefranche-sur-Saône , Mâcon and Chalon-sur-Saône . Smaller vessels (up to CEMT class I ) can travel further northwest, north and northeast via
216-714: A canalised waterway called Laune de Pillet (the branch of the Rhone here called the Bras de Beaucaire ). The Rhône and the waterway together create the Ile de Pillet . The river itself has not been navigable to the south since the creation of the Vallebregues barage in 1969; through traffic must navigate the Laune de Pillet . The river lock which once connected the Canal du Rhône à Sète to
270-676: A city on the famous Via Domitia , the first Roman road built in Gaul linking Italy to Spain (121 BC.). It was at this point that the Via Domitia divides in the direction of Arles , Nîmes , Remoulins , and Saint-Gilles . At that time, Beaucaire was called Ugernum . This was where, after the capture of Rome by the Vandals in 455, the Gallo-Roman nobility met to elect Avitus as the new emperor. A Roman mausoleum has been discovered on
324-498: A huge toothed "claw"wheel 6.5 metres (21 ft) across to grip the river bed in the shallows to supplement the paddle wheels. In the 20th century, powerful motor barges propelled by diesel engines were introduced, carrying 1,500 tonnes (3,300,000 lb). In 1933, the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) was established to improve navigation and generate electricity, also to develop irrigated agriculture and to protect
378-451: A multi-activity healthcare division with multi care professionals, a dental centre, opticians, and a hearing specialist. The Catholic parish of Beaucaire is part of on the diocese of Nîmes , deanery Plaine gardoise . Protestants also have a church in the commune. There is a Mosque for Moslems . In 2017 the workforce was 6,726 people, including 1,601 unemployed (23.8%). These people are mostly employees (85.1%) and most work outside
432-597: A series of dams and diversion canals, with a navigation lock beside the hydroelectric power plant on each of these canals. The locks were up to 23 metres (75 ft) deep. After building the Génissiat dam on the Upper Rhône (with no lock) in 1948, designed to meet the electricity needs of Paris, twelve hydroelectric plants and locks were built between 1964 and 1980. With a total head of 162 m (531 ft), they produce 13 GWh of electricity annually, or 16% of
486-684: A street " Rue du Brexit " as a tribute to the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union. Party per saltire, Or and Gules. Beaucaire is one of 79 member communes of the Territorial Coherence Scheme (SCOT) of South Gard and is also one of the 41 communes of Pays Garrigues Costières . The town of Beaucaire had 7,769 housing units in 2017, 86% of which were primary residences. There are more single-family houses (55%) than apartments (44%) with
540-583: Is 251 cubic metres per second (8,900 cu ft/s). Below the dam, the Rhône receives the waters of the Arve , fed by the Mont Blanc massif, with a visibly higher sediment load and much lower temperature. After a total of 290 kilometres (180 mi) in Switzerland, the Rhône continues west, entering France and the southern Jura Mountains . It turns toward the south, past Lac de Bourget , which
594-764: Is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France . In 2020, the commune was awarded one flower by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom . Beaucaire is located on the River Rhône some 15 km south-west of Avignon and 10 km north of Arles . Across the river from Beaucaire lies Tarascon , which
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#1732771839751648-633: Is in Bouches-du-Rhône department of Provence . Access to the commune is by the D999 road from Jonquières-Saint-Vincent in the west which passes through the north of the commune and the town and continues east to Tarascon. The D966L comes from Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard in the north and comes down the banks of the Rhône to the town. The D90 branches off the D986L in the commune and passes in a circle around
702-823: The Centre -Loire-Briare and Loing Canals to the Seine , via the Canal de la Marne à la Saône (recently often called the " Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne ") to the Marne , via the Canal des Vosges (formerly called the "Canal de l'Est – Branche Sud") to the Moselle and via the Canal du Rhône au Rhin to the Rhine . The Rhône is infamous for its strong current when the river carries large quantities of water: current speeds up to 10 km/h (6.2 mph) are sometimes reached, particularly in
756-592: The Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion (14th to the 16th century), the splendour and refinement of the architecture grew along with the wealth of the Beaucairois merchants. In 1579 Beaucaire was held by Henri I de Montmorency , the catholic governor of Languedoc , but tolerant. The captain of the city was Jean de Parabere who was soon to play his own game. Damville then provoked a riot to recover
810-663: The Mediterranean Basin countries to all of France. By the mid-seventeenth century, the Fair was the largest commercial fair in the Mediterranean region, allegedly exceeding in a week the total volume of trade done in Marseilles in a year. It remained the dominant Mediterranean trade fair until the arrival of the railway in the mid-nineteenth century. The advent of the railway and the end of river trade as well as
864-853: The Nile , one of the three Mediterranean rivers with the largest water discharge . The name Rhône continues the Latin Rhodanus name ( Greek Ῥοδανός Rhodanós ) in Greco-Roman geography . The Gaulish name of the river was * Rodonos or * Rotonos (from a PIE root * ret- "to run, roll" frequently found in river names). Names in other languages include German : Rhone [ˈroːnə] ; Walser : Rotten [ˈrotən] ; Italian : Rodano [ˈrɔːdano] ; Arpitan : Rôno [ˈʁono] ; Occitan : Ròse [ˈrɔze, ˈʀɔze] ; and Romansh : Rodan . The Greco-Roman as well as
918-872: The Swiss Alps , at an altitude of approximately 2,208 metres (7,244 ft). From there it flows southwest through Gletsch and the Goms, the uppermost valley region of the Valais before Brig . In the Brig area, it receives the waters of the Massa from the Aletsch Glacier , the longest glacier of the Alps, and shortly after, it receives the waters of the Vispa , the longest affluent in Valais. After that, it flows onward through
972-434: The Île du Comté . The Middle Ages saw a slowdown in the expansion of the city. Beaucaire did not escape the troubles during this dark period. It underwent invasions of Burgundians , Visigoths , and Saracens . It was at that time that the first ramparts were built and the castle was expanded. The city took the name Beaucaire (which means "beautiful stone", probably in reference to its many buildings, to its quarries, or
1026-714: The Alps. From Lyon, the Rhône flows south, in its large valley between the Alps and the Massif Central . At Arles , the Rhône divides into two major arms forming the Camargue delta , both branches flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, the delta being termed the Rhône Fan. The larger arm is called the "Grand Rhône", the smaller the "Petit Rhône". The average annual discharge at Beaucaire is 1,700 m /s (60,000 cu ft/s). The main tributaries of
1080-562: The Auguste Jacquet Museum at the Château de Beaucaire . Classified as a historical monument since October 10, 1906, the structure was likely built by John, Duke of Berry , Governor of Languedoc . In 2019, the commune of Beaucaire inaugurated a program to study the monument and create a plan to repair damage to the stonework, improve adjacent drainage, relocate adjacent power poles and lines, and make general improvements to
1134-573: The Covered Cross, is a 14th-century stone oratory located in Beaucaire at what is now the intersection of the Route to Fourques and the Chemin de Beauvoir. The monument has three faces rising off a triangular base, each with a large Gothic arched opening and an open stone balustrade at the top. The vaulted space holds the support for a stone cross, the oratory's original cross is now located in
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#17327718397511188-844: The Morge and Hermance, the lake is divided by the two countries along its centreline, with the left bank in France. The remainder of the lake is Swiss, including the entire right (north) bank. Here, the tributaries are the Veveyse , the Venoge , the Aubonne , the Morges , among other smaller rivers. Lake Geneva ends in the city of Geneva , where the lake level is controlled by the Le Seujet dam [ fr ] . The average discharge from Lake Geneva
1242-591: The Rhône are, from source to mouth: The Rhône has been an important highway since the times of the Greeks and Romans . It was the main trade route from the Mediterranean to east-central Gaul . As such, it helped convey Greek cultural influences to the western Hallstatt and the later La Tène cultures. Celtic tribes living near the Rhône included the Seduni , Sequani, Segobriges , Allobroges , Segusiavi , Helvetii , Vocontii and Volcae Arecomici . Navigation
1296-624: The Rhône drains via the Canal de Savières . Continuing generally westward, the Rhône then receives the waters of the Valserine , enters the reservoir created by the Génissiat Dam , and is then joined by the Ain . Reaching Lyon , the most populous city on its course, the Rhône receives its biggest tributary, the Saône , with an average flow of 473 m /s (16,700 cu ft/s), compared to
1350-525: The Rhône has also been closed since 1969, but the lock is planned to reopen in due course. As it is the north-east arm of the Canal du Rhône à Sète is a cul-de-sac . The entire town is located in the Rhône Valley and has fairly flat terrain mainly formed by the plain of the Rhône. The north of the commune has hills, especially north of the town centre where the castle is located (80 metres high) as well as Saint-Roman (130 metres).n Called Ugernum by
1404-541: The Rhône's 600 m /s (21,000 cu ft/s) at this point. From this confluence, the Rhône follows a southward course. Along the Rhône Valley, it is joined on the right (western) bank by the rivers Eyrieux , Ardèche , Cèze , and Gardon coming from the Cévennes mountains ; and on the left bank by the rivers Isère , (with an average discharge of 333 m /s (11,800 cu ft/s)), Drôme , Ouvèze , and Durance (188 m /s (6,600 cu ft/s)) from
1458-560: The Romans, Beaucaire derived its modern name from the medieval Belli Quadrum , which described the pine-clad rock rising abruptly from the river. Alternatively, 'Beaucaire' may be the French version of the Occitan language name 'Bèucaire': Beaucaire appears as Beaucaire on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version. Founded in the 7th century BC, Beaucaire was known as
1512-542: The adjective derived from the river is rhodanien , as in le sillon rhodanien (literally "the furrow of the Rhône"), which is the name of the long, straight Saône and Rhône river valleys, a deep cleft running due south to the Mediterranean and separating the Alps from the Massif Central . Before railroads and highways were developed, the Rhône was an important inland trade and transportation route, connecting
1566-443: The cities of Arles , Avignon , Valence , Vienne and Lyon to the Mediterranean ports of Fos-sur-Mer , Marseille and Sète . Travelling down the Rhône by barge would take three weeks. By motorized vessel, the trip now takes only three days. The Rhône is classified as a Class V waterway for the 325 km-long (202-mile) section from the mouth of the Saône at Lyon to the sea at Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône . Upstream from Lyon,
1620-517: The city but even though Parabere was decapitated, the city remained in the hands of the Huguenots , thanks to reinforcements sent by François de Coligny , the son of Gaspard II de Coligny . At the end of the Hundred Years War in 1453, Charles VII of France declared that Beaucaire would become the site of the Fair of la Madeleine , a commercial fair that would enable the trade of goods from all of
1674-559: The city which protected it from the flooding of the Rhône, food markets, and the Municipal Casino which is now the Festival Hall. It was also at this time that the Canal du Rhône à Sète was widened. It connects Beaucaire to the Canal du Midi . In 1940 Beaucaire had a large population of Belgian refugees, mostly from Farciennes . They became twin communes in 1969. In 2016, they gained international attention for naming
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1728-586: The commune (57%). At the end of 2015 there were a total of 1,544 business enterprises in the commune: 152 in agriculture, 128 in industry, 226 in construction, 851 in Trade, transport, and services (of which 303 in automobile trade and repair), and 170 in administration, education, health, or social services. Among local businesses, the Craft Brewery of Beaucaire produces and markets several varieties of beer regionally with some Camargue rice. There are also:
1782-521: The country's total hydroelectric production (20% if the Upper Rhône schemes are added). There have been significant benefits for agriculture throughout the Rhône valley. With the Lower Rhône project completed, CNR turned its attention to the Haut-Rhône (Upper Rhône), and built four hydropower dams in the 1980s: Sault-Brénaz, Brégnier-Cordon, Belley-Brens and Chautagne. It also drew up plans for
1836-558: The fact that it had the first hills on the Rhone coming from the sea). During the Albigensian Crusade , Raymond VII of Toulouse besieged Beaucaire in May 1216 to reclaim his father's property. The efforts of Simon de Montfort to relieve the town were repulsed. The city fell after a three-month siege. In the 13th century Louis IX made several trips to Beaucaire. The city was expanding and its population increasing. Despite
1890-399: The farmland. The Rhône river forms the whole eastern border of the commune as it flows south to join the sea at Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône . The river is also the departmental border between Gard and Bouches-du-Rhône . The Canal du Rhône à Sète passes through the commune from Saint-Gilles in the south-west and joins the Rhone in the town. Parallel to the Rhône on its eastern side is
1944-633: The historical region of Chablais . It then enters Lake Geneva near Le Bouveret , where the water flows west. On the left (south) bank of Lake Geneva, the river Morge joins at the village of Saint-Gingolph , and also marks the French-Swiss border. Westward, the Dranse (unrelated to the Drance) enters the lake with its preserved delta , and then the Hermance marks another French-Swiss border. Between
1998-433: The large glaciers of the massifs of Monte Rosa , Dom , and Grand Combin , but also from the steeper slopes of the Bernese Alps to the north, and the Mont Blanc massif to the west. As a result, the Rhône Valley experiences a drier climate than the rest of Switzerland , being sheltered by the three highest ranges of the Alps, making Valais the driest and largest wine region of the country. At Martigny, where it receives
2052-414: The main town there are also the districts of Gaudon, Tour Saint-Pierre, Pauvre Menage, Malatrache, Mas du Consul, Mas Saint-Andre du Boschet, Mas de la Bastide, Mas des Lecques, Le Fer a Cheval, Saujean, Mas de Sicard, Bieudon, and Enclos d'Argent. The commune has a large urban area in the north-east with the rest of the commune farmland. There is also an extensive network of irrigation canals covering most of
2106-444: The majority of homes having 3 or 4 rooms. 51% of residents own their own housing. Of the rental housing (3,148 units in 2017) 31% are HLM . List of Successive Mayors The Municipal Council is composed of 23 members including the Mayor and 9 deputies. Beaucaire has twinning associations with: Its inhabitants are known as Beaucairois or Beaucairoises in French. The commune has: Since 30 January 2014 Beaucaire has
2160-438: The reconstructed Gaulish name is masculine, as is French le Rhône . This form survives in the Spanish/Portuguese and Italian namesakes, el/o Ródano and il Rodano , respectively. German has adopted the French name but given it the feminine gender, die Rhone . The original German adoption of the Latin name was also masculine, der Rotten ; it survives only in the Upper Valais ( dialectal Rottu ). In French,
2214-437: The removal of its tax-free status by Napoleon gradually destroyed the Fair of the Madeleine and plunged Beaucaire into anonymity. One result of these years of commercial dominance was the construction of a remarkable number of architecturally significant mansions and palaces by rich merchants of many nationalities. The fair still exists in the form of carnivals, bullfights, and various festivities. Camargue bulls are run through
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2268-443: The riverside towns and land from flooding. Some progress was made in deepening the navigation channel and constructing scouring walls, but World War II brought such work to a halt. In 1942, following the collapse of Vichy France , Italian military forces occupied southeastern France up to the eastern banks of the Rhône, as part of the Italian Fascist regime's expansionist agenda. In 1948, the French government started construction of
2322-577: The same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beaucaire&oldid=944682823 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Beaucaire, Gard Beaucaire ( French pronunciation: [bokɛʁ] ; Occitan and Provençal : Bèucaire [ˌbɛwˈkajɾe] )
2376-436: The site. Poets, living in or passing through Beaucaire, remembered it through their lyrical writing: Joseph D'Arbaud, Marie-Antoinette Rivière (Antoinette of Beaucaire), Juliette Borely, Artalette of Beaucaire. Beaucaire has a legend of the formidable drac , a monster that rises from the depths of the sea to seize and devour its prey. One day the monster grabbed a young laundress and brought her to his cave. The story says
2430-411: The streets. It always starts on 21 July and always ends on a Monday and lasts at least six days. Beaucaire was capital of the district from 1790 to 1795. During the French Revolution the commune was temporarily called Pont-National . At the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century some works of great value are built such as the banquette - a stone retaining wall along the eastern side of
2484-416: The stretch below the last lock at Vallabrègues and in the relatively narrow first diversion canal south of Lyon. The 12 locks are operated daily from 5:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. All operation is centrally controlled from one control centre at Châteauneuf. Commercial barges may navigate during the night hours by authorisation. The Rhône begins as the meltwater of the Rhône Glacier in Valais , in
2538-463: The town then continues east across the Rhone changing to the D99B. The D15 goes south from the town to Fourques . The D38 goes south-west from the town to Bellegarde . The D28 links the Ile du Comte to the east bank of the Rhone. A railway passes through the commune coming from Tarascon in the east with a station in the commune then it continues to Nîmes in the west. Beaucaire station has rail connections to Nîmes, Avignon and Montpellier. Apart from
2592-412: The upper river used barques du Rhône , sailing barges, 30 by 3.5 metres (98 by 11 ft), with a 75-tonne (165,000 lb) capacity. As many as 50 to 80 horses were employed to haul trains of five to seven craft upstream. Goods would be transshipped at Arles into 23-metre (75 ft) sailing barges called allèges d'Arles for the final run down to the Mediterranean. The first experimental steam boat
2646-430: The valley which bears its name and runs initially in a westerly direction about thirty kilometers to Leuk , then southwest about fifty kilometers to Martigny . Down as far as Brig , the Rhône is a torrent; it then becomes a great mountain river running southwest through a glacial valley. Between Brig and Martigny , it collects waters mostly from the valleys of the Pennine Alps to the south, whose rivers originate from
2700-411: The washerwoman. According to Gervase of Tilbury who wrote this tale in 1214, she remained blinded until the end of her days. Rh%C3%B4ne The river's source is the Rhône Glacier , at the east edge of the Swiss canton of Valais . The glacier is part of the Saint-Gotthard Massif , which gives rise to three other major rivers: the Reuss , Rhine and Ticino . The Rhône is, with the Po and
2754-421: The waters of the Drance on its left bank, the Rhône makes a sharp turn towards the north. Heading toward Lake Geneva ( French : Le Léman ), the valley narrows near Saint-Maurice , a feature that has long given the Rhône valley strategic importance for the control of the Alpine passes. The Rhône then marks the boundary between the cantons of Valais (left bank) and Vaud (right bank), separating two parts of
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#17327718397512808-414: The woman expected the worst, but the drac explained that what he wanted was a nanny for his son, the draconnet . Thus the washerwoman fed the little monster for seven years before she was set free. But one day at the fair the drac came to the market, having taken on a human appearance. The washerwoman recognized her former captor and incited the crowd to riot. Furious at being unmasked, the drac blinded
2862-433: Was built at Lyon by Jouffroy d'Abbans in 1783. Regular services were not started until 1829 and they continued until 1952. Steam passenger vessels 80 to 100 metres (260–330 ft) long made up to 20 km/h (11 kn) and could do the downstream run from Lyon to Arles in a day. Cargo was hauled in bateau-anguilles , boats 157 by 6.35 metres (515.1 by 20.8 ft) with paddle wheels amidships, and bateaux crabes ,
2916-404: Was difficult, as the river suffered from fierce currents, shallows, floods in spring and early summer when the ice was melting, and droughts in late summer. Until the 19th century, passengers travelled in coches d'eau (water coaches) drawn by men or horses, or under sail. Most travelled with a painted cross covered with religious symbols as protection against the hazards of the journey. Trade on
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