Boussac (French pronunciation: [busak]; Occitan: Boçac) is a commune in the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France. The famous Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries (c. 1500) were discovered in 1841 in Boussac castle. In 1844 the novelist George Sand saw them and brought public attention to the tapestries in her works at the time (most notably in her novel Jeanne), in which she correctly dated them to the end of the fifteenth century, using the ladies' costumes for reference. In 1863 they were bought by the Musée de Cluny in Paris where they are still on display.
Boussac | |
|---|---|
 Chateau | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Boussac  | |
  Boussac  Boussac | |
| Coordinates: 46°20′59″N 2°12′56″E / 46.3497°N 2.2156°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
| Department | Creuse |
| Arrondissement | Aubusson |
| Canton | Boussac |
| Intercommunality | CC Creuse Confluence |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Franck Foulon[1] |
Area 1 | 1.48 km2 (0.57 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 1,242 |
| • Density | 840/km2 (2,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 23031 /23600 |
| Elevation | 335–395 m (1,099–1,296 ft) (avg. 384 m or 1,260 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Geography
editA small light industrial town situated by the banks of the Petite Creuse river, some 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Guéret, at the junction of the D11 and the D997 roads.
Population
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 1,514 | — |
| 1968 | 1,557 | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 1,933 | +24.1% |
| 1982 | 1,852 | −4.2% |
| 1990 | 1,652 | −10.8% |
| 1999 | 1,602 | −3.0% |
| 2008 | 1,394 | −13.0% |
Personalities
edit- Jean de Brosse, Marshal of France, lived and died here
- Pierre Leroux (1797–1871), philosopher, friend of George Sand was mayor here in 1848
- George Sand (1804–1878), set her romance Jeanne here in 1836
Sights
edit- The church of St. Anne, dating from the fifteenth century
- The twelfth-century castle
- The remains of the old town ramparts
- Several ancient houses and the river bridge, all from the fifteenth century
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
External links
edit- Official website of the commune (in French)
