Allier ( , , ; oc, Alèir) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

that borders Cher to the west,

Nièvre Nièvre () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, central-east France. Named after the river Nièvre, it had a population of 204,452 in 2019.Saône-et-Loire and

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

to the east,

Puy-de-Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.Creuse Creuse (; oc, Cruesa or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the ea ...

to the south-west. Named after the river Allier, it had a population of 335,975 in 2019.Populations légales 2019: 03 Allier
INSEE Moulins is the prefecture; Montluçon and

Vichy Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais. It is a spa and resort town and in World War II was the capital of ...

are the subprefectures. Its INSEE and

post code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal a ...

is 03. Before 2018, the inhabitants of the department did not have a demonym. The inhabitants of the department have officially been known in French as ''Bourbonnais'' since 2018, a reference to the historic province of

Bourbonnais Bourbonnais () was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponds to the modern ''département'' of Allier, along with part of the ''département'' of Cher. Its capital was Moulins. History The title of the ruler of Bourbonnais ...

. Until then, the unofficial term ''Elavérins'' had been used.

Geography

Allier department is composed of almost all of the former

Duchy of Bourbonnais Bourbonnais () was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponds to the modern ''département'' of Allier, along with part of the ''département'' of Cher. Its capital was Moulins. History The title of the ruler of Bourbonnais ...

. It is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Principal communes

The most populous commune is Montluçon; the prefecture Moulins is the third-most populous. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants: The department also includes the spa towns

Bourbon-l'Archambault Bourbon-l'Archambault is a spa town and a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in central France. It is the place of origin of the House of Bourbon. Population Personalities In 1681, Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon, ...

, Néris-les-Bains and Vichy.

Relief

Bourbonnais

bocage Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use. ''Bocage'' may als ...

covers most of the western and central parts of the department (including the

Forest of Tronçais The Forest of Tronçais (french: Forêt de Tronçais, ) is a national forest comprising in the Allier department of central France. It is managed by the National Forests Office (ONF). Its oaks, planted by Louis XIV's minister Jean-Baptiste C ...

), followed by the Bourbonnais ''Sologne'' in the east north-east, the Bourbonnais Mountain (near Vichy) which is the highest point of Bourbonnais together with Montoncel (peaking at 1,287 metres), and finally in the south of the department, the Bourbonnais ''Limagne'', which extends from Varennes to Gannat, and is the breadbasket of the department. ;The Bourbonnais Bocage To the north and just over 500 metres above sea level, the Bourbonnais Bocage occupies one-third of the department, with two parts: the centre and the west (for the part between the Val de Cher and western boundaries of the territory). The bocage is especially remarkable for its rich forests and woodlands including the

but also the forests of Moladier Bagnolet, Civrais, Soulongis, Grosbois, Dreuille, Lespinasse and Suave. Almost all of the southern area consists of Combrailles which is sometimes called High Bourbonnais, in an area that goes beyond the departmental boundaries of Creuse and Puy-de-Dôme. This area of the department rises to 778 metres at Bosse. The rivers

Sioule The Sioule (; oc, Siula) is a long river in central France, a left tributary of the river Allier. Its source is near the village of Orcival, north of Mont-Dore, in the Massif Central. The Sioule has cut a deep gorge, especially in its upper ...

Bouble The Bouble () is a long river in the Allier and Puy-de-Dôme departments in south central France. Its source is at Gouttières. It flows generally northeast. It is a left tributary of the Sioule into which it flows between Saint-Pourçain-sur ...

, and Cher have carved the most picturesque gorges in Allier. ;The Bourbonnais Sologne To the east, between the Val d'Allier and the borders of Nièvre and Saône-et-Loire, the Bourbonnais Sologne has a nice balance between pastures, crops, woods and ponds: the balance between agriculture and semi-wilderness constituting a very favorable setting for fauna and flora. ;The Bourbonnais Mountains In its southern extension, the Bourbonnais Mountain rises from the Puy Saint-Ambroise (442 metres) near Saint-Léon and then extends to the massif of Assise and the Black Woods at the edge of

Puy-de-Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

which is marked by the Puy de Montoncel (1,287 metres) – the highest point in Allier. ;The Bourbonnais Limagne Commonly grouped under the name of ''Val d'Allier'', the

Limagne The Limagne () is large plain in the Auvergne region of France in the valley of the Allier river, on the edge of the Massif Central. It lies entirely within the ''département'' of Puy-de-Dôme. The term is sometimes used to include this, and t ...

and Forterre extend on both sides of the river between

and

Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule (, literally ''Saint-Pourçain on Sioule''; Auvergnat: ''Sant Porçanh de Siula'') is a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. It is named after Saint Pourçain, a 6th century ...

with an essential quality of fertility. Limogne, together with Sioule and Allier, is part of the Gannat / Escurolles / Saint-Pourçain triangle while Forterre covers the Canton of

Varennes-sur-Allier Varennes-sur-Allier (, literally ''Varennes on Allier''; oc, Varenas) is a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. History In 52 BC during the Gallic Wars lived by Julius Caesar, Vercingetorix crosse ...

ending near Jaligny.

Hydrography

;Watercourses: * to the west: the Cher * in the centre: the Allier and its tributary the

* to the east the

and its tributary the Besbre

Climate

A transition zone in the middle of the country, Allier is actually a free zone between north and south. The department is wide open to Atlantic influences and enjoys a mild and humid climate dominated by westerly winds which helps a little to differentiate it from other parts of Auvergne. The weather variances coincide with the diversity of Bourbonnais territory such as: flat regions, low altitude Bourbonnais Sologne and large floodplains, the hill country, the average altitude of 300 to 600 metres, the central part of the department, and the semi-mountainous southern townships bordering the Combraille and Forez between 700 and 1,200 metres. There are two periods of maximum precipitation in June and October and a minimum in January and February with average of 694 millimetres in Montluçon (altitude 207 metres), 763 mm in Moulins (245 m), 778 mm in

(251 m), 791 mm in Lapalisse (285 m) and nearly 1,200 mm in Assisi (1,050 m). As noted Atlantic winds are dominant from the west, northwest, or southwest. The influence of topography, especially in the valleys of Cher and Allier, also contributes to the south and north variance.

History

The history of Allier corresponds to the Duchy of Bourbon (

) with which it shares almost the entire territory. Allier is one of the original 83 departments created during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...

and

. In 1940, the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

of Marshal

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), commonly known as Philippe Pétain (, ) or Marshal Pétain (french: Maréchal Pétain), was a French general who attained the position of Marshal of France at the end of Worl ...

chose the town of

as its capital. Vichy also became the department's second sub-prefecture in 1940, since the department now found itself split by the demarcation line between the

occupied ' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...

and (relatively, at least initially) free zones of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Heraldry

Demography

On 1 January 2017 the population of Allier was estimated at 337,988 inhabitants which represented an average density of 46 people/km². Many areas have a density less than 20 people/km². Because of its low population density, it is considered to fall within the empty diagonal. Since the early 1980s Allier has faced many demographic handicaps. The ratio of older people is important and with low fertility rates the natural growth is negative. Net migration was negative between 1968 and 1999, and slightly positive between 1999 and 2017. Allier has three major cities: Montluçon,

, and Moulins by size. The rest of the department includes some small towns and villages, scattered mainly along the rivers. The few villages are far from one another, and it is generally a sparsely-populated department. Until the end of the 19th century, however, the population was increasing because the development of its cities (industries at Montluçon and Moulins, spas in Vichy) compensated by the rural exodus. The department then passed 420,000 inhabitants. After losses of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the population stabilized and grew a little again in the 1960s. Since then, the continuing rural exodus and especially the decline of old industries has made the population decrease and age steadily, from 386,533 inhabitants in 1968 to 337,988 in 2017. The population of the department is approximately equal of the country of

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

Politics and administration

Prefecture

Valérie Hatsch is prefect of Allier since 28 March 2022. Jean-Luc Marx, the prefect of

Lot Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to: Common meanings Areas * Land lot, an area of land * Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *Lot number, in batch production *Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...

, was named the prefect of Allier on 1 June 2011, replacing Pierre Monzani who was appointed Prefect of

Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square kilometres (2,284 square miles); it roughly covers its ...

on 25 May 2011. Monzani had been prefect of Allier since 14 January 2009. Born on 12 May 1958 in Villerupt (

Meurthe-et-Moselle Meurthe-et-Moselle () is a department in the Grand Est region of France, named after the rivers Meurthe and Moselle. It had a population of 733,760 in 2019.École Normale Supérieure École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, S ...

(

Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest tow ...

) and of

École nationale d'administration The École nationale d'administration (generally referred to as ENA, en, National School of Administration) was a French ''grande école'', created in 1945 by President Charles de Gaulle and principal author of the 1958 Constitution Michel Deb ...

(ENA), since August 2006 he has been director of INHES (National Institute of Advanced Security Studies).

Two senators

After 2020 Senate elections, the two senators of Allier are Bruno Rojouan and

Claude Malhuret Claude Malhuret (born 8 March 1950) is a French physician and politician of Agir who has been a member of the Senate since 2014, representing the department of Allier. Previously, Malhuret was the mayor of Vichy, France (1989–2017), a memb ...

. In the Senate elections in 2008 the left took one of the two Senate seats in Allier formerly held by the right. Mireille Schurch, PCF Mayor of Lignerolles, was elected: * Gérard Dériot

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

* Mireille Schurch PCF

Representatives in the National Assembly

The elections of 2007 returned three Socialists (

Bernard Lesterlin Bernard Lesterlin (born 18 September 1949) is a French civil servant and former member of the National Assembly. He has served as the Administrator Superior of Wallis and Futuna (1985–1986). He represented the 2nd constituency of the Allier ...

for Montluçon,

Jean Mallot Jean Mallot (born 20 August 1952 in Nizerolles, Allier) was a member of the National Assembly of France. From the 2007 to the 2012 legislative elections, he represented the 3rd constituency of the Allier department, as a member of the So ...

for Saint-Pourçain, and Guy Chambefort for Moulins) and one PRG (

Gérard Charasse Gérard Charasse (26 March 1944 – 18 June 2023) was a French politician who a member of the National Assembly of France. He represented Allier's 4th constituency (from 1997 to 2012). Then major boundary changes in 2011 reduced Allier's parl ...

for Vichy). The current representatives are:

Departmental Council

The current President of the Departmental Council is Claude Riboulet, elected in 2017. In the 2021 departmental election, the Departmental Council of Allier was elected as follows: In the local elections of March 2008, Allier department was won by a majority of the left. The URB (Republican Union for Bourbonnais, right) had headed the department between 2001 and 2008, with the last year with only one vote majority. From 2008 the left coalition was in control also with a majority of one vote (10 PC, 6 PS, 2 PRG, 18 seats in total), facing 17 councilors from the URB.

History of the left in Allier

The department was distinguished by communist votes in early voting which continued until after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

with the two major political parties of the left being the PCF and the

SFIO The French Section of the Workers' International (french: Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière, SFIO) was a list of political parties in France, political party in France that was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the modern-da ...

which have now become the Socialist Party. The small town of

Commentry Commentry (; Auvergnat: ''Comentriac'') is a commune in the department of Allier in central France. It lies southwest of Moulins in the valley of the Œil. It is within 8 km of one of the geographic centres of France. The film actress ...

has the distinction of being the first town in FranceAgnès Roche, ''A favourable breeding-ground'', Études rurales 3/2004 (No. 171–172), p. 111 to elect a socialist mayor in 1882: Christophe Thivrier. Another local figure, Pierre Brizon, an MP in 1910, was typically a member for sharecroppers. Earlier, Ledru-Rollin achieved a very good result in 1848 (14%) with Democratic and socialist candidates in the following year (44% of the vote, against 35% for all of France). Similarly, resistance to the coup of 2 December 1851 was important after an attempt to support the uprising in June 1849. Republicans were in the majority in 1876 and held all six parliamentary seats. After neighbouring results of 15% of enrolled voters from 1893 to 1906 the Socialists rose to 31% of enrolled votes (42% of those cast) in 1910 and maintained this in 1914 Allier remains a land of rural communism (still 14.66% in the 2004 regional elections – the second best result for the party after Somme) in a sometimes difficult cohabitation with the Socialist Party. For the causes of their success it may be noted that historically Allier has been a department where vast properties were combined into

sharecropping Sharecropping is a legal arrangement with regard to agricultural land in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land. Sharecropping has a long history and there are a wide range ...

. Sharecropping only spread in the 15th century and was not disturbed by the sale of national assets to the Revolution.Agnès Roche, ''A favourable breeding-ground'', Études rurales 3/2004 (No. 171–172), p. 106 In the 19th century large properties (100 hectares or more) occupied about half of the land, and even more than 70% in the north of the department. In the south, small properties dominate. Sharecropping continued as a form of land development and it involved 40% of the land in 1892 (only 7% overall for France). Adverse conditions made sharecroppers promote the creation of rural unions between 1904 and 1911 (the third greatest number per department in France after

Hérault Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.Landes). Despite poor results the mobilization was important and promoted the election of left-wing candidates. * List of senators of Allier * Communes of the Allier department

Economy

The industries most represented are the food industry, wood and furniture, chemical, foundries and metalworking, rubber, machinery and electrical equipment, automotive, weaponry, textiles, building, and the spas. According to studies by INSEE agriculture would be about 7 to 8% of departmental gross domestic product.

Tourism

Marked by the imprint of the

Dukes of Bourbon Duke of Bourbon (french: Duc de Bourbon) is a title in the peerage of France. It was created in the first half of the 14th century for the eldest son of Robert of France, Count of Clermont and Beatrice of Burgundy, heiress of the lordship of B ...

, Allier is a land of rivers, bocage, and small mountains. Landscapes such as Bourbonnais bocage, the gorges of the

, and the

are places suitable for the practice of outdoor activities:

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, and white water sports. Hydrotherapy is one of the leading sectors of Bourbonnais tourism with the international spa at Vichy. This nature preserve also features over 500 castles, Romanesque churches and a number of houses which represent the heritage of the

Bourbons The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spani ...

. Bourbon cuisine reflects the history of the province and provides a number of local products, including

Pâté aux pommes de terre The ''pâté aux pommes de terre'', , ( Occitan: pastís de treflas) or ''pâté de pommes de terre'' is a speciality of the Limousin and the Allier (Bourbonnais) regions in Central France. It can be served either as a side dish or as the mai ...

, Charolais beef, wines from

Saint-Pourçain AOC Saint-Pourçain is an ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) for wine located around Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule in the Auvergne region of France. It can alternatively be considered as an upstream satellite of the Loire wine region or as a tiny ...

, Charroux mustard, and

Vichy pastilles Vichy Pastilles (french: pastilles Vichy), less often pastilles of Vichy (), are a French confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact defin ...

. Among the tourist sites to visit are: ;Monuments: * the

Château de La Palice The Château de La Palice is a castle, developed into a château, in the '' commune'' of Lapalisse in the Allier department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. History Built between the 11th and 13th centuries, the feudal part of the ...

and its Renaissance chambered ceilings, * the ''Bourbon-l'Archambault Castle'', "Cradle of the Bourbons" ;Churches and abbeys: *

Moulins Cathedral Moulins Cathedral (french: Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation de Moulins, lit=English: Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Annunciation of Moulins) is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Moulins, Allier, France. It is ...

and the

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...

of the Virgin in glory * the ''Priory Church of Saint Peter'' at

Souvigny Souvigny () is a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. Today the main town of a canton of the Allier department, Souvigny has long been one of the major towns in the Bourbonnais (of which it was once the c ...

, more commonly called the "Saint-Denis" of the Bourbons * the Abbey of Saint Vincent de Chantelle ;Museums: * The ''National Centre of Stage Costume'' *

Maison Mantin The Maison Mantin (; ''"Mantin House"'') is a late 19th-century French mansion located in the town of Moulins (''Arrondissement de Moulins'') in the Allier department of central France. The mansion, shuttered for more than a century, opened it ...

in Moulins ;Activities: * ''

Le Pal Le Pal is a French animal theme park that combines two activities: an amusement park and a zoo in the municipality area of Saint-Pourçain-sur-Besbre, in the Allier, France. Created in 1973, the site became a theme park in 1981. It offers more tha ...

'', an amusement and animal park in

Dompierre-sur-Besbre Dompierre-sur-Besbre (, literally ''Dompierre on Besbre'') is a commune in the Allier department in central France. Le Pal is an animal theme park in the municipality area of Saint-Pourçain-sur-Besbre, close to Dompierre-sur-Besbre. Populati ...

* ''Paleopolis'' in

Gannat Gannat (; Auvergnat: ''Gatnat'') 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 (the Château de Gannat), two churches of whic ...

, a site designed to understand life sciences and the earth through

paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

* Three cities stand out: * Moulins for its historical heritage from the 15th century * Montluçon, a medieval and festive city dominated by its castle *

, an important spa town. Moulins - Perspective3.JPG, Moulins 11. Hérisson (Allier).JPG,

Hérisson Hérisson (; oc, Eiriçon) is a town in the Allier department in central France. Population Notable people * Henri Harpignies (28 June 1819 – 28 August 1916), 19th century painter of the Barbizon school The Barbizon school of pa ...

Chateau de Bourbon l'Archambault 01.jpg,

Festival médiéval Montluçon 179.JPG, Medieval fair in Montluçon

Gastronomy and viticulture

The

pâté aux pommes de terre The ''pâté aux pommes de terre'', , ( Occitan: pastís de treflas) or ''pâté de pommes de terre'' is a speciality of the Limousin and the Allier (Bourbonnais) regions in Central France. It can be served either as a side dish or as the mai ...

is one of the specialities of the Allier, as well as of the neighboring Limousin region. The river Allier is one of the rare places in Southern Europe where the freshwater grayling (''Thymallus thymallus''), known in French as ''ombre des rivières'', occurs in a natural habitat. This fish is much valued in French gastronomy for its fine and delicate texture and is best eaten along with a light wine. '' Pompe aux grattons'' or ''brioche aux griaudes'', a kind of

brioche Brioche (, also , , ) is a bread of French origin whose high egg and butter content gives it a rich and tender crumb. Chef Joël Robuchon described it as "light and slightly puffy, more or less fine, according to the proportion of butter and e ...

-like bread with

cracklings Cracklings (USA), crackling (British English), also known as scratchings, are the solid material which remains after rendering animal fat and skin to produce lard, tallow, or schmaltz, or as the result of roasting meat. It is often eaten as a snack ...

, is a specialty of the Bourbonnais.

wine is produced in Allier and the

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

from the

forest of Tronçais The Forest of Tronçais (french: Forêt de Tronçais, ) is a national forest comprising in the Allier department of central France. It is managed by the National Forests Office (ONF). Its oaks, planted by Louis XIV's minister Jean-Baptiste C ...

is one of the most favoured in the construction of

wine barrels Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

Second homes

In 2019 the quantity of dwellings in the department which were second homes was 7.3%. The table below shows the main communes of Allier with second homes and which exceed 10% of total housing. The department has attracted many foreigners, English, Belgian, Swiss, and Dutch, and they have acquired many second homes. Therefore many communes have become "European", such as Pouzy-Mésangy, which today has many English and Swiss residents.

Culture

Sister Regions

The Conseil Départemental of Allier co-operates with the following foreign administrative units: *

Niafunké Niafunké is a small town on the Niger River in central Mali. The town is the administrative center ('' chef-lieu'') of the commune of Soboundou in the Niafunké Cercle of the Tombouctou Region Tombouctou Region ( Bambara: ߕߎߡߎߕߎ ߘ� ...

(

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...

) since 1988. *

Khemisset Khemisset (Amazigh language: Zemmur, ar, الخميسات) is an Amazigh town in northern Morocco with a population of 131,542 recorded in the 2014 Moroccan census. It is situated on the A2 motorway between Rabat (81 km) and Meknès (57 ...

(

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

) since 2009. * Övörkhangai (

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

) since 2000. *

Cluj ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , le ...

(

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

) since 2002. * M'bour Department (

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

) since 2016. * Nguékhokh (Senegal) since 2002.

Regional languages

Allier is traversed by the border between

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

and French. For a long period the people of Allier did not speak standard French but one of the following local languages: *

: Dialect oïl, north of a line from Montluçon to

to Lapalisse *

Auvergnat or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne. Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rather a va ...

: (a dialect of

) in the extreme south * the area between the two, sometimes called ''Bourbon d'oc'' is part of the '' Occitan Crescent'', an area of mixing of French and Occitan considered by most linguists as Occitan with French pronunciation. Some consider the speech of the Crescent to be a full Occitan dialect and use the term ''Marchois''. Qualifications: * Note that in the south-east of the department (notably in Forterre and the Bourbonnais MountainSimone Escoffier (1958), ''The meeting of langue d’oïl, Occitan and francoprovençal between Loire and Allier: phonetic limits and morphologies'' (Thesis), Mâcon: impr. Protat �d. identique de la même année: coll. Publications de l’Institut de Linguistique Romane de Lyon-vol. 11, Paris: Les Belles Lettres) the influence of Francoprovencal arises. * Similarly, in the north-west (and especially in the old part of the Bourbonnais department of Cher to

Saint-Amand-Montrond Saint-Amand-Montrond () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France and the historical province of Bourbonnais. Saint-Amand-Montrond literally translates to Saint Amand round hill, despite not being on a rou ...

), the Bourbon dialects are close to the Berrichon dialect.

References

External links

*
Prefecture website
*
Departmental council website
* {{Authority control 1790 establishments in France Departments of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Massif Central States and territories established in 1790