﻿573 



LoraET. 



LOIRET. 



574 



The department forma the see of the Bishop of Nantea, ia included 

 in the jui-isdiction of the High Court and Uuiveraity Academy of 

 Bennea, and belongs to the loth Military Division, of which Nantea 

 is head-quarters. It returns four members to the Legislative Body of 

 the French empire. 



(Dictionnairt de la Prasnce ; Amnwiire powr t An 1853; StatiltiqVft 

 de la France ; Official Papert.) 



LOIRET, a department of France, lies between 47° 29' and 48° 20' 

 N. lat, 1° 32' and 3° 5' E. long., and ia bounded N. by Seine-et-Oise 

 and Seine-et^Mame, E. by the department of Yonne, 3. by those of 

 NiJiVTe, Loir-et-Cher, and Cher, and W. by Eure-et-Loire. Ita greatest 

 length from east to west is 72 miles, and its average breadth from 

 north to south is 42 miles. The area is 26121 square miles, and the 

 population in 1841 was 318,452, in 1851 it amounted to 341,029 ; 

 which laat gives 130'55 to the square mile, being 44'03 under the 

 average per square mile for the whole of France. The department is 

 formed out of the eastern part of Orldanais, and a small portion of 

 Berri. The greater part of CUtinais proper, a sub-division of Orl&inaia, 

 is comprised in Loiret. 



The department is divided into two unequal parts by the Loire. 

 The district situated south of this river is part of the old district of 

 Sologne [Cher], and presents a barren sandy soil, covered with heath, 

 but here aud there swelling into hills, which are planted with vines, 

 yielding red and white wines of moderately good quality. The district 

 north of the Loire is composed of fertile and well-cultivated plains, 

 separated by wooded hills, and diversified by extensive foresta, rich 

 meadows, and pasture lands. A chain of hills that forms pirt of the 

 watershed between the Seine and the Loire traverses the department 

 from south-east to northwest, at no great distance from the right 

 bank of the Loire, which river crosses the department in the same 

 direction as far as Orldana, where it sweeps round to the south-west. 



The department takes its name from the Loiret, a little river that 

 rises all at once in full flood from a spring in the park of Ch&teau-de- 

 la-Suurce, a few miles S.S.E. from Orleans, and flowing westward 

 enters the Loire on the left bank after a course of 7 miles. The waters 

 of the Loiret never freeze, owing to the high temperature which they 

 have on issuing from the earth, and to the shortness of their course. 

 The Duu, a sluggish muddy stream, is the principal feeder of the 

 Loiret ; before ita junction with the latter it enters a whirlpool by 

 which part of its waters arc generally absorbed, the remainder being 

 conducted to the Loiret by a short canaL But at certain seasons of 

 the year, when the waters of the Loiret are highest, a portion of them 

 ascends the canal and enters with the Duis into the whirlpool, which 

 is said to have an underground communication with the Loire. When 

 the waters of the Loire however rise above the usual level, the 

 whirlpool then, instead of absorbing the waters of either of the small 

 rivers, OTerflows and adds considerably to their quantity. The Loiret 

 is navigable almost from its source ; it drives the machinery of several 

 mills aud factories. The Loing, which receives the Ouanne and 

 several other feeders, flows north through this department from that 

 of Yonne in its way to join the Heine. The north-western districts 

 are drained by the Essonne, which flows north and enters the Seine in 

 the department of Seiae-et-Oise. The department possesses great 

 advantages from internal navigation by the Loire, and by the Canal- 

 d'Orl&ms aud the Canal-de-Briare, which unite near Montargis, whence 

 the Canal-du-Loing runs northwajrd into the department of Seine-et- 

 Uame, and, passing Nemours, enters the Seine near Moret The 

 department is also traversed by the Paris-OrI(<ans, the Orldans-Nantes, 

 and the OrUaus-Bourges railways; and by 9 state, 14 departmental, 

 and a great number of parish rcwds. 



The climate is mild and extremely healthy ; the prevailing winds 

 are the west and south-west 



The greater part of the department is occupied by the supracre- 

 taceous rocks belonging to the chalk-basin of Paris. These occupy 

 the valley of the Loire for a short distance on each side of the river ; 

 and extend over all the country northward of the Loire and westward 

 of the Loing. The districts east of the Loing and south of the Loire 

 are occupied by the chalk which surrounds the Paris basin, except for 

 a short distance from the banks of the Loire on each side of the river 

 where the chalk is covered by supracretaceous rocks. 



The district north of the Loire is very productive of rye and other 

 bread-stuffi; but, owing to the infertility of the Sologne district, 

 the produce of the department is barely enough for the consump- 

 tion. Yet it has a most important trade in com, which however is 

 supplied from the great wheat districts of Beauce, Poitou, Anjou, and 

 Lower Auvei^gno, and finds easy distribution from the great granaries 

 of Orl^ns, by the means of transit before mentioned, to difierent 

 parts of France. The quantity of oats grown is enormous ; the annual 

 exports amount to 1,375,000 quarters, Safiron is extensively and 

 profitably cultivated. Asparagus aud many pot-herbs are raised in 

 large quantities. About 22,000,000 gaUons of wine are made annually, 

 of which about one-fourth goes to the home consumption ; most of 

 the remainder is exported under the name of Vins d'Orleans, generally 

 of ordinary quality; some is retained for making vinegar. Apple, 

 paw, and all fruit trees common to the north and centre of France are 

 Moosasfully cultivated, and a great quantitv of preserves is made. 

 Tha foresta contain chiefly oak, beech, birch, elm, and ohsstnut. Cattle 

 •M of good brosd, and alao ihMp^ esoept iu the Sok^jua, where they 



are small but well fleeced. Bees ai-e carefully tended ; game, poultry, 

 and fish are abundant. Building- and lime-atone, marl, chalk, aud 

 potters'-olay are the only minerals found. 



The manufactures, except those of Orl&na, are unimportant; but 

 the commerce of the department is very extensive. The chief articles 

 of trade are corn, flour, wine, brandy, vinegar, groceries, drugs, fruits 

 and fruit-trees, peaa and beans, cheatnuta, cider, fish, honey, sa£fron, 

 salt, wool, firewood, oak-staves, charcoal, cattle, &c. About 220 fairs 

 are held ia the year. 



The department contains 1,671,760 acres. Of this area 975,088 

 acres are under tillage, 60,454 acres are graas-land, 93,534 acres are 

 under vineyards, 280,966 acres are covered with woods and forests, 

 15,855 acres are occupied as orchards and plantations of dififerent 

 kinds, 27,640 acreaare covered with rivers, canals, &o., 140,509 acres 

 consist of barren breath aud moor-land, and 50,626 acres are occupied 

 as roads, streets, and buildings. 



The department ia divided into 4 arrondiasementa, which, with 

 their subdivisions and population, are as follows : — 



Arrondissements. 



Caatons. 



CommimeB. 



Popalation in 18S1. 



1. OrliaiM . 

 ^ 3. Fithiviers , . . 



3. Gien 



4. Uontar^ , . . 



14 

 i 



5 

 7 



100 

 9S 

 49 

 9S 



154,600 

 60,833 

 49,162 

 76,431 



Total 



31 



348 



341,029 



1. Of the first arrondissement, and of the whole department, the 

 capital is Orleans : population, 43,405 in the commune. The popu- 

 lation given with the other places noticed is in each ca^e the popula- 

 tion of the commune. Bcaagmcy, 17 miles from OrltSans, 19 miles 

 from Blois by railroad, is built at the foot and on the slope of a 

 hill, on the right bank of the Loire, and has about 5000 iuhabitants. 

 The Loire is crossed at Beaugency by a stone bridge of 39 arches. 

 The town was formerly defended by a castle, walla, towers, and bas- 

 tions, some of which works still remain. There is a massive octagonal 

 tower 130 feet high, and of unknown antiquity, iu the town. The 

 town-hall is a small but elegant building of the time of Fran9ois I. 

 In the religious wars of the 16th century Beaugency waa taken several 

 times. Brandy, broadcloth, and leather are the chief industrial 

 products, which, together with the excellent wine of the neighbour- 

 hood, corn, flour, and wool, are the chief articles of trade. The kings 

 of France had a palace at Beaugency in the 14 th century. Chdleaa- 

 neaf-iitr-Loire stands on the right bank of the Loire, E. of Orleans, 

 and has woollen-cloth and beet-root sugar factories and 2994 inhabit' 

 ante. CUrg, prettily situated near the left bank of the Loire, 9 miles 

 S.W. from Orl^aa^, has 2578 inhabitants. This town is famous for ita 

 beautiful church of Notre-Dame, in the nave of which ia a marble 

 monument to Louia XI., who was buried here. The monument which 

 was erected to the memory of Louia and his wife, Charlotte of Savoy, 

 was completed in 1622. It figured after the first French revolution in 

 the Museum of French Monuments in Paria, but was replaced in the 

 church of Cl^ry in 1816. Jargeau, 11 miles E. from Orldana, on the 

 left bank of the Loire, here crossed by a fine bridge, has a population 

 of 2247. Meuny, a well-built town, situated on the right bauk of the 

 Loire, 12 miles by railroad W. by 3. from Orleans, has 4515 inhabit- 

 ants, who manufacture leather, room-paper, and felt hata, and trade 

 largely in flour. Palay ia a small town of 1200 inhabitants, 15 miles 

 N.W. from Orl(Sans, near which Jeanne d'Aro defeated the English in 

 1429 and took Talbot prisoner. 



2. The aecond arrondiasement is named from its chief town, 

 Pithiviert, which is situated on the slope and at the foot of a hill 

 above the CEuf (a feeder of the Seine, which lower down takes the 

 name of Essonne), 25 milea N.E. from Orl^ana, aud has a tribunal of 

 first instance and 3772 inhabitants. The town, which is pretty-well 

 built, is famous for its almond-cakes and lark-pies. Pithiviers, which 

 is also called Pi viere, existed in the 1 0th century, when the square 

 castle waa built, of which there are still some remains. In 1058 

 Henri I. took both town and castle. The English unsuccessfully 

 besieged it in 1350; but they took it after an obstinate resistance 

 in 142S. The Prince of Condd took it in 1562, and again in 1567. 

 Henri IV. caused the fortifications to be dismantled in 1589. Jieatmt- 

 la-Rollande, 8 miles N.E. from Pithiviers, near the Essonne, hsa a 

 population of 2212. 



3. The third arrondissement takes its name from dim, a well-built 

 town, situated on the right bank of the Loire, which is here crossed 

 by a handsome stone bridge of 12 arches, at a distance of 36 miles 

 E.S.E. from OrliSans. From the left bank of the river the view, 

 comprising the bridge and the town, built along the slope of a hill, 

 which ia aurmounted by the church of St-Louis and a fine old castle 

 in good preservation, ia very pretty. Gien has a tribunal of first 

 instance and 6349 inhabitants, who manufacture porcelain and leather, 

 and trade in salt, com, wine, saffron, and wool. The castle of Qien 

 waa founded by Charlemagne, and became the property of Etienne 

 de Vermandois, a descendant of his second son. In 1410 the marriage 

 of the Count of Qtust to the daughter of John the Fearless, duke of 

 Bourgogne, took place in the castle of Qiea In 1420 the tre«ty 



