Montluçon
Encyclopedia
Montluçon is a commune
in central France. It is the largest commune in the Allier
department, although the department's préfecture
is located in the smaller town of Moulins
. Its inhabitants are known as Montluçonnais. The town is in the traditional province of Bourbonnais
and was part of the mediaeval duchy of Bourbon.
regions.
Montluçon is linked with surrounding regions and towns via 4 main road axes, plus the highway A71 from Orléans
to Clermont-Ferrand
; through a railway linking in the North Vierzon then Paris (3-5h). Formerly the canal de Berry
linked Montluçon towards the north.
Montluçon is 106 km south of Bourges
, 340 km from Paris, 95 km from Clermont-Ferrand
, 280 km (3h) from Lyon
, 150 km (2h) from Limoges
and 400 km from the Atlantic coast.
Montluçon is close to the Méridienne verte
(an architectural project marking the Paris meridian) and to the Greenwich meridian.
) dates from the eleventh century. Guillaume, son of Archambaud IV of Bourbon, built the castle in a defensible position on a small rocky hill on a bend in the Cher River
.
The town, which formed part of the duchy of Bourbon, was taken by the English in 1171, and by Philip Augustus
in 1181; the English were finally driven out in the 14th century.
In the 14th century, Louis II de Bourbon re-built the castle and walls. Montluçon and other Burgundian lands were reverted to the French crown in 1529, and Henry IV
further improved the defenses.
Montluçon became the administrative seat of the area in 1791, then entered the industrial revolution thanks to the presence of coalpits at 12 km in Commentry
, the (Canal de Berry
in 1830 and the railway in 1864. These transport links allowed the import of ore and export of coal, wood and manufactured goods. The population grew from 5000 inhabitants in 1830 to 50 000 in 1950.
tire plant (even though Montluçon was in the free zone
) to exploit the research lab to synthesize rubber, since natural rubber could not be imported by the Nazis. The manufacturing of tires for Luftwaffe
aircraft was also of interest for the Nazis.
A notable act of resistance occurred in the city on January 6, 1943 when a mob of citizens overran guards supervising a massive deportation of men to Germany in accordance with the Service de Travail Obligatoire (Obligatory Work Service) plan that sent able Frenchmen to fill vacancies in German factories during the war. All the men who were to be deported managed to escape into the countryside, evading the forced industrial service awaiting them in the Reich.
For this reason, the Allies
bombed the site on 12–16 September 1943, as well as part of the nearby town Saint-Victor
, causing 36 deaths and injuring more than 250 civilians.
Since 1945, traditional industry (blast furnaces and glassware) has declined. Today Montluçon has chemical industries, tire manufacture (Dunlop
), and electronics (Sagem
), and more recently a technopole at La Loue was established for high-tech companies.
There is a small airport 30 km from Montluçon (Montluçon - Guéret Airport) with flights mainly for Paris, and a smaller aerodrome one in Montluçon itself (Montluçon - Domérat Aerodrome).
The nearest international airports are Clermont-Ferrand Airport and Limoges Airport.
Road Transport
Montluçon is linked to French and European road networks, by three major routes:
Rail Transport
The Gare de Montluçon-Ville railway station is served by three main passenger rail lines.
City Buses - Montluçon's local buses are run by Maelis.
, consists of steep, narrow, winding streets, and preserves several buildings of the 15th and 16th centuries. The lower town, traversed by the Cher, is the industrial zone.
The church of Notre-Dame dates from the fourteenth century, the church of St Pierre partly from the 12th. The town hall, with a library, occupies the site of an old Ursuline
convent, and two other convents are used as a college and hospital. Overlooking the town is the castle rebuilt by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon
, and taken by Henry IV
during the French Wars of Religion
; it serves as a barracks.
Montluçon is a sub-prefecture and has courts, a board of trade arbitration, a chamber of commerce and several schools (general public, private, commercial).
Sport:
Twin cities:
Montluçon is twinned with Hagen
, Germany and Leszno
, Poland.
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 central France. It is the largest commune in the Allier
Allier
Allier is a department in central France named after the river Allier.- History :Allier is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Auvergne and Bourbonnais.In 1940, the government of Marshal...
department, although the department's préfecture
Préfecture
A prefecture in France can refer to :*the Chef-lieu de département, the town in which the administration of a department is located;*the Chef-lieu de région, the town in which the administration of a region is located;...
is located in the smaller town of Moulins
Moulins, Allier
Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department.Among its many tourist attractions are the Maison Mantin the Anne de Beaujeu Museum.-History:...
. Its inhabitants are known as Montluçonnais. The town is in the traditional province of Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponded to the modern département of Allier, along with part of the département of Cher. Its capital was Moulins.-History:...
and was part of the mediaeval duchy of Bourbon.
Geography
Montluçon is located in the northwest of the Allier department near the frontier of the Centre and LimousinLimousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
regions.
Montluçon is linked with surrounding regions and towns via 4 main road axes, plus the highway A71 from Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
to Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
; through a railway linking in the North Vierzon then Paris (3-5h). Formerly the canal de Berry
Canal de Berry
The Canal de Berry is a disused canal in France which links the Canal latéral à la Loire at Marseilles-lès-Aubigny with the Cher at Noyers rejoining the Loire near Tours. With a branch from Montluçon it provided of canal with locks wide from 1840 until its closure in 1955...
linked Montluçon towards the north.
Montluçon is 106 km south of Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
, 340 km from Paris, 95 km from Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
, 280 km (3h) from Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, 150 km (2h) from Limoges
Limoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
and 400 km from the Atlantic coast.
Montluçon is close to the Méridienne verte
Méridienne verte
The Méridienne verte is a project devised by the architect Paul Chemetov for the 2000 celebration in France. It involved marking on the ground the Paris Meridian crossing France from North to South by planting trees along the whole line.On 14 July 2000, a picnic...
(an architectural project marking the Paris meridian) and to the Greenwich meridian.
History
Montluçon was built in the Middle Ages. The first mention of a place called Monte Lucii (Mont de LuciusLucius
Lucius is a male given name derived from Lucius , one of the small group of common Latin forenames found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from latin word Lux Lucius (Greek: Λούκιος/Loukios, Etruscan: Luvcie) is a male given name derived from Lucius (abbreviated L.), one of the small...
) dates from the eleventh century. Guillaume, son of Archambaud IV of Bourbon, built the castle in a defensible position on a small rocky hill on a bend in the Cher River
Cher River
The Cher is a river in central France, left tributary to the river Loire. Its source is in the Creuse département, north-east of Crocq. It joins the river Loire in Villandry, west of Tours....
.
The town, which formed part of the duchy of Bourbon, was taken by the English in 1171, and by Philip Augustus
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
in 1181; the English were finally driven out in the 14th century.
In the 14th century, Louis II de Bourbon re-built the castle and walls. Montluçon and other Burgundian lands were reverted to the French crown in 1529, and Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
further improved the defenses.
Montluçon became the administrative seat of the area in 1791, then entered the industrial revolution thanks to the presence of coalpits at 12 km in Commentry
Commentry
Commentry is a commune in the department of Allier in central France. It lies southwest of Moulins by the Orléans railway.-Population:-Economy:...
, the (Canal de Berry
Canal de Berry
The Canal de Berry is a disused canal in France which links the Canal latéral à la Loire at Marseilles-lès-Aubigny with the Cher at Noyers rejoining the Loire near Tours. With a branch from Montluçon it provided of canal with locks wide from 1840 until its closure in 1955...
in 1830 and the railway in 1864. These transport links allowed the import of ore and export of coal, wood and manufactured goods. The population grew from 5000 inhabitants in 1830 to 50 000 in 1950.
World War II
During the Second World War, the Germans occupied the DunlopDunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres is a British company owned 75% by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres....
tire plant (even though Montluçon was in the free zone
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
) to exploit the research lab to synthesize rubber, since natural rubber could not be imported by the Nazis. The manufacturing of tires for Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aircraft was also of interest for the Nazis.
A notable act of resistance occurred in the city on January 6, 1943 when a mob of citizens overran guards supervising a massive deportation of men to Germany in accordance with the Service de Travail Obligatoire (Obligatory Work Service) plan that sent able Frenchmen to fill vacancies in German factories during the war. All the men who were to be deported managed to escape into the countryside, evading the forced industrial service awaiting them in the Reich.
For this reason, the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
bombed the site on 12–16 September 1943, as well as part of the nearby town Saint-Victor
Saint-Victor, Allier
Saint-Victor is a commune in the Allier department in central France.-Population:-Sights:* Château de Passat* Saint Victor church, 13 century, entirely restored* Château de Thizon-References:*...
, causing 36 deaths and injuring more than 250 civilians.
Since 1945, traditional industry (blast furnaces and glassware) has declined. Today Montluçon has chemical industries, tire manufacture (Dunlop
Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres is a British company owned 75% by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres....
), and electronics (Sagem
SAGEM
SAGEM was a major French company involved in defence electronics, consumer electronics and communication systems.In 2005, Sagem merged with SNECMA to form SAFRAN...
), and more recently a technopole at La Loue was established for high-tech companies.
Population
Transportation
Air TransportThere is a small airport 30 km from Montluçon (Montluçon - Guéret Airport) with flights mainly for Paris, and a smaller aerodrome one in Montluçon itself (Montluçon - Domérat Aerodrome).
The nearest international airports are Clermont-Ferrand Airport and Limoges Airport.
Road Transport
Montluçon is linked to French and European road networks, by three major routes:
- the highway A71 from OrléansOrléans-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
to Clermont-FerrandClermont-FerrandClermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
. - the national route to Clermont-Ferrand (E11) and to Bourges/Vierzon
- the E62/RN145 joinging Limoges to Moulins
Rail Transport
- 'Montluçon - BourgesBourgesBourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
- VierzonVierzonVierzon is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A medium-sized town by the banks of the Cher River with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north...
- Paris' (fastest travel time to Paris: 3h08) - 'Montluçon - GannatGannatGannat is a commune in the Allier department in central France.Gannat was a sub-prefecture until 1926, with a population of around 5 800 inhabitants. There is a castle , two churches of which one is partly Romanesque with a 19th-century Gospel Book. The Cultures du Monde Festival is held every July...
- Clermont Ferrand' - 'Montluçon - GuéretGuéretGuéret is a commune and the prefecture of the Creuse department in the Limousin region in central France.-Geography:A light industrial town, the largest in the department, with a big woodland and a little farming not far from the town centre...
- Saint-Sulpice-LaurièreSaint-Sulpice-LaurièreSaint-Sulpice-Laurière is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in west-central France.Inhabitants are known as Saint-Sulpiciens.-References:*...
- LimogesLimogesLimoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
' (on the LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
-BordeauxBordeauxBordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
line)
City Buses - Montluçon's local buses are run by Maelis.
Sights
The upper town, on the right bank of the CherCher River
The Cher is a river in central France, left tributary to the river Loire. Its source is in the Creuse département, north-east of Crocq. It joins the river Loire in Villandry, west of Tours....
, consists of steep, narrow, winding streets, and preserves several buildings of the 15th and 16th centuries. The lower town, traversed by the Cher, is the industrial zone.
The church of Notre-Dame dates from the fourteenth century, the church of St Pierre partly from the 12th. The town hall, with a library, occupies the site of an old Ursuline
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
convent, and two other convents are used as a college and hospital. Overlooking the town is the castle rebuilt by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon
Louis II, Duke of Bourbon
Louis de Bourbon, called the Good , son of Peter de Bourbon and Isabella de Valois, was the third Duke of Bourbon....
, and taken by Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
during the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
; it serves as a barracks.
Monuments
- Le château des ducs de Bourbon, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries
- Church of Notre-Dame, XVe
- Church of Saint-Pierre, XIIe
- Church of Saint-Paul, XIXe
- Church of Sainte-Thérèse, XXe
- Church of Saint-Martin, XXe
- Church of Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc, built in 1966
- Temple de l'Eglise Réformée de France, (1888)
- Tour des forges (or 'tour fondue'), XIIe siècle
- Crown, XIIe
- Maison des Douze apôtres du XIIe
- Museum of popular musiques
- Town HallSeat of local governmentIn local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
, XIXe - Ancienne chapelle Saint-Louis
- Passage du doyenné
- Castle la Louvière
- Castle de Bien-Assis
- Canal de BerryCanal de BerryThe Canal de Berry is a disused canal in France which links the Canal latéral à la Loire at Marseilles-lès-Aubigny with the Cher at Noyers rejoining the Loire near Tours. With a branch from Montluçon it provided of canal with locks wide from 1840 until its closure in 1955...
: locks, canal bridge
Miscellaneous
Administration:Montluçon is a sub-prefecture and has courts, a board of trade arbitration, a chamber of commerce and several schools (general public, private, commercial).
Sport:
- ÉDS MontluçonÉDS MontluçonÉDS Montluçon is a French football club based in Montluçon . It was founded in 1937. They play at the Stade Dunlop, which has a capacity of 9,000. The colours of the club are yellow and black....
Twin cities:
Montluçon is twinned with Hagen
Hagen
Hagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr...
, Germany and Leszno
Leszno
Leszno is a town in central Poland with 63,955 inhabitants . Situated in the southern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999, it was previously the capital of the Leszno Voivodeship . The town has county status.-History:...
, Poland.
Personalities
Montluçon was the birthplace of:- André MessagerAndré MessagerAndré Charles Prosper Messager , was a French composer, organist, pianist, conductor and administrator. His stage compositions included ballets and 30 opéra comiques and operettas, among which Véronique, had lasting success, with Les p'tites Michu and Monsieur Beaucaire also enjoying international...
(1853–1929), composer - JehanJehanJehan is a French songwriter and singer. He is one of the last itinerant songwriter from the Midi with uninterrupted Menestrèl tradition.- Discography :*2007 : Le cul de ma sœur...
(born 1957), songwriter - Marx DormoyMarx DormoyMarx Dormoy was a French socialist politician, noted for his opposition to the far right.-Early career:Born in Montluçon, he was elected mayor of his native town in 1926, and representative of the Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière to the French National Assembly in 1931 for the Allier...
(1888–1941), politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making... - Bernadette VergnaudBernadette VergnaudBernadette Vergnaud is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the west of France...
(born 1950), French politicianPolitics of FranceFrance is a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, in which the President of France is head of state and the Prime Minister of France is the head of government, and there is a pluriform, multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is...
and Member of the European ParliamentMember of the European ParliamentA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,... - Roger WalkowiakRoger WalkowiakRoger Walkowiak is a French former road bicycle racer who unexpectedly won the 1956 Tour de France. He was a professional rider from 1950 until 1960.-The 1956 Tour de France:...
(born 1927), cyclist, winner of the 1956 Tour de France1956 Tour de FranceThe 1956 Tour de France was the 43rd Tour de France, taking place from July 5 to 28, 1956. It consisted of 22 stages over 4498 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.268 km/h.... - Jean Val JeanJean Val Jean (porn star)Jean Val Jean is a French actor and reality television participant. In 2007, Jean Val Jean won the AVN Male Foreign Performer of the Year. He is now known by his birthname, Emmanuel DelCour. Aside from his work in pornographic films, he acted in the low-budget vampire thriller Immortally Yours...
born 1980 - Jules CluzelJules CluzelJules Cluzel is a French Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competes in the F.I.M. Moto2 world championship riding a Suter. He scored his first victory at Silverstone.-Races by year:...
(born 1988), motorcycle Grand Prix road racer - Moise RimbonMoise RimbonMoise Rimbon is a French mixed martial artist who has fought for World Victory Road, KSW, K-1, BodogFight, M-1 Global, Cage Warriors, and Pancrase promotions. Rimbon is best known for his fights with K-1 kickboxers Peter Graham and Alistair Overeem, and recently PRIDE veteran and UFC fighter...
, mixed martial arts fighter
External links
- Town council website (in French)