What is Auch?
{{Infobox French commune |name = Auch |commune status = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]] |image = Auch1.jpg |caption = [[Cathedral]] in the town centre. |image coat of arms = Blason Auch 32.svg |arrondissement = Auch |canton = [[Canton of Auch-1|Auch-1]]<br />[[Canton of Auch-2|Auch-2]]<br />[[Canton of Auch-3|Auch-3]] |INSEE = 32013 |postal code = 32000 |mayor = Franck Montaugé |term = 2014&ndash;2020 |intercommunality = Grand Auch |coordinates = {{coord|43.6465|0.5855|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |elevation m = 166 |elevation min m = 115 |elevation max m = 281 |area km2 = 72.48 |population = 21960 |population date = 2012 |population demonym = Auscitain, Auscitaine |website = [http://www.mairie-auch.fr/ www.mairie-auch.fr] }} '''Auch''' ([[Gascon language|Gascon]]: ''Aush'' or ''Aux'') is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in southwestern [[France]], in the [[Regions of France|region]] of [[Occitanie]]. It is the [[Prefectures in France|''prefecture'']] ([[Capital city|capital]]) of the [[Gers]] [[Departments of France|department]]. It is also the capital of 3 [[Cantons in France|''cantons'']]: [[Canton of Auch-1|Auch-1]], [[Canton of Auch-2|Auch-2]] and [[Canton of Auch-3|Auch-3]]. Auch is the historical capital of [[Gascony]] and the people of this city are known, in [[French language|French]], as ''auscitain'' (women: ''auscitaines'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.habitants.fr/habitants_auch_32013.html|title=Auch|publisher=habitants.fr |language=fr |access-date=4 April 2014 }}</ref> ==History== [[Image:Auch 1883.jpg|thumb|left|Auch in 1883]] Auch is an ancient town. The name of ''Auch'' comes from the people that inhabited the area at the time of the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] conquest. The name of this [[tribe]] was ''Ausci'', singular ''Auscus''. The Romans named the town where that tribe lived as ''Augusta Au