agen

Agen

town, capital of Lot-et-Garonne departement, Aquitaine region, southwestern France. It lies along the Garonne River at the foot of Ermitage Hill (530 feet [162 metres]), northwest of Toulouse. Mentioned by Julius Caesar as Aginnum, capital of the Nitiobriges people, it was captured by the Frankish king Clovis (509) and was the centre of the countship of Agenais. Saints Faith (Foy) and Caprasius were martyred there in 303 under Diocletian. The Cathedral of Saint-Caprais has a 12th-century apse, and Notre-Dame-des-Jacobins is an example of 13th-century Dominican construction. The municipal museum of fine arts occupies a group of Renaissance mansions. A network of narrow medieval streets contrasts with wide modern boulevards. Agen was the home of the Scaligers, eminent medieval scholars, and of Jacques Jasmin, the barber-poet. In addition to being an agricultural market centre, noted for fruits and vegetables, Agen is also a commercial and administrative centre with a branch of the University of Bordeaux. Food-processing industries and related services are important; pharmaceuticals and shoes are also manufactured there. Pop. (1990) 30,553; (1999) 30,170.

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