Auch

▪ France

      town, capital of Gers département, Midi-Pyrénées région, southwestern France. Auch is built on and around a hill on the west bank of the Gers River, west of Toulouse. The capital of the Celtiberian tribe of Ausci, it became important in Roman Gaul as Elimberris and, after Christianity was established, became the metropolis of Novempopulani. In 732, to protect against Muslim raiders, the town was moved across the river to its present site. It was the seat of the dukes of Armagnac in the Middle Ages, and it became the capital of Gascony in the 18th century.

      The town's upper and lower quarters are joined by several flights of steps. Several bridges over the Gers River link Auch with the suburb of Patte d'Oie. The old part of the town, which has some very narrow streets called pousterles, is centred on the Place Salinis, from which the Monumental Steps (Escalier Monumental) lead down to the river. The town's Cathedral of Sainte-Marie (1489–1662) is one of the finest Gothic buildings of southern France. Its chief features are 113 Renaissance choir stalls of carved oak and Renaissance stained-glass windows. The cathedral's classical facade dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, and its great organ (17th century) is one of the finest in the world for playing Baroque music. The 18th-century archbishop's palace, with a 14th-century tower, adjoins the cathedral. Nearby are a museum of art and archaeology and a museum containing the historical archives of the département of Gers, together with a large library and a collection of manuscripts. The prefecture, adjoining the cathedral, was once the palace of the archbishops of Auch.

      Auch has a range of industries but specializes in food processing, exploiting celebrated regional foods and beverages such as foie gras, wine, and Armagnac brandy. Agriculture is also important, especially poultry. It is also a commercial and administrative centre. Pop. (1999) 21,838; (2005 est.) 21,700.

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