Montluçon
Montluçon is a commune in central France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, on the Cher river. It is the commune in the department with largest population, although the department's préfecture is in the smaller city of Moulins.
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Montluçon | ||
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| Palace of the Dukes of Bourbon, Montluçon. | ||
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| Administration | ||
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| Country | France | |
| Region | Auvergne | |
| Department | Allier | |
| Arrondissement | Montluçon | |
| Canton | Chief town of 4 cantons: * Montluçon-1 * Montluçon-2 * Montluçon-3 * Montluçon-4 | |
| Intercommunality | Montluçon Communauté | |
| Mayor | Daniel Dugléry (2014-2020) | |
| Statistics | ||
| Elevation | 194–364 m (636–1,194 ft) (avg. 279 m/915 ft) | |
| Land area1 | 20.67 km2 (7.98 sq mi) | |
| Population2 | 37,289 (2014) | |
| - Density | 1,804/km2 (4,670/sq mi) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 03185/ 03100 | |
| Website | www.mairie-montlucon.fr | |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | ||
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
The town is the historical capital of the old province of Bourbonnais and was part of the mediaeval Duchy of Bourbon.
History
Montluçon was built in the Middle Ages. The first mention of a place called Monte Lucii is from the eleventh century. Guillaume, son of Archambaud IV of Bourbon, built a castle on a small rocky hill on the Cher river.
The town, which formed part of the duchy of Bourbon, was taken by the English in 1171, and by Philip II of France in 1181; finally, in the 14th century, the English had to leave the town.
In the 14th century, Louis II de Bourbon re-built the castle and walls of the town. Montluçon and other Burgundian lands went back to the French crown in 1529, and Henry IV further improved the defenses.
Geography
The commune of Montluçon is on the northwestern part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, on the northern part of the Massif Central. The city is on the Cher river.
The commune has an area of 20.7 km2 (8.0 sq mi),[1] and its average altitude is 279 m (915 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 207 m (679 ft).[2]
The city is 61 km (38 mi) from Moulins, 72 km (45 mi) from Clermont-Ferrand and 281 km (175 mi) from Paris.[3]
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Montluçon is surrounded by the communes Saint-Victor, Désertines, Saint-Angel, Néris-les-Bains, Lavault-Sainte-Anne, Prémilhat and Domérat.
Climate
The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Montluçon is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype "Cfb".[4]
Population
The inhabitants of Montluçon are known, in French, as Montluçonnais (women: Montluçonnaises).[5]
With a population of 37,289,[6] Montluçon is the largest city of the Allier department. It has a population density of 1,804 inhabitants/km2.
Evolution of the population in Montluçon
Montluçon forms, with other 6 communes, the urban area of Montluçon with a population of 56,928 inhabitants (2014) and an area of 135.5 km2 (52.3 sq mi).[7] This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Montluçon, formed by 38 communes, with a population of 78,702 inhabitants (2014) and an area of 823.3 km2 (317.9 sq mi).[8]
Administration
Montluçon is a subprefecture of the Allier department since 1800. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Montluçon and the administrative centre (French: chef-lieu) of four cantons:
- Montluçon-1 formed by 1 commune and part of Montluçon, with 16,633 inhabitants (2014).
- Montluçon-2 formed by 18 communes and part of Montluçon, with 25,837 inhabitants (2014).
- Montluçon-3 formed by 14 communes and part of Montluçon, with 19,289 inhabitants (2014).
- Montluçon-4 formed by 6 communes and part of Montluçon, with 16,556 inhabitants (2014).
It is part of the intercommunality Montluçon Communauté.
Sister cities
Places of interest
Some interesting places in Montluçon are:
- The Church of Saint-Pierre (Église Saint-Pierre de Montluçon) is a Roman Catholic church built in the 12th century, with a Romanesque architecture.
- The Church of Notre-Dame (Église Notre-Dame de Montluçon), another Roman Catholic church built in the 15th century, with a Gothic architecture.
- The Dukes of Bourbon castle (Château des ducs de Bourbon) is a castle. It was built beginning in 1070.
Gallery
Château des ducs de Bourbon.
Château des ducs de Bourbon.
Notre-Dame de Montluçon church.
Saint-Paul church.
City hall of Montluçon.
- Marx Dormoy (1888-1941), politician.
- André Messager (1853–1929), composer.
- Audrey Tautou (1976-), actress, was raised in Montluçon.
Montluçon Media
Montluçon-Ville railway station
Related pages
References
- ↑ "Commune de Montluçon (03185)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Montluçon". Map-France.com. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ "Montluçon" (in French). Lion1906. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Ville de Montluçon" (in French). Annuaire-Mairie.fr. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Montluçon (03100)" (in French). habitants.fr. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Régions, départements, arrondissements, cantons et communes" (PDF). Populations légales 2014 (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Unité urbaine de Montluçon (03501)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Aire urbaine de Montluçon (108)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 23 Sep 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Bienvenue à Montluçon - Jumelage" (in French). Ville de Montluçon. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
Other websites
- City council website (in French)
- Office de Tourisme de la Vallèe de Montluçon Archived 2018-09-12 at the Wayback Machine