Les Ponts-de-Cé

French commune
nomcommune=Les Ponts-de-Cé
région=Pays de la Loire
département=Maine-et-Loire
arrondissement=Angers
canton=Les Ponts-de-Cé
insee=49246
cp=49130
maire=Pierre-André Ferrand
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=C.A. d'Angers Loire Métropole
Pays Loire-Angers
longitude=-0.52416
latitude=47.42527
alt moy=26 m
alt mini=15 m
alt maxi=36 m
hectares=1.955
km²=19.55
sans=12,038
date-sans=1999
dens=582
nomhab=Les Ponts de Céais

Les Ponts-de-Cé is a town and commune in France in the "département" of Maine-et-Loire, 190 miles south-west of Paris. Les Ponts-de-Cé is in the suburbs of Angers.

It had 11,387 inhabitants in 1999.

History

In September 1432, during the Hundred Years' War, the routiers of Rodrigo de Villandrando, in the pay of Georges de la Trémoille, held Les Ponts-de-Cé against the assaults of Jean de Bueil.

In August 1620, a battle in Les Ponts-de-Cé definitely ended a civil war, waged by Marie de Médicis. Her troops were defeated by her son, the French King Louis XIII.

This short rebellion, subdued easily by the King's troops, is known in France under the name of "Drôlerie des Ponts-de-Cé" (Les Ponts-de-Cé's joke).

Names

In the past, Les Ponts-de-Cé had known many different names, which are :
* CASTRO-SEIO (889)
* PON SIGEI (1009)
* IN SAIACO (1036)
* SAIACUS (1090)
* SEIUM (1104)
* PONS SAGEI (1115)
* PONS SAGII (1148)
* PONS SAEII (1291)
* LE PONT DE SAE (1293)
* LES PONTS DE SEE (1529).

All these names contain the Celtic root "SEA", which has the same meaning as in English.Fact|date=February 2007Indeed, the city has the characteristic of being spanned by many bridges which connect the various zones and roads of the city between them. This is also why the French meaning could be translated by "Cé's bridges".