Bâgé-le-Châtel is a commune

Communes of France

The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...

 in the Ain

Ain

Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...

 department in eastern France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

History

The name of Bâgé-le-Châtel comes from a Gallo-Roman villa belonging to a certain Balgiasius.

In the Middle Ages, three parishes were formed on the territory of the Seigneurs de Bâgé: Bâgé-le-Châtel around the chateau, Saint-André where the church was built, and Bâgé-la-Ville

Bâgé-la-Ville

Bâgé-la-Ville is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Geography:Bâgé-la-Ville is located in the heart of Bresse, between Bourg-en-Bresse and Mâcon.It is the largest commune in the department in terms of area.-Population:-References:*...

, the largest town.

Bâgé-le-Châtel is the ancient capital of Bresse

Bresse

Bresse is a former French province. It is located in the regions of Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne, and Franche-Comté of eastern France. The geographical term Bresse has two meanings: Bresse bourguignonne , which is situated in the east of the department of Saône-et-Loire, and Bresse, which is located...

. In 1272, Bresse became part of Savoy

Savoy

Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....

 when Sibylle de Bâgé, sole heir, married Amadeus V, Count of Savoy

Amadeus V, Count of Savoy

Amadeus V , surnamed the Great for his wisdom and success as a ruler, was the Count of Savoy from 1285 to 1323. He established Chambéry as his seat...

. Bourg (today Bourg-en-Bresse

Bourg-en-Bresse

Bourg-en-Bresse is a commune in eastern France, capital of the Ain department, and was capital of the former province of Bresse . It is located north-northeast of Lyon.The inhabitants of Bourg-en-Bresse are known as Burgiens.-Geography:...

), a fortified bastion with 3400 inhabitants, became the capital of Bresse. Bâgé remained a village, whereas Bourg expanded beyond its walls to become the city of today.

Population