File:Vue_sur_Blaye.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Blaye
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Blaye (; ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. For centuries, Blaye was a particularly convenient crossing point for those who came from the north and went to Bordeaux or further south, to Spain and Portugal. Fortified since antiquity, this eminently strategic site located on the bank of a large river, was modernized at the end of the 17th century, thanks to Vauban.
Blaye is a French town in southwestern France that sits on a major river crossing on the historic route between northern Europe and Spain. Its strategic location made it an important military stronghold for centuries, most notably when it was upgraded into a modern fortress by the renowned military engineer Vauban in the late 1600s.
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Place details
- Locality
- Blaye
- Region
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Country
- France
- Population
- 5,277
- Timezone
- Europe/Paris
via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames
Key facts
- French commune.elevation max m
- 41
- French commune.name
- Blaye
- French commune.commune status
- Subprefecture and commune
- French commune.image
- Vue sur Blaye.jpg
- French commune.caption
- A general view of Blaye
- French commune.image flag
- Flag of Blaye, France.svg
- French commune.image coat of arms
- Blason fr ville Blaye (Gironde).svg
- French commune.arrondissement
- Blaye
- French commune.canton
- L'Estuaire
- French commune.INSEE
- 33058
- French commune.postal code
- 33390
- French commune.mayor
- Denis Baldès
- French commune.term
- 2020–2026
- French commune.elevation m
- 7
- French commune.elevation min m
- 0
- French commune.area km2
- 6.42
via Wikipedia infobox
Official website
Accueil
Site officiel de la ville de Blaye - Toutes les actualités, les manifestations qui font vivre votre ville !
blaye.fr →Link to the official site · 12,854 chars · not written by Vinony
Wikidata facts
- Official name
- Blaia
- Population
- 5066
- Area
- 6.42
- Elevation
- 12
- Official website
- www.blaye.fr
- Image
- Vue sur Blaye.jpg
Show 8 more facts
- Commons category
- Blaye
- postal code
- 33390
- native label
- Blaye
- male population
- 2261
- female population
- 2574
- P8168
- Notre-Dame d'Amiens
- email address
- mailto:[email protected]
- phone number
- +33-5-57-42-68-68
via Wikidata · CC0
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Article
11 sectionsContents
- Population
- Geography
- History
- Sights
- Economy
- Education
- Legal institutions
- Twin towns — sister cities
- See also
- References
- External links
Blaye (; ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. For centuries, Blaye was a particularly convenient crossing point for those who came from the north and went to Bordeaux or further south, to Spain and Portugal. Fortified since antiquity, this eminently strategic site located on the bank of a large river, was modernized at the end of the 17th century, thanks to Vauban.
In 1685, the Commissaire general des fortifications of Louis XIV proposed the construction of a real lock on the Gironde in order to "take control of the river" and to hold Bordeaux in case of a revolt. It is then that the citadel of Blaye was built, constituting the major element of the estuary control system. Dominating the urban landscape, this imposing building has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, as part of a group of structures engineered by Vauban, in testimony to their global influence on military architecture and planning over the next few centuries.
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On the map
2 mapped locations