Céret

Céret is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It was the capital of the historic Catalan comarque of Vallespir.
It is a subprefecture in the department and the capital of the Céret "arrondissement".
Name of the city.
The name "Céret" comes from the Catalan name for the town: "Ceret".
Former known names of Céret are, in order of appearance, "vicus Sirisidum" in 814, "vico Cereto" in 866, "villa Cerseto" in 915, "vigo Ceresido" in 930, also "Cered" and "Ceriteto" in the 10th century, "Ceret", "Cericeto" in the XIth and XIIth centuries, "Cirset" around 1070, "Cersed" (one of the most common forms) in 1130 and "Cerset" in 1138, and from the XIIIth to the XVth centuries "Cereto", "Ceret", "Seret" and "Saret". "Ceret" becomes the most common form around the XVIth century.
Geography.
Céret lies in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, in southern France. It is in the valley of the Tech river.
It has an area of and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is . The lowest point () of the "commune" is on the Tech river and the highest is on the Roc de Frausa ().
The "commune" is at from Perpignan, from Montpellier and at from Toulouse. It is surrounded by the "communes" Vivès, Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts, Maureillas-las-Illas, Reynès, Oms.
Climate.
The climate of Céret, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - Oceanic climate with template summers.
Population.
The inhabitants of Céret are known, in French, as "cerétans" (women: "céretanes").
With a population in 2014 of 7,663, Céret has a population density of inhabitants/km2.
Evolution of the population in Céret
Administration.
Céret is a subprefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department since 1790. It is also the capital of the "arrondissement" of Céret and the administrative centre () of the canton Vallespir-Albères with 13 "communes" and 29,894 inhabitants in 2014.
It is part of the intercommunality "Vallespir" ().
Twin cities.
Céret is a twin town of:
Economy.
The region around Céret is a major fruit producer, in particular famed for its cherries. The first of the season's pick are, by local tradition, sent to France's President. Céret has a cherry festival each year. The cherry season is during the end of April and May.
Sites of interest.
Céret is famous for its Musée d'Art Moderne (Museum of Modern Art), which has numerous Picasso paintings, sculptures and ceramics. The museum also features paintings by Chagall, Matisse, Herbin, Soutine, lots of Fauves and a few Impressionists.
The Museum of Musical Instruments opened in May 2013 and has a unique collection of instruments and musical scores.
The "Pont du Diable" (Devil's Bridge) is a single arch stone bridge built between 1321 and 1341.