Céret Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Céret

The city of Céret

Coat of arms

Céret

Location in France

Céret

Location in Occitanie

Country

Vallespir-Albères

Communauté de communes du Vallespir

Area

37.86 km² (14.62 sq mi)

Population

(2014)

7,663

• Density

202.40/km² (524.22/sq mi)

Cérétans

• Summer (DST)

INSEE/Postal code

66049 /66400

Elevation

107–1,440 m (351–4,724 ft)
(avg. 154 m or 505 ft)

Website

Official website: http://www.mairie-ceret.fr/

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Céret is a charming town in southern France. It's located in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, which is like a county. This town used to be the main city of a historic region called Vallespir in Catalonia.

Céret is also an important administrative center. It's a "subprefecture," meaning it's a main town for a part of the department, called an "arrondissement."

What's in a Name?
Exploring Céret's Location
- Céret's Weather
People of Céret
- How Céret's Population Grew
How Céret is Governed
- Who are the Mayors?
- Sister Cities
What Céret is Known For
Cool Places to Visit
Gallery
Related Pages
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name?

The name Céret comes from the Catalan name for the town, which is Ceret.

Over many years, the town's name has been spelled in different ways. Some old names include vicus Sirisidum (from the year 814) and villa Cerseto (from 915). By the 16th century, Ceret became the most common way to spell it.

Exploring Céret's Location

Céret is nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains in southern France. It sits in the beautiful valley of the Tech river.

The town covers an area of about 37.86 km² (14.62 sq mi). Its average height above sea level is 154 m (505 ft). The lowest point in the town is 107 m (351 ft) by the Tech river, and the highest point is on a peak called Roc de Frausa, at 1,440 m (4,720 ft).

Map showing Céret and its neighboring towns.

Céret is about 35 km (22 mi) from Perpignan, a larger city. It's also surrounded by other towns like Vivès, Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts, Maureillas-las-Illas, Reynès, and Oms. To the south, it borders Spain.

Oms	Vivès	Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts
Reynès		Maureillas-las-Illas
	Céret

	Maçanet de Cabrenys (Spain)

Céret's Weather

Céret has an Oceanic climate. This means it has mild temperatures and rain throughout the year, with warm but not too hot summers.

People of Céret

The people who live in Céret are called cerétans (for men) and céretanes (for women) in French.

In 2014, about 7,663 people lived in Céret. This means there were about 202 people living in each square kilometer.

How Céret's Population Grew

Evolution of the population in Céret

How Céret is Governed

Céret has been an important administrative center since 1790. It's the main town for the arrondissement of Céret. It's also the central town for a larger area called the canton Vallespir-Albères, which includes 13 different towns and had almost 30,000 people in 2014.

The town is part of a group of communities called Vallespir (French: Communauté de communes du Vallespir), which work together on local projects.

Who are the Mayors?

Here are some of the people who have served as mayor of Céret:

Mayor	Term start	Term end
Onuphre Tarris	1919	1940
Henri Rey	1940	1941
Henri Mouchard	1941	1943
Jean Maler	1943	1944
Jacques Souquet	1944	1945
Gaston Cardonne	1945	1947
Henri Guitard	1947	1963
Marcel Parayre	1963	1964
Michel Sageloly Sr.	1964	1983
Henri Sicre	1983	1995
Michel Sageloly Jr.	1995	1996
Henri Sicre	1996	2001
Alain Torrent	2001	2020
Michel Coste	2020

Sister Cities

Céret has special friendships with other towns around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities":

What Céret is Known For

The area around Céret is famous for growing lots of fruit, especially delicious cherries. It's a tradition that the very first cherries picked each season are sent to the President of France! Céret even has a cherry festival every year, usually in late April and May.

Cool Places to Visit

Céret is well-known for its Museum of Modern Art. This museum has many amazing paintings, sculptures, and ceramics by famous artists like Picasso, Chagall, and Matisse. You can also see works by artists from the Fauves and Impressionists art movements.

The Museum of Musical Instruments opened in 2013. It has a special collection of musical instruments and old musical scores.

Don't miss the Pont du Diable, which means "Devil's Bridge." This old stone bridge has a single arch and was built a very long time ago, between 1321 and 1341.