La Gaude (French pronunciation: [la ɡod]; Occitan: La Gauda) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.

La Gaude
The church of La Gaude
The church of La Gaude
Coat of arms of La Gaude
Location of La Gaude
Map
La Gaude is located in France
La Gaude
La Gaude
La Gaude is located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
La Gaude
La Gaude
Coordinates: 43°43′22″N 7°09′13″E / 43.7228°N 7.1536°E / 43.7228; 7.1536
CountryFrance
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
DepartmentAlpes-Maritimes
ArrondissementGrasse
CantonCagnes-sur-Mer-2
IntercommunalityMétropole Nice Côte d'Azur
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Bruno Bettati[1]
Area
1
13.1 km2 (5.1 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
7,133
 • Density540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
DemonymGaudois
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
06065 /06610
Elevation24–349 m (79–1,145 ft)
(avg. 236 m or 774 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

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To the south of the village, a restored Roman stele is close to the Aurelian Way, the Roman road that passed near the present cultural centre.[3]

After the Saracen attacks in the ninth century, the inhabitants of the nearby and higher village of Saint-Jeannet descended to the more fertile and less rugged La Gaude area. "La Gauda" is mentioned in 1075. Soon the village was burned for having converted to the Cathar heresy. When the frontier became the nearby River Var, the village was again destroyed.

The village was affected by the plague in the fifteenth century and abandoned until the late sixteenth century. La Gaude became an independent community in 1599, separating from Saint Jeannet. Looting took place in 1704 and for five days in 1707. In the twentieth century, La Gaude was transformed by the arrival of piped water.

The Provençal writer, Marcel Pagnol, was captivated by the village, writing, "I will be back in a fortnight and will rush to your place to admire your barbaric flowers and drink your civilised wine." (« Je reviendrai dans une quinzaine et je m’élancerai chez vous pour admirer vos fleurs barbares et boire votre vin civilisé. »)[4] He bought a property in the village, the domaine de l'Étoile.

The IBM La Gaude research centre (the Centre d'études et de recherches IBM) was established in 1962 in the countryside near La Gaude village. The buildings (architect Marcel Breuer) were listed as historical monument in September 2020.[5]

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 1,631—    
1975 2,309+5.09%
1982 3,097+4.28%
1990 4,951+6.04%
1999 6,170+2.48%
2007 6,670+0.98%
2012 6,695+0.07%
2017 6,623−0.22%
Source: INSEE[6]

Tourism

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ La Gaude website:"La stèle romaine"
  4. ^ a b c d "The route of perched villages" (PDF). Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur. 2013.
  5. ^ Base Mérimée: Ancien centre d’études de recherches IBM, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
  6. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  7. ^ La Gaude website: La chapelle Saint-Ange (in French)
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