Condom (Occitan: Condòm; French pronunciation: [kɔ̃dɔ̃]), also known as Condom-en-Armagnac, is a commune in southwestern France in the department of Gers, of which it is a subprefecture.

Geography

Localisation

The town of Condom is located in the northern part of the department of Gers, halfway between Mont-de-Marsan (to the west) and Montauban (to the east), and north of Auch.

Roads and transports

Way of St. James

Condom is a town on the Via Podiensis, one of the three major French arms of the pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James.

This particular route begins in Le Puy and ends in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Pilgrims arrive at Condom after Miradoux and continue on to Larressingle.

Toponymy

The toponym Condom comes from the Gaulish words condate and magos combined into Condatomagos, which means "market or field, of the confluence".

Condatómagos evolved into Condatóm and then into Conddóm. Condom was first recorded in Latin in the 10th century as Condomus or Condomium. It is where the river Gèle flows into the river Baïse.

Although the French word for a condom is préservatif, in 1995 the town's mayor, taking advantage of the incidental relationship between the town's name and the English word, opened a museum of contraceptives. It operated until 2005.

Politics and administration

Mayors

Mayor	Term start	Term end
Jean Dubos	1983	1983
Jacques Moisan	1989	1995
Gérard Dubrac	1995	2008
Bernard Gallardo	2008	2014
Gérard Dubrac	2014	2020
Jean-François Rousse	2020

Twin towns

• Grünberg, Germany – since 1973
• Toro, Spain

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 11,064 —     1800 6,650 −7.01% 1806 7,051 +0.98% 1821 7,146 +0.09% 1831 7,144 −0.00% 1841 6,915 −0.33% 1846 7,195 +0.80% 1851 7,205 +0.03% 1856 7,553 +0.95% 1861 8,070 +1.33% 1866 8,140 +0.17% 1872 8,282 +0.29% 1876 7,873 −1.26% 1881 8,555 +1.68% 1886 7,902 −1.58% 1891 7,405 −1.29% 1896 7,045 −0.99% 1901 6,578 −1.36%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1906 6,435 −0.44% 1911 6,380 −0.17% 1921 5,773 −0.99% 1926 6,355 +1.94% 1931 6,310 −0.14% 1936 6,233 −0.25% 1946 6,725 +0.76% 1954 6,781 +0.10% 1962 6,850 +0.13% 1968 7,326 +1.13% 1975 7,853 +1.00% 1982 7,634 −0.40% 1990 7,717 +0.14% 1999 7,251 −0.69% 2007 7,147 −0.18% 2012 6,927 −0.62% 2017 6,530 −1.17% 2020 6,478 −0.27%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Sites of interest

Condom is the site of two castles, the Château de Mothes and the Château de Pouypardin, both started in the 13th century. In total, 19 sites in Condom are listed as monuments historiques by the French Ministry of Culture, including the cathedral, churches and houses.

Condom is known for the production of Armagnac, an international music festival of "bandas", an international chess tournament and an international chess marathon. It is also known for its tourism with farm campings and boating on waterways. It is also home to a museum about Armagnac.

A statue of The Three Musketeers and d'Artagnan stands beside the cathedral and was created in 2010 by Zurab Tsereteli.

Notable people

• Blaise de Montluc, marshal of France, buried in Condom.
• Scipion Dupleix (1569–1661).
• Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627–1704).
• Jean-Charles Persil (1785–1870).
• Narcisse-Achille de Salvandy (1795–1856).
• Sarah Maldoror (1929–2020).
• Samuel Marques, (1988–) Portuguese rugby union player, born in Condom.
• Stéphane Abrial (1954–), French general born in Condom.
• Siouxsie Sioux (1957–), English singer and songwriter, moved to Condom in 1992 and left in 2015.
• Grégory Alldritt (1997–), French Rugby Union player
• Jean-Louis Palladin (1946–2001), French/American Chef
• Larry L'Estrange (1934–2007), British soldier and rugby player, retired in Condom

See also

• Bishop of Condom
• Place names considered unusual
• Communes of the Gers department