Châteauroux ( ; ; ) is the capital city of the

French department In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...

Indre Indre (); is a department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administrative region of Cent ...

, central France and the second-largest town in the

province of Berry The Duchy of Berry (; ; ) was a former province located in central France. It was a province of France until departments replaced the provinces on 4 March 1790, when Berry became divided between the ''départements'' of Cher (Upper Berry) and In ...

, after

Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...

. Its residents are called ''Castelroussins'' () in French.

Climate

Châteauroux temperatures range from an average January low of to an average August high of .

History

The old town, close to the river, forms a nucleus around which a newer and more extensive quarter, bordered by boulevards, has grown up. The suburbs of St. Christophe and

Déols Déols () is a commune in the department of Indre, region of Centre-Val de Loire, central France. Déols is an ancient town with a famous Benedictine abbey, Abbaye Notre-Dame-du-Bourg-Dieu. Today it is somewhat overshadowed by the nearby city ...

lie on the right bank of the

. The castle from which the city takes its name was built in the latter part of the 10th century by Raoul, prince of Déols. From 920 to 1008, the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

raids forced the monks of the abbey of

Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys () is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys are called in French ''Gildasiens''. Its French name refers to Saint Gildas, who founded the abbey of ...

, founded in

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

Saint Gildas Gildas (English pronunciation: , Breton: ''Gweltaz''; ) — also known as Gildas Badonicus, Gildas fab Caw (in Middle Welsh texts and antiquarian works) and ''Gildas Sapiens'' (Gildas the Wise) — was a 6th-century British monk best known fo ...

, to bring his

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

s to the abbey of Saint-Gildas of Châteauroux that they founded under the protection of the prince Ebbes of Déols, father of Raoul. During the Middle Ages, it was the seat of a seigniory. It was passed to the

Chauvigny Chauvigny (; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''Chôvigni'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Vienne (department), Vienne Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region in western France. Chauvigny is locat ...

from 1207 to 1473. It was raised to the rank of countship in 1497 for Jean V d'Aumont. In 1616, when it was held by

Henry II, Prince of Condé Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainment ...

, it was raised to the rank of duchy. In 1736, it returned to the crown. It was given to

Marie Anne de Mailly-Nesle Marie Anne de Mailly-Nesle, duchesse de Châteauroux (; 5 October 1717 – 8 December 1744) was the youngest of the five famous ''de Nesle'' sisters, four of whom would become the mistress of King Louis XV of France. She was his mistress from 174 ...

, duchess of Châteauroux, by

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

in 1744. The present housing the ''préfecture'' offices dates from the 15th century.

Awards

Châteauroux is one of the

communes A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

awarded the grand prize by the Concours National des Villes et Villages Fleuris, a beautification initiative begun in 1959.

Monuments

* Château Raoul, 15th century * Church of St. André, 19th century * Church of St. Martial, 12th-16th century * Église Notre-Dame, 19th century * Convent of the Cordeliers, 13th century * Equinoxe * La Prairie St. Gildas * Le Parc de loisirs de Belle-Isle * Le Tarmac * Musée Bertrand * Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires * Musée du Compagnonnage * Public Garden and the Jardins des Cordeliers * Quartier St. Christophe

Sports

La Berrichonne de Châteauroux LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

is the town's football club based in Châteauroux, founded in 1883. The team currently plays in National, the third division of French football, and played only one season in

Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...

in 1997–98. Châteauroux reached the final of the

2003–04 Coupe de France The 2003–04 Coupe de France was the 87th edition of the annual French cup competition. It was won by Paris Saint-Germain. The cup finalist LB Châteauroux qualified for the UEFA Cup because PSG qualified to 2004–05 UEFA Champions League t ...

, where they were defeated 1–0 by

Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...

, qualifying for the following season's

UEFA Cup The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

. The team plays its home fixtures at the 17,173-capacity

Stade Gaston Petit Stade Gaston-Petit is a multi-use stadium in Châteauroux, France. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium of La Berrichonne de Châteauroux. The stadium is able to hold 17,173 people. Gaston ...

. As Chateauroux was an Air Force base from 1952 until 1967, American football was played in Chateauroux by a team called Sabres. "Sabres" was one of the best European military teams, playing against other French and German teams. Local French people created a football club in the French American football championship. The name chosen is "Sabres", to celebrate the pioneers, to pay homage to the Americans who were the first. The

National Shooting Centre The National Shooting Centre, commonly referred to as Bisley, is the UK's largest shooting sports complex, comprising several shooting ranges as well as the large Bisley Camp complex of accommodation, clubhouses and support services. The centre ...

at Châteauroux hosted the shooting events for the

2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

in Paris.

Festivals

* Bals'arts * Festival Country Good Old Days Châteauroux * Festival de théâtre "les Nocthalies" * Festival Multirythmes * Festival Populaire du Folklore * Forum des associations * La Biennale de Céramique contemporaine * La Châteauroux Classic d'Indre Trophée Fenioux * Les Litztomanias * Rock à Belle-Isle * Salon du livre de Châteauroux * Stage festival de danse de Châteauroux (DARC) * Vendredi...Musique

Transport

Direct services from Châteauroux railway station connect Paris, Orléans, Limoges, Toulouse, and several other regional destinations. The A20 motorway connects Châteauroux with Vierzon, Brive-la-Gaillarde, and Toulouse. The city offers free

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whi ...

since 2001. Total ridership is up 208% between 2001 and 2012. The city is served by

Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (, ), formerly known as Châteauroux-Déols "Marcel Dassault" Airport, is an airport serving the French city of Châteauroux. The airport is located north-northeast of Châteauroux in Déols, a comm ...

, which is in the commune of

to the North. The airport is used mainly for cargo, maintenance, training, and light aviation but also serves seasonal charter services.

Notable people

Born in Châteauroux

Henri Gratien, Comte Bertrand Henri-Gatien Bertrand (; 22 March 1773 Dictionnaire Napoléon - Jean Tulard - P207 – 31 January 1844) was a French general who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Under the Empire he was the third and last Gr ...

(1773–1844), general of Napoleon's army * Albert Aurier (1865–1892), symbolist poet, writer and art critic *

Marcel Boussac Marcel Boussac (17 April 1889 – 21 March 1980) was a French entrepreneur best known for his ownership of the Maison Dior and one of the most successful thoroughbred race horse breeding farms in European history. Born in Châteauroux, Indre, ...

(1889–1980), entrepreneur and horse breeder *

Robert Falcucci Robert Falcucci (10 April 1900 – 13 May 1989) was a French illustrator. He was born in Châteauroux, France of Joseph, from the village of Verdesis in Castagniccia (Corsica) and Solange Fabulet, from Berry. He died at his home in Saint-Aubin. ...

(1900-1989), illustrator * (born 1943), author, City Councilor of Lésigny (France), initiator of Lésigny-Leingarten twinning, founder and first President of ''Rencontres Franco Allemandes'', Annecy (Annecy-Bayreuth twinning) *

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor. An icon of French cinema, considered a world star in the same way as Alain Delon or Brigitte Bardot, he has completed over 250 films since 1967, most of which as ...

(born 1948), actor and businessman *

Dean Brown Dean Craig Brown, AO (born 5 April 1943) is a politician who served as the Premier of South Australia between 14 December 1993 and 28 November 1996, and also served as 10th Deputy Premier of South Australia between 22 October 2001 and 5 ...

(born 1955), jazz guitarist * Mardi Jacquet (born 1960), playmate *

Estelle Touzet Estelle Touzet, born in 1981, in Châteauroux (Indre), is a French Sommelier, chef sommelier. Introduced to French cuisine and wine at an early age, Estelle Touzet worked at a number of restaurants and Palace (hotel), palaces, notably in Paris. ...

(born 1981), chef sommelier. * Gilles Sunu (born 1991), footballer

Others associated with the area

* (1560–1620), poet *

Pierre Leroux Pierre Henri Leroux (; 7 April 1797 – 12 April 1871) was a French philosopher and political economy, political economist. He was born at Bercy, now a part of Paris, France, Paris, the son of an artisan. Life His education was interrupted by ...

(1797–1871), philosopher and politician * (1807–1865), publisher * (1859–1939), writer *

Fernand Maillaud Fernand Maillaud (1862-1948) was a French painter, illustrator, ébéniste and tapestry designer. Biography His father was a carpenter, and his mother was a teacher. They moved frequently as his mother was reassigned. In 1878, when his father ...

(1862–1948), painter *

Bernard Naudin Bernard Étienne Hubert Naudin (11 November 1876, Châteauroux - 7 March 1946, Paris) was a French painter, designer, caricaturist, and engraver. Biography He was born into a family of watchmakers and antique dealers. His father, who died in ...

(1876–1946), painter and designer *

Ernest Nivet Ernest Nivet (7 October 1871, Levroux 5 February 1948, Châteauroux) was a French sculptor, known for his war monuments and memorials. Biography His father was a hired day laborer. Ernest and his four siblings often helped out in the field ...

(1871–1948), sculptor *

Émile Goué Émile Goué (13 June 1904 – 10 October 1946) was a French composer. Life Born in Châteauroux (Indre), with a father who was inspector of primary education, a mother who was head teacher of a teacher-training school for young girls in Gué ...

(1904–1946) *

Édouard Ramonet Édouard Ramonet (14 June 1909, Cerbère – 4 August 1980) was a French politician. He represented the Radical Party in the Constituent Assembly elected in 1945, in the Constituent Assembly elected in 1946 and in the National Assembly In po ...

(1909–1980), politician *

Jean Fourton Jean Fourton (born 1934 in Puy-en-Velay, France) is a writer, humanism, humanist, painter and psychoanalyst. Career Born 1934 in Puy-en-Velay, France, Fourton lived in North America after World War II. Upon returning to France, he worked as ...

(1934-), writer, humanist, painter, and psychoanalyst. Former town councilor of Châteauroux (1957 to 1967).

International relations

Châteauroux is twinned with: *

Gütersloh Gütersloh () is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe and the administrative region of Detmold (administrative region), Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a Gütersloh (distric ...

, Germany, since 1977 *

Bittou Bittou is a town and seat of the Bittou Department of Boulgou Province in south-eastern Burkina Faso. The town is a stop on the caravan trading route. Today the town is located along the N16 Road which links Burkina Faso with Northern Togo and Gha ...

, Burkina Faso, since 1985 *

Olsztyn Olsztyn ( , ) is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with powiat rights, city with county rights. The population of the city was estimated at 169,793 residents Olsz ...

, Poland, since 1991 *

Fresno Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...

, United States, since 2016 *

Jinhua Jinhua is a prefecture-level city in central Zhejiang province in eastern China. It borders the provincial capital of Hangzhou to the northwest, Quzhou to the southwest, Lishui to the south, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Taizhou to the east, and Shaoxin ...

, China, since 2019

Population

References

* https://web.archive.org/web/20080327174957/http://www.villes-et-villages-fleuris.com/chateaur.htm *

External links

City of Châteauroux Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chateauroux Communes of Indre Prefectures in France Berry, France