Pont-Saint-Esprit

The 1951 Pont-Saint-Esprit mass poisoning, known in French as Le Pain Maudit, took place on 15 August 1951, in the small town of Pont-Saint-Esprit in Southern France. More than 250 people were involved, including 50 people interned in asylums, and there were seven deaths. A foodborne illness was suspected; among these it was originally believed to be a case of "cursed bread" (pain maudit). A majority of academic sources accept naturally occurring ergot poisoning as the cause of the epidemic, while a few theorise other causes such as poisoning by mercury, mycotoxins, or nitrogen trichloride.

The Ardèche (French: [aʁdɛʃ] ; Occitan: Ardecha) is a 125-kilometre (78 mi) long river in south-central France, a right-bank tributary of the River Rhône. Its source is in the Massif Central, near the village of Astet. It flows into the Rhône near Pont-Saint-Esprit, north-west of Orange. The river gives its name to the French department of Ardèche. The valley of the Ardèche is very scenic, in particular a 30-kilometre (19 mi) section known as the Ardèche Gorges. The walls of the river here are limestone cliffs up to 300 metres (980 ft) high. A kayak and camping trip down the gorge is not technically difficult and is very popular in the summer. The most famous feature is a natural 60-metre (200 ft) stone arch spanning the river known as the Pont d'Arc (arch bridge).

The canton of Pont-Saint-Esprit is an administrative division of the Gard department, southern France. Its borders were modified at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Pont-Saint-Esprit. It consists of the following communes:

Lamotte-du-Rhône (French pronunciation: [lamɔt dy ʁon]; Occitan: La Mota de Ròse) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Saint-Alexandre (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃.t‿alɛksɑ̃dʁ]; Occitan: Sent Alexandre) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Saint-Paulet-de-Caisson (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ polɛ də kɛsɔ̃]; Occitan: Sent Paulet de Caisson) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Carsan (French pronunciation: [kaʁsɑ̃]; Occitan: Carçan) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Vénéjan (French pronunciation: [veneʒɑ̃]; Occitan: Venejan) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Saint-Just-d'Ardèche (before 2011: Saint-Just, Occitan: Sant Just) is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.

Lapalud (French pronunciation: [lapaly]; Occitan: La Palús) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Saint-Nazaire (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ nazɛʁ] ; Provençal: Sent Nazari) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Mondragon (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃dʁaɡɔ̃]; Occitan: Montdragon) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is known primarily for the large Donzère-Mondragon Dam across the river Rhône named for it and the town of Donzère. It was once part of the Comtat Venaissin, an exclave of the Papal States. The coat of arms depicts a globus cruciger.