Villeneuve-Loubet
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (December 2008) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Villeneuve-Loubet | |
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 The village overlooked by the Château de Villeneuve-Loubet | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
Location of Villeneuve-Loubet  | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Alpes-Maritimes |
| Arrondissement | Grasse |
| Canton | Villeneuve-Loubet |
| Intercommunality | Sophia Antipolis |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Richard Camou |
| Area 1 | 19.60 km2 (7.57 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | 15,020 |
| • Density | 770/km2 (2,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 06161 /06270 |
| Elevation | 0–213 m (0–699 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Villeneuve-Loubet (pronounced [vilnœv lube] is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, at the mouth of the river Loup.
It was created by the joining two old villages: the old village of Villeneuve inland and the village of Loubet on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Its inhabitants are called Villeneuvois.
Economy
It is at the same time a seaside resort and part of the technopole of Sophia Antipolis, many companies of the tertiary sector being installed in the city.
Culture
Villeneuve-Loubet is the birthplace of the famous 19th century provençal chef, restaurateur, and culinary writer Auguste Escoffier, the author of the Guide Culinaire and the founder of French haute cuisine. Villeneuve-Loubet was also, from 1920 onwards, the home of Maréchal Philippe Pétain (1856–1951), the "Hero of Verdun" in World War I and chief of state of the Nazi-collaborationist État Français, commonly known as Vichy, in World War II. Pétain was sentenced to death for treason in 1945; this was commuted to life in prison by Charles de Gaulle and he died a prisoner at Fort de la Pierre-Levée on the Ile d'Yeu in 1951 at the age of 95.
Villeneuve-Loubet was also the site of a battle in World War II when it was liberated by the First Special Service Force on August 26, 1944. The tower of the castle was damaged by a shell fired by the US Navy, and dozens of soldiers from both sides were killed or wounded. In 2006, the bodies of fourteen Germans who were killed during the fighting were discovered in a mass grave near the town by a local medical student.[citation needed]
Saint Marc Church (15th century): The stained glasses have been realised by the artist painter Pier Lecolas in 2006.
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 2,769 | — |
| 1968 | 3,865 | +39.6% |
| 1975 | 6,001 | +55.3% |
| 1982 | 8,083 | +34.7% |
| 1990 | 11,539 | +42.8% |
| 1999 | 12,935 | +12.1% |
| 2010 | 15,020 | +16.1% |
International relations
The commune is twinned with:
See also
References
 | This Alpes-Maritimes geographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |