Auch is a commune, prefecture of the Gers department, in the Occitania region (France). Historically and culturally, the commune is in the Pays d’Auch, a cereal and wine-producing territory that, in 2003, was also constituted as a country in the sense of territorial planning.
Exposed to an altered oceanic climate, it is drained by the Gers, the Auloue, the Sousson, the Arçon, the Talouch, the Larros and Monsourbé streams and by various other small rivers. The town has a remarkable natural heritage: a protected area (the “old quarry of Saint-Cricq”) and four natural areas of ecological, fauna and flora interest.
Its inhabitants are called Auscitains or Auscitaines.
It is the seat of the Grand Auch Cœur de Gascogne agglomeration community and the main city of the Auch urban area and its urban unit.
Auch is considered the historic capital of the province of Gascony.
Main attractions
Civil architecture
The town hall of Auch was erected, opposite the Sainte-Marie cathedral, under the leadership of the intendant of Étigny, from 1760 to 1778. It houses an Italian-style theater, still in operation today, as well as the Hall of Illustres that brings together portraits of famous Gascons, eight of which were created by the Gers painter Gustave Lassalle-Bordes.
The prefecture of Gers. The former archbishop’s palace was built in the 18th century for Archbishop Augustin de Maupeou, before being occupied by Jean-François de Montillet de Grenaud. It was commissioned by Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond, who subsequently participated in the construction of Saint Petersburg in Russia. A large part of the facades was redone in the 19th century.
Fedel House. Filled with corbels from the 15th century, its walls are made of half-timbered wood filled with regularly aligned flat bricks.
Auch grain market (House of Gascony). A stone hall decorated with caduceus, it was originally designed for grain trading. Restored in 1963, it hosts, throughout the year, numerous events, including exhibitions concerning local products, crafts and artists.
Library. The old Carmelite church stands on the square of the same name. Today a municipal library, this medieval building was originally the castle of the counts of Fezensac, then of Armagnac.
The Treille bridge. It was built between 1746 and 1750 at the request of the intendant of the generality of Auch de Caze de la Bôve, in 1744, and by the engineer Pollard, engineer of the generality between 1741 and 1747.
Religious architecture
Sainte-Marie Cathedral, located on the Place de la République, was built from the 15th to the 17th century. It is famous for its stained-glass windows, created by Arnaud de Moles. The choir contains a set of 113 solid oak stalls representing more than 1,500 figures.
The central portal bears the coat of arms of Jean-François de Montillet de Grenaud, archbishop of Auch in the 18th century. On the Camino de Santiago way to Santiago de Compostela, this cathedral provided a hospice for pilgrims.
The Official Palace. The Official was an official charged by the prelates with repressing all moral harm and protecting the property of the Church and the powers of ecclesiastics. The vast construction dates from the 14th century and housed the ecclesiastical court, the archives and the prison. The palace was extensively remodeled by Viollet-Le-Duc between 1865 and 1872.
- Church of the Jacobins, Place Louis Blanc. The chapel, the facades and roofs of the cloister building have been listed in the inventory of historic monuments since 1976.
- Saint-Orens Church, rue Dessoles.
- Saint-Paul Church, rue Voltaire.
- Saint-Pierre Church, Place Barbès (entertainment center). A church rebuilt in the 18th century.
- Sainte-Bernadette Church, rue Jeanne d’Albret.
- Carmel Chapel, rue Edgard Quinet.
- Carmelite Chapel, Place Salustre du Bartas (municipal library).
Cultural heritage
The tower of the archiepiscopal archives, wrongly called the Armagnac Tower, was built in the 14th century and was originally a prison dependent on the palace of the archbishopric of Auch. Over time, due to a lack of prisoners, it served as a warehouse for religious archives. The keep, 40 meters high, stands at the top of the monumental staircase of Auch. The jails have been preserved and are accessed by a spiral staircase outside.
The Museum of the Americas-Auch (formerly the Jacobins Museum) was founded by a decree of the Directory of the Department of Gers on December 16, 1793.
In 1921, the museum was enriched with the exceptional Latin American collection bequeathed by Guillaume Pujos.
In 2006, the museum benefited from the exceptional Lions130 donation that made it the second collection of pre-Columbian art in France, after the Musée du Quai Branly, with which it collaborates.
It presents various permanent collections: Egyptian antiquities, 18th century salon, numerous archaeological remains from the region, a collection of paintings and sculptures by local artists (including Antonin Carlès, Jean-Louis Rouméguère, Gabriel Lettu and Mario Cavaglieri), an important collection of Gascon folk art and traditions, the collection of pre-Columbian art and a rare collection of Latin American sacred art.
Restaurants
There are 3 Michelin list restaurants in the city:
- La Grande Salle, Place de la Libération, Modern Cuisine
- Domaine de Baulieu, 822 chemin de Lussan, Modern Cuisine
- Jeff envoie du bois !!!, 12 place de la Libération, Farm to table, Modern Cuisine
How to get to?
From Paris: 8 hr 37 min (787 km) via A10
From Toulouse: 1 hr 17 min (81.7 km) via N124
From Andorra: 3 hr 45 min (226 km) via D919
From Barcelona: 5 hr 10 min (475 km) via AP-7 and A61
From Madrid: 7 hr 54 min (653 km) via A-2
From Monaco: 6 hr 39 min (662 km) via A8
From Moscow: 37 hr (3,487 km) via E30/M1
From Belgrade: 19 hr 42 min (1,966 km) via E70
From Istanbul: 30 hr (2,915 km) via E70
From Bern: 9 hr 6 min (920 km) via A9
Main information
Area: 72,48 km2
Population: 23 041
Coordinates: 43°38′47″N 0°35′08″E
Language: French
Currency: Euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
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