L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue L'Illa de Sòrga  (Occitan)
Commune
The village of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, with the river in the foreground
Coat of arms
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Vaucluse
Arrondissement	Avignon
Canton	L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Intercommunality	Pays des Sorgues et des Monts de Vaucluse
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Pierre Gonzalvez (LR)
Area1	44.57 km2 (17.21 sq mi)
Population (Jan. 2018)2
INSEE/Postal code	84054 / 84800
Elevation	52–246 m (171–807 ft)
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.

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (French pronunciation: ​[lil syʁ la sɔʁɡ]; Occitan: L'Illa de Sòrga [ˈlilɔ de ˈsɔʀɡɔ] or L'Illa de Venissa [ˈlilɔ de veˈnisɔ]) is a town and commune on the Sorgue river in Southeastern France. Politically, the commune is in the arrondissement of Avignon within the department of Vaucluse, in the région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

The small town is famous for its many antique shops and hosts antique markets most Sundays. It has many waterside cafés and restaurants, all within walking distance of each other. Its many attractive water wheels throughout the town are still in working order.

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue had a population of 20,042 as of 2019. It is twinned with the towns of Penicuik in Scotland and Anagni in Italy.

History

One of the several water wheels in the town

Originally known as "Insula", the town officially adopted the name of "L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue" on 18 August 1890, taking the latter part of its name from the river Sorgue, to which it owed much. As early as the 12th century, the river served defensively as a moat around ramparts which surrounded the town until 1795. The river also served as a source of food and industry: fishing and artisan mills for oil, wheat, silk, paper, woolenry, rugs and dyeing. A busy commerce developed until there were two annual fairs and two weekly markets. The current Sunday open-air market originated on 9 November 1596.

Population

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 5,000 —     1800 5,155 +0.44% 1806 5,170 +0.05% 1821 5,812 +0.78% 1831 6,052 +0.41% 1836 6,277 +0.73% 1841 6,262 −0.05% 1846 6,392 +0.41% 1851 6,503 +0.34% 1856 6,500 −0.01% 1861 6,517 +0.05% 1866 6,478 −0.12% 1872 6,337 −0.37% 1876 6,508 +0.67% 1881 6,208 −0.94% 1886 6,317 +0.35% 1891 6,003 −1.01% 1896 6,266 +0.86%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 6,514 +0.78% 1906 6,462 −0.16% 1911 6,062 −1.27% 1921 5,739 −0.55% 1926 6,134 +1.34% 1931 6,396 +0.84% 1936 6,505 +0.34% 1946 6,922 +0.62% 1954 7,590 +1.16% 1962 8,704 +1.73% 1968 9,740 +1.89% 1975 11,508 +2.41% 1982 12,728 +1.45% 1990 15,564 +2.55% 1999 16,971 +0.97% 2007 18,799 +1.29% 2012 18,902 +0.11% 2017 19,421 +0.54%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Twins cities

• Penicuik, Scotland
• Anagni, Italy

Places to see

• Jewish cemetery of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

See also

• Communes of the Vaucluse department

External links

• Official web site of the town (site not available as of 16 April 2015)
• L’isle-sur-la-Sorgues, Capitale de l'antiquité et de la brocante, (in French) Capital of antique shops and flea markets.