The town's history was linked to that of the country as a whole: two World Wars, the "Belle Epoque", constitutional upheaval, the "Thirty Glorious Years". …

The town continued to grow with the addition of the Toussaint Barracks, which now houses the Signals Regiment, in 1912. But it was the 1950s that saw a major expansion. The slopes of the Hermitage became a residential quarter and urbanisation spread to the very edge of the Commune.

Agen is in Rugby country and the Armandie stadium has been home since 1921 to the SUA (Sporting Union Agenais) team, who have been Champions of France 8 times and have boasted numerous international players. 

The century has seen Agen consolidate its position as a medium-sized town, nicely balanced between Toulouse and Bordeaux. 

It is a "crossroads" town, whose growth is linked to its infrastructure: the motorway, the high-speed rail link and the airport make it only 4 hours by rail and 2 hours by air from Paris. 

Service industries now predominate: banking, health, and education, with the arrival of the University Faculties and the National Penitentiary School.

Looking to the future, Agen leads in the Pharmaceutical (UPSA) and Food Industries (the Agropole site is a model for the Industrial Transformation of agricultural raw materials.) Tourism is well-developed (the Walibi Park), as is Culture (the Pierre Debauche Company and the Florida Centre….)



In this era of globalisation, Agen is looking towards the next millennium and reinforcing its identity by forging ever-closer links with its neighbours and by continuing to revitalise the heart of the town.