Roquemaure, Gard

Roquemaure (French pronunciation: [ʁɔkmɔʁ]; Occitan: Ròcamaura; Provençal: Recamaulo) is a small town and commune in the Gard department of southern France. The town lies 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) north of Avignon on the right bank of the Rhône. As of 2023, the population of the commune was 5,529. Roquemaure was the site of a royal castle during the medieval period but after the French Revolution the castle was dismantled and now only two towers remain. In the 18th century Roquemaure was the centre of attempts to regulate the production of wine in the area and the term "Côte du Rhône" was coined. The town is infamous as the site where phylloxera, a pest of grapevines, was introduced into France from North America via England in the 1860s. Viticulture is still an important activity in the commune. Several types of wine are produced including some classified as Côtes du Rhône Appellation d'origine contrôlée.