is a town and
Commune located in the
Aquitaine ''
Région '' in southern
France , on the river
Garonne , 84 miles southeast of
Bordeaux . It is the ''
Préfecture '' of the
Lot-et-Garonne ''
Département ''.
The
12th Century Cathedral of Agen, St. Caprais, dedicated to
Saint Caprasius , is one of the barest handful of large churches in France with a double
Nave ; the curious and impractical plan may be a regional trait, since one of the others is the Church of the Jacobins in relatively nearby
Toulouse .
Agen is connected by the A62
Motorway to both
Toulouse and
Bordeaux .
By train it is around an hour from Toulouse, and around an hour from Bordeaux.
It has a very small airport mostly used for business flights and leisure flying.
See Also: Diocese of Agen
Agen is the seat of a
Roman Catholic diocese that comprises the
Département Of Lot And Garonne . It is a
Suffragan of the
Archdiocese Of Bordeaux .
In France, it is famous as the "capital of the
Prune ". This is a local produce, which you can most notably buy either as a sweet (prunes stuffed with prune purée) or as an after-dinner delight (prunes soaked in
Armagnac - a type of brandy).
Agen was the birthplace of:
- Bernard Palissy (c. 1510 - 1590 ), Potter - according to some accounts, he may have been born in Saintes
- Joseph Justus Scaliger ( 1540 - 1609 ), scholar
- Pierre Dupuy ( 1582 - 1651 ), scholar
- Godefroi, Comte D'Estrades ( 1607 - 1686 ), diplomatist and Marshal
- Bernard Germain Étienne Comte De La Ville-sur-Illon La Cépède ( 1756 - 1825 ), Naturalist
- Jean Baptiste Bory De Saint-Vincent ( 1780 - 1846 ), naturalist
- Jacques Jasmin ( 1798 - 1864 ), Provençal Poet
- Joseph Chaumié ( 1849 - 1919 ), politician
- Michel Serres (born 1930 ), Philosopher and author
- Jacques Sadoul (born 1934 ), author
- Jean Cruguet (born 1939), Jockey who won the U.S. Triple Crown Of Thoroughbred Racing .
- Francis Cabrel (born 1953 ), Singer-songwriter and Guitarist
- Bernard Campan (born 1958 ), actor and film director
- Stéphane Minisini (born 1973 ) September 14, 1973 , genius
- Stéphane Rideau (born 1976 ) July 25, 1976 , actor
Agen is twinned with:
