Muret

Muret
Town hall
Muret
Administration
Country	France
Region	Midi-Pyrénées
Department	Haute-Garonne
Arrondissement	Muret
Canton	Muret
Intercommunality	Muretain
Mayor	Alain Barrès (2001–2008)
Statistics
Elevation	152–305 m (499–1,001 ft) (avg. 169 m or 554 ft)
Land area1	57.84 km2 (22.33 sq mi)
Population2	23,297  (2008)
- Density	403 /km2 (1,040 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	31395/ 31600
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Muret (in Occitan Murèth) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.

It is an outer suburb of the city of Toulouse, even though it does not belong to Greater Toulouse, which it has declined to join. It lies southwest of Toulouse and is the largest component of the intercommunality of Muretain.

History

On September 12, 1213 the Battle of Muret took place between Simon de Montfort and a coalition force under the control of Count Raymond of Toulouse, and King Pedro II of Aragon.

De Montfort had been fighting Albigensian heretics during the Albigensian Crusade, when he was besieged by the vastly superior coalition forces. Refusing to surrender or be starved into submission, de Montfort went instead on the offensive. Leading his knights out of the town, he proceeded to disperse them into a wide arc before falling upon the Toulouse cavalry with a noise like a whole forest going down under the axe. Next to fall victim to such arcing tactics was the Aragonian cavalry where King Pedro himself fell to the sword. After this, all that was left was to scatter the remaining cavalry defending the coalition camp before falling upon the infantry besieging Muret's walls. Despite overwhelming numbers,the coalition army numbering almost 34, 000 men and de Montfort's army only 2 100, the siege of Muret was lifted.

7,000 coalition troops were killed compared to minimum casualties for de Monfort's army.

Population

Historical population of Muret

Year	1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851	1856
Population	3000	3258	3284	3286	3787	3972	4000	4308	4196	4125

Year	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896	1901	1906
Population	4130	4050	3852	3956	4056	4145	4142	4064	3911	3712

Year	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954	1962	1968
Population	3654	3218	3482	3725	4013	4368	5204	6693	13,039

Year	1975	1982	1990	1999	2008
Population	14,778	15,844	18,134	20,735	23,297

Sights

The Château de Rudelle is a 16th and 17th century castle. Privately owned, it is listed as a historic site by the French Ministry of Culture.

Geography

The Louge flows northeast through the commune, then flows into the Garonne in the town.

The Garonne flows north through the commune and forms part of its northern border.

Transport

• Gare de Muret

Communication

South of Muret, there is a mediumwave broadcasting station, which works on 945 kHz with 300 kW.

International relations

Muret is twinned with:

• Monzón (Spain)

Education

• École nationale de l'aviation civile

See also

• Battle of Muret
• Communes of the Haute-Garonne department
• Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne

References

• INSEE

External links

• Official website (in French)