Unusual names of the Gers villages
Condom, Escorneboeuf are names of towns that can make you smile when you read or hear them. From the simply funny name to the bizarre name, through the somewhat scabrous allusion, some municipalities in our department have original or even unusual names.
In these vacation times and these needs for light subjects, this little tour of the villages will certainly put a smile on your lips!
What a funny name !
Escornebœuf, common on the outskirts of Gimont, formerly called Ecornebœuf but which has kept the prefix “es-” in accordance with Occitan phonetics, designates a place where a wind blows to decorate the cows. There is the chapel of Saint-Jean de las Monges, from the XNUMXth century, as well as a church from the XNUMXth century.
The village of Monblanc in the Gers, south-east of Samatan, was established on the promontory where the castle is currently located, this same promontory which would have been built, according to legend, by the women of the seigneury by transporting the earth to erect the "White motte", which would have given the name of Mont Blanc to the village.
15km north-east of Auch, the village of Mirepoix takes its name from the Gascon "mirepech" which means "look at the top". The origin of the village dates back to the XNUMXth century, around the castle built at that time, of which the Batz family, ancestors of the famous D'Artagnan, were the owners.
15km south of Auch, on the road to Lannemezan, the village of sansan (pronounce "sans sans"), its Romanesque bell tower and its famous fossil site de Campané, would originate from the name of its owner in Gallo-Roman times, in Latin Sancianus or Santius, followed by the suffix "-anum".
It is not a common name but a common name ...
Between Nogaro and Eauze, a land of vineyards famous in particular for its wines and Armagnac, the village of Espas has a XNUMXth century church as well as a magnificent XNUMXth century castle, inhabited by individuals, classified as a historic monument.
To the south of the territory of Arrats et Save, the XIth century castelnau of Sauveterre would have found its name by the role it had at that time: it would have been a "sauveté", that is to say a place of refuge for fugitives and wanderers who benefited from the right of asylum.
The name of Mouchès (pronounced the "s" with the Gers accent of course!), A small village of 75 inhabitants between L'Isle de Noé and Mirande in the territory of Astarac, would come from "mougès" meaning "monks" because the commune was the seat of an important convent of the Order of Cluny, Catholic monastic order, between the XNUMXth and the XNUMXth century. The village retains a fortified mill as well as Gallo-Roman remains.
For lovers of scabrous jokes ...
Condom, episcopal city in the north of the department, in the heart of the Ténarèze territory, is undoubtedly the city of Gers whose name most appeals to visitors, whether they come from neighboring departments or from abroad. It has a magnificent cathedral and a flamboyant Gothic cloister from the XNUMXth century. The city is also home to a statue bearing the effigy of D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers and hosts a superb Bandas festival in May!
In the name category rogues, let's not forget to mention Lombez, 18km south of Gimont or even Lannux in the Adour valley at the gates of the Landes department, or even Larée in the north-west of the Armagnac region.
