Saint-Gérand-le-Puy
Encyclopedia
Saint-Gérand-le-Puy or Le Puy is a commune
in the Allier
department in Auvergne
in central France
.
common in the Auvergne, known as indusial, because of the cases, or indusiae, of the larvæ of Phryganea (resembling caddis-flies), which have been encrusted, as they lay, by hard travertine (a white or light-coloured concretionary limestone, usually hard and semi-crystalline, deposited from water holding lime in solution).
The area is rich in fossils, notably birds from the Miocene
era. See, for example, Cheneval J (1984), Les oiseaux aquatiques (Gaviiformes à Ansériformes) du gisement aquitanien de Saint-Gérand-le-Puy (Allier} (The aquatic birds (Galliformes
to Anseriformes
) of the aquitanian deposits of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy (Allier}.
, deriving strategic importance from its location on the route from Moulins
to Lyon
.
The town was a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
- a local cross marking the way is shown at http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/France/photo89772.htm.
It belonged to the seigneurie
of Montluçon
at the beginning of the 13th century but when the le Bourbonnais (part of the Massif Central
essentially co-terminous with the modern Allier) became a Duchy in 1327 it passed into of the hands of the Bourbon
s.
During the French Revolution
it was known as Puy-Redan. In 1832, Saint-Etienne-de-Ciernat and Saint-Etienne-du-Bas were joined to the commune and, in 1833, Saint-Allyre-de-Valence followed.
, his wife, Nora, and son, Giorgio, made an extended visit to the town to see Giorgio’s son, Stephen, a pupil at the bilingual school there.
In February 1940 they were visited by Samuel Beckett
.
After Easter, they moved for a few months to Vichy
, some 20 km (12.4 mi) away, to see their friend Valéry Larbaud
. Personal problems, and the imminent German occupation, persuaded them to move to their final port of call, neutral Switzerland
, where they arrived on 14 December 1940. A year later, Joyce died in Zurich
. His obituary published in Time can be read onlinehttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,932584,00.html.
The memory of Joyce has been celebrated for many years in Saint-Gerand, in particular with "le Jour d'Ulyssehttp://jamesjoyce.over-blog.com/."
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 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 in Auvergne
Auvergne (région)
Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...
in central 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...
.
Geography
Much of the local rock is limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
common in the Auvergne, known as indusial, because of the cases, or indusiae, of the larvæ of Phryganea (resembling caddis-flies), which have been encrusted, as they lay, by hard travertine (a white or light-coloured concretionary limestone, usually hard and semi-crystalline, deposited from water holding lime in solution).
The area is rich in fossils, notably birds from the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
era. See, for example, Cheneval J (1984), Les oiseaux aquatiques (Gaviiformes à Ansériformes) du gisement aquitanien de Saint-Gérand-le-Puy (Allier} (The aquatic birds (Galliformes
Galliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
to Anseriformes
Anseriformes
The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds in three extant families: the Anhimidae , Anseranatidae , and the Anatidae, which includes over 140 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.All species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at...
) of the aquitanian deposits of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy (Allier}.
History
A Roman road runs by the town. It was a fortified village in the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, deriving strategic importance from its location on the route from 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:...
to 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....
.
The town was a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
- a local cross marking the way is shown at http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/France/photo89772.htm.
It belonged to the seigneurie
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
of Montluçon
Montluçon
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...
at the beginning of the 13th century but when the le Bourbonnais (part of the Massif Central
Massif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
essentially co-terminous with the modern Allier) became a Duchy in 1327 it passed into of the hands of the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
s.
During the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
it was known as Puy-Redan. In 1832, Saint-Etienne-de-Ciernat and Saint-Etienne-du-Bas were joined to the commune and, in 1833, Saint-Allyre-de-Valence followed.
Administration
| Date of election | Identity | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2001 | Xavier Cadoret (ex Karim KADDOURI) | ||
| Mayor since 1991, re-elected in 1995 (77%) and in 2001 (84%). | |||
Population
Its inhabitants are known as Gérandais.Sights
- The eleventh century Romanesque church of St Julien was the original chapel of the chateau.
- Its tower is shown at:http://clochers.org/Fichiers_HTML/Accueil/Accueil_clochers/03/accueil_03235.htm;
- Château of Saint-Gérand: The manor is 15th century;
- Manor of Gondailly is 15th century with 19th century reconstruction;
- A dodecahedral washouse is under restoration;
- The James Joyce Museum is located in a room adjoining the town library.
The Joyce connection
In December 1939 James JoyceJames Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
, his wife, Nora, and son, Giorgio, made an extended visit to the town to see Giorgio’s son, Stephen, a pupil at the bilingual school there.
In February 1940 they were visited by Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
.
After Easter, they moved for a few months to Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
, some 20 km (12.4 mi) away, to see their friend Valéry Larbaud
Valery Larbaud
Valery Larbaud was a French writer.-Life:He was born in Vichy, Allier, the only child of a pharmacist. His father died when he was 8, and he was brought up by his mother and aunt. His father had been owner of the Vichy Saint-Yorre mineral water springs, and the family fortune assured him an easy...
. Personal problems, and the imminent German occupation, persuaded them to move to their final port of call, neutral Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where they arrived on 14 December 1940. A year later, Joyce died in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. His obituary published in Time can be read onlinehttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,932584,00.html.
The memory of Joyce has been celebrated for many years in Saint-Gerand, in particular with "le Jour d'Ulyssehttp://jamesjoyce.over-blog.com/."
Personalities
- James JoyceJames JoyceJames Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
(b. Dublin, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
2 February 1882) - (d. Zurich, Switzerland 13 January 1941). - Alphonse Milne-EdwardsAlphonse Milne-EdwardsAlphonse Milne-Edwards was a French mammalologist, ornithologist and carcinologist. He was English in origin, the son of Henri Milne-Edwards and grandson of Bryan Edwards, a Jamaican planter who settled at Bruges .Milne-Edwards obtained a medical degree in 1859 and became assistant to his father...
13 October 1836 - 21 April 1900.
External links
(All sites in French, unless otherwise indicated)- My hometown (Monclocher) site (Partly in English)
- Closest communes to Saint-Gérand-le-Puy
- Weather for Saint-Gérand-le-Puy
- Financial Data for Saint-Gérand-le-Puy from the Ministry of the Economy, Finances and Industry
- Ministry of Culture site