Montélimar

Coat of arms

Montélimar

Location within Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region

Montélimar

Coordinates: 44°33′29″N 4°45′03″E / 44.5581°N 4.7508°ECoordinates: 44°33′29″N 4°45′03″E / 44.5581°N 4.7508°E

Country

Montélimar-1
and Montélimar-2

Intercommunality

Montélimar-Sésame

Government

• Mayor (2014–2020)

Franck Reynier (PR)

Area¹

46.81 km² (18.07 sq mi)

Population (2012)²

35,704

• Density

760/km² (2,000/sq mi)

• Urban (2007)

61,861

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

INSEE/Postal code

26198 / 26200

Elevation

56–213 m (184–699 ft)
(avg. 81 m or 266 ft)

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

²Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Montélimar (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃.te.li.maʁ]; Latin name: Acumum, and Montelaimar in Occitan) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in the department after Valence.

The site where the city of Montélimar stands today has been inhabited since the Celtic era. It was reconstructed during the Roman reign, including a basilica, aqueducts, thermae and a forum. The Adhémar family reigned over the city in the Middle Ages and built a castle (Château des Adhémar) which dominates the city silhouette even today.

Montélimar is widely regarded as the world capital of nougat. The local nougat is one of the 13 desserts of Provence and highly appreciated throughout the country. Montelimar nougat is mentioned in the opening lines of the Beatles' Savoy Truffle from The White Album. Travellers used to buy nougat de Montélimar on their way to the south of France (or when returning) as the city is next to the Rhône and to the primary route N7. Since the construction of the A7 autoroute, many nougat factories have been forced to close as tourists no longer stop in Montélimar but bypass it instead.

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Wikipedia