Ambérieu-en-Bugey (; ) is a commune in the

Ain Ain (, ; ) is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where it ...

department,

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. With 14,288 inhabitants (2020), it is one of the largest towns of the

historical region History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

Bugey The Bugey (, ; Arpitan: ''Bugê'') is a historical region in the department of Ain, eastern France, located between Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saôn ...

.Comparateur de territoires
, INSEE It is the largest town in the

arrondissement of Belley The arrondissement of Belley is an arrondissement of France in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It has 103 communes. Its population is 124,868 (2021), and its area is . Composition The communes of the arrondissement of B ...

and the seat of the

canton of Ambérieu-en-Bugey The canton of Ambérieu-en-Bugey is an administrative division of the Ain departments of France, department, eastern France. Its borders were modified at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is located in ...

which consists of 18 communes. Its

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

has 17,301 inhabitants (2020). The town was officially simply called Ambérieu until 31 March 1955 when it became Ambérieu-en-Bugey. The town is known for being an important railway junction (around

Ambérieu station Ambérieu station or Ambérieu-en-Bugey station ( French: ''Gare d'Ambérieu'' or ''Gare d'Ambérieu-en-Bugey'') is a railway station serving the town Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Ain department, eastern France. It is situated on the Lyon–Geneva railway ...

), but also for winning the

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

with citation at the

Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

Geography

Location

Ambérieu-en-Bugey is 50 km northeast of

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

, 30 km south of

Bourg-en-Bresse Bourg-en-Bresse (; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ancient Provinces of France, province of Bresse (). I ...

, 73 km northwest of

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; ; ), known locally and simply as Aix, is a Communes of France, commune in the southeastern French Departments of France, department of Savoie.Mâcon Mâcon (), historically Anglicization, anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home t ...

and 104 km west of

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, Switzerland. The town is in the commune's western part, on the right bank of the river

Albarine The Albarine () is a long river in the Ain department in Eastern France. Its source is at Brénod. It flows generally southwest. It is a left tributary of the Ain, into which it flows at Châtillon-la-Palud, northeast of Lyon. Communes along i ...

, which forms most of the commune's southern border. It is surrounded by the communes of

Saint-Denis-en-Bugey Saint-Denis-en-Bugey () is a commune in the eastern French department of Ain. Geography The town lies on the left bank of the river Albarine, which forms all of the commune's northern border. Population See also *Communes of the Ain depar ...

, and

Bettant Bettant () is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France. Geography The village lies in the commune's northwestern part, on the left bank of the river Albarine, which forms most of the commune's northern and eastern borders. Populat ...

. Its expansion is due to demographic expansion with two new housing areas on the eastern side of the town where there is plenty of land (near Bettant). Ambérieu-en-Bugey is located at the foot of the western foothills of the

Jura mountains The Jura Mountains ( ) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the French–Swiss border. While the Jura range proper (" folded Jura", ) is located in France and Switzerla ...

and opens onto the plain of

at the mouth of the

gorge A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...

Climate

Ambérieu features an "

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

" (Cfb) under the Köppen system. However, the city contains significant seasonal differences between the warm to hot summers and the cool to cold winters. Both temperatures above for the summer months and winter

air frost Freezing, available onlinlibrary.wmo.int/ref> or frost occurs when the air temperature falls below the freezing point of water (0 °C, 32 °F, 273 K). This is usually measured at the height of 1.2 metres above the ground surfac ...

s are common. Its record low of decisively indicates its continental influence, as well as its record high of . Weather Data for Ambérieu-en-Bugey

Topography and geology

The commune is at an altitude between 237 m and 753 m. The sub-soil has been an important economic activity in the Ambérieu region in the 19th century until the first half of the 20th century. For example, the extraction of

lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...

(used in particular for heating) was an important activity in Ambérieu during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Ambérieu-en-Bugey reflects the characteristics of

in geological terms: the region is composed of a folded mountain relief, partly

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

ified, which is the southern extension of the

. The dating of the

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

of Bugey is between the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

(for the

anticlines In structural geology, an anticline is a type of fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex up in which the hinge or crest is the ...

) and the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

(for the

synclines In structural geology, a syncline is a fold with younger layers closer to the center of the structure, whereas an anticline is the inverse of a syncline. A synclinorium (plural synclinoriums or synclinoria) is a large syncline with superimposed ...

). The folds are easily visible in outcrops and cliffs.

Hydrography

There are several rivers in Ambérieu-en-Bugey. Besides the

which flows through Ambérieu-en-Bugey, two streams which are themselves tributaries of the Albarine flow into the commune: the Seymard (15.5 km long and the Foulon (3.4 km long).

Channels of communication and transport

Rail

Vialatte - AMBERIEU - Gare des Tramways de Cerdon et Ars

is located at the junction of the Mâcon-Ambérieu line and the Lyon-Geneva line and is served by many

TER Ter or TER may refer to: Places * River Ter, in Essex, England * Ter (river), in Catalonia * Ter (department), a region in France * Torre (river), (Slovene: ''Ter''), a river in Italy * Ter, Ljubno, a settlement in the Municipality of Ljubno ob ...

trains to

Mâcon Mâcon (), historically Anglicization, anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home t ...

Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...

Besançon Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland. Capi ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

Culoz Culoz ( or ) is a former commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. On 1 January 2023, it was merged into the new commune of Culoz-Béon. Geography The town, which is situated on the right bank of the Rive ...

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; ; ), known locally and simply as Aix, is a Communes of France, commune in the southeastern French Departments of France, department of Savoie.Chambery.

Railway history

The railway has served the commune since 1856,Town Hall of Ambérieu-en-Bugey
, Museum of Cheminot, consulted on 27 June 2011. making the town an important railway junction and the railway station, "one of the largest connection centres in France". Some lines which are now extinct (e.g. the Ambérieu-Montalieu-Vercieu line) created a great deal of rail activity at Ambérieu-en-Bugey; these activities have been illustrated in the collections of the Railway Museum since 1987. In the 1930s the railway junction, sometimes called the "Ambérieu Star" had 247 locomotives stationed at the depot. The town then had about 6,500 inhabitants and the '' compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée'' employed about 2,150 railway workers. On 7 June 1944 an operation was organized by resistance railway workers and maquisards to disable 52 locomotives and much other equipment. This action reduced the capacity of this strategic site and reduced the communications of the German army so avoiding bombing by the Allies on the site. A monument near the Ambérieu-en-Bugey station recalls this feat of arms.

Air transport

Aerial activity has been present in Ambérieu-en-Bugey since the beginning of the 20th century. For example,

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, vicomte de Saint-Exupéry (29 June 1900 – 31 July 1944), known simply as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (, , ), was a French writer, poet, journalist and aviator. Born in Lyon to an French nobility, aristocratic ...

made his first flight in July 1912 at the civil aerodrome of Bellievre.

Ambérieu-en-Bugey Air Base Ambérieu-en-Bugey Air Base () is a front-line French Air and Space Force ( or ''ALA'') base located approximately 5 km north-northwest of Ambérieu-en-Bugey, in the Ain department of the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. Overview Amb ...

was built during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as a temporary airfield by the ''United States Air Force XII Engineer Command'' in August 1944. Named the "Colonel Chambonnet Base", today it is a supply and repair centre for electronic equipment aboard aircraft, ground communications detection equipment, navigation aids, and a manufacturing centre for simple equipment. There is also a civilian aerodrome near Ambérieu-en-Bugey called the Ambérieu aerodrome but it is located in the neighbouring communes of Château-Gaillard and

Ambronay Ambronay () is a commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. The commune covers an area of 33.55 km2 (12.95 sq mi). Vincent Mancuso is the mayor for the 2020-2026 tenure. Geography The commune o ...

Air history

Many flight schools have been located at Ambérieu-en-Bugey: the Bressane Aviation School, founded in 1909 by Mignot and Harding, which was associated with the ''Société Aérienne de

Bron Bron () is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, eastern France. Geography Bron lies east-southeast of central Lyon. It is the sixth-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is adjacent to its east side. Climat ...

''. In 1912 it took the name Deperdussin-SPAD and was directed by the pilot René Vidart. There is also the Louis-Mouthier flight school which was opened in 1911. In 1915 the Military flight school of Ambérieu was established. Finally, in 1928, the

Caudron The Société des Avions Caudron was a French aircraft company founded in 1909 as the Association Aéroplanes Caudron Frères by brothers Gaston and René Caudron. It was one of the earliest aircraft manufacturers in France and produced planes for ...

flight school moved from

Le Crotoy Le Crotoy (; Picard: ''Ch'Crotoé'') is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The inhabitants are known as ''Crotellois''. History Isabella of France, queen consort of England, and her son (later Edward III ...

in the

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France * Somme, Queensland, Australia * Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), ...

to Ambérieu-en-Bugey. This school trained

Jean Mermoz Jean Mermoz (9 December 1901 – 7 December 1936) was a French people, French aviator, viewed as a hero by other pilots such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and in his native France, where many schools bear his name. In Brazil, he also is recognized ...

and

René Fonck Colonel René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894 – 18 June 1953) was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top Triple Entente, Entente fighter Flying ace, ace and, when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centurie ...

Road transport

The commune is traversed by the

A42 autoroute The A42 autoroute is a short motorway in France. Being completed in 1987, the road connects the city of Lyon to its junction with the A40 roughly 50 km north-east of Lyon. Characteristics * 2x2 lanes * 2x3 lanes between Lyon Lyon (F ...

. The exit for the commune is: No. 8 Ambérieu-en-Bugey in the direction of Geneva. In addition, several departmental roads serve the commune: the D1075 (formerly National Highway 75) which connects

Sisteron Sisteron (; , ; from ) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France. Sisteron is situated on the banks of the river Durance just after the confluence of the rivers Buëch and Sasse. ...

, the D1504 (the old national road 504) which connects Ambérieu-en-Bugey to the commune of

Le Bourget-du-Lac Le Bourget-du-Lac (, literally ''Le Bourget of the Lake'' o is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern/south-eastern France. It lies near the Lac du Bourget and from Chambéry. Climate Le Bourget-du-L ...

, and the D904 (the old road known as the "Valley of the Saone"). In 2017 there were 6,403 households in Ambérieu-en-Bugey; 84.8% of households owned at least one car and 31.8% of all households had at least two cars.

Buses

Since 4 January 2010, a network of three bus lines has been established to replace the ''Ambar'bus'' service. The new network is called TAM (Transport Network Ambarrois) and links its timetables to the schedules of

TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the regional rail network serving the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, central and eastern France. It is operated by the French national railway company SNCF. It was formed in 2017 from the previous TER networks TER ...

. The network operates from 5:40 a.m. to 8:46 p.m. and carries 208 passengers per day.

Housing

In 2017 the total number of dwellings in the municipality was 7,217 (against 5,949 in 2007). Among these units, 88.7% were primary residences, second homes 1.7%, and 9.6% were vacant housing. These units were split between 42.9% houses and 56.7% apartments. The proportion of residents owning their own homes was 42.7%.

Toponymy

''Ambérieu'' is mentioned in the form ''Ambariacus'' in 843 then ''Ambayreu'' in 1240. The second element ''-acus'' represents a suffix of Gallic origin ''*-āko(n)'' which is usually written as ''acum'' in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

. This is a locative suffix which later will designate ''villae'' in Gallo-Roman. It has generally evolved phonetically as ''-ieu'' in the region. The first element designates the

Gauls The Gauls (; , ''Galátai'') were a group of Celts, Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman Gaul, Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). Th ...

( Celtic people ) of

Ambarri The Ambarri were a Gallic people dwelling in the modern Ain department during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Ambarri'' and ''Ambarros'' by Caesar (mid-1st c. BC),Caesar. ''Commentarii de Bello Gallico''1:11< ...

whose name meant "living on both (*''amb'') sides of the Saone (''Arar'', the

Saône The Saône ( , ; ; ) is a river in eastern France (modern Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges (department), Vosges Departments of France, department an ...

)" or was a Gallic

anthroponym Anthroponymy (also anthroponymics or anthroponomastics, from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος ''anthrōpos'', 'human', and ὄνομα ''onoma'', 'name') is the study of ''anthroponyms'', the proper names of human beings, both individual and coll ...

''Ambarrius''.

Ambérieux-en-Dombes Ambérieux-en-Dombes (, literally ''Ambérieux in Dombes'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Ain in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. Geography As its name suggests, ''Ambérieux-en- ...

, Ambérieux,

Ambérac Ambérac () is a commune in the Charente département, region in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. Geography Ambérac is in the north-west part of the Charente department some 24 km north by north-west of Angouleme, 6& ...

, and

Ambeyrac Ambeyrac (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Aveyron Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie region of southern France. Geography Ambeyrac is located some 15 km south-west of Figeac an ...

are similar topographical formations.

History

Antiquity

A number of archaeological discoveries relating to antiquity have been made in Ambérieu-en-Bugey: ''Archaeological Map of Gaul: 01 Ain''
, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 1990, , p 31. * in 1839 or 1840 a child's

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

was found in the commune; * a document dated 1856 reports the discovery of numerous coins dating from the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

; * the remains of a

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...

were unearthed in 1940 in the Saint-Germain district; ''Archaeological Map of Gaul: 01 Ain''
, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 1990, , p 32. * in the same neighbourhood, in the area of the ruins of the castle of Saint-Germain, an archaeological level was uncovered which contained barbarian tombs and also a chapel dating from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages Ambérieu belonged to

which, like

Vaud Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of Subdivisions of the canton of Vaud, ten districts; its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat ...

, was acquired by

Amadeus VI of Savoy Amadeus VI (4 January 1334 – 1 March 1383), nicknamed the Green Count () was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. He was the eldest son of Aymon, Count of Savoy, and Yolande Palaeologina of Montferrat. Though he began his rule under a regency, ...

, after signing the Treaty of Paris with France in 1355 which set the limits of the

Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy (; ) was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy f ...

and the

Dauphiné The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...

. The city lay on the line of defence against France of the Duchy of Savoy. A series of fortifications were built to protect Savoy. Allymes Castle, the fortification of Brédevent, the Saint-Germain Castle, and the tower of Saint-Denis were parts of this line of defence in the Bugey possessions of the Duke of Savoy.

Pérouges Pérouges (; Arpitan: ''Pèrôges'') is a commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. A medieval walled town perched on a small hill that overlooks the plain of the river Ain, it is located northe ...

, a city of Savoy located on the plains played a commercial role at the border with France until the Treaty of Lyon.

Renaissance

Treaty of Lyon (1601) The Treaty of Lyon was signed on 17 January 1601 between France and Savoy, to bring an end to the Franco-Savoyard War of 1600–1601. Based on the terms of the treaty, Henry IV of France relinquished Saluzzo to Savoy, while Savoy kept Pont de Gr ...

. On 17 January 1601 the Treaty of Lyon rejoined

and therefore Ambérieu to France. This treaty between the Duke

Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I (; 12 January 1562 – 26 July 1630), known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 30 August 1580 until his death almost 50 years later in 1630, he was the longest-reigning Savoyard monarch ...

and

King Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

also unified France with

Bresse Bresse () is a former French province. It is located in the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté of eastern France. The geographical term ''Bresse'' has two meanings: ''Bresse bourguignonne'' (or ''louhannaise''), whic ...

(at the time explicitly distinguished from Valromey), and the ''Pays de Gex''.

World War II

Marcel Demia and the Resistance of Ain

In late 1941

Henri Romans-Petit Henri Romans-Petit (13 February 1897 – 1 November 1980) was a member of the French Resistance during the Second World War. He organised several maquis, notably the maquis de l'Ain et du Haut-Jura and the maquis de Haute-Savoie. Biography Roman ...

was engaged in the ''French Hope'' network in Saint-Etienne. During

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

an independent resistance fighter, Marcel Demia a

Market garden A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to s ...

er and

Horticultural Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

ist from the Ambérieu-en-Bugey commune went there to visit his parents. The two men meet and exchanged views on the situation. Their shared commitment motivated Henri Romans-Petit to create a Resistance organization in the department of Ain.''The Maquis of Ain Organise''
, consulted on 27 June 2011 Marcel Demia spoke of some young resistance fighters who he placed on isolated farms and the difficulties encountered in his organization. Henri Romans-Petit arrived in Ain in 1942 and began to help the resistance fighters of the STO and his host. Ambérieu-en-Bugey today has a street called Marcel Demia.

Liberation of the town

The town was liberated on 3 September 1944 by troops who landed in Provence. Known for the actions of its resistance, particularly from the ''

Maquis de l'Ain et du Haut-Jura The Maquis de l'Ain et du Haut-Jura were a group of maquis fighters in the French Resistance during World War II. On 11 November 1943, the Maquis de l'Ain et du Haut-Jura, on orders from Colonel Henri Romans-Petit, took possession of the town o ...

'' the town was nicknamed "The Rebel Ambérieu" and was decorated with the

with citation.

New name

On 31 March 1955 ''Ambérieu'' was renamed ''Ambérieu-en-Bugey''.

Heraldry

Politics and administration

The town has between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants and the town council is composed of 33 members: the mayor, nine deputies, and 23 councilors.The Municipal Council, Ambérieu-en-Bugey town website
, consulted on 27 June 2011 Since 2014, Daniel Fabre has been the mayor of Ambérieu-en-Bugey. He was re-elected in the 2020 municipal elections for the 2020-2026 tenure. List of Successive Mayors of Ambérieu-en-Bugey

Political environment

The commune, at the instigation of

Saint-Vulbas Saint-Vulbas () is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France. Population Geography The town is located on the right bank of the Rhône, 205 meters above sea level, 35 kilometers northeast of Lyon, 13 kilometers from Ambérieu-en ...

and

has been experimenting with a weed control plan that does not involve the use of chemicals

Air quality

An integral part of the ''Community of communes of the plain of Ain'', Ambérieu-en-Bugey commune participates in actions such as air quality control as quality is potentially undermined by the proximity of the industrial park of the Plain of Ain.

Shale gas

The geological sub-structure of the Ambérieu-en-Bugey region contains

Shale gas Shale gas is an unconventional natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations. Since the 1990s, a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has made large volumes of shale gas more economical to produce, and ...

. The potential exploitation of these deposits has caused some hostility which has been expressed in local politics. Advocacy undertaken by opposition movements are varied: broadcasts, a documentary called ''

Gasland ''Gasland'' is a 2010 American documentary film written and directed by Josh Fox. It focuses on communities in the United States where natural gas drilling activity was a concern and, specifically, on hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), a method ...

'' - in June 2011, and demonstrations at Blyes the main town in the region concerned.

Twin towns – sister cities

Ambérieu-en-Bugey is twinned with: *

Mering Mering () is a municipality in the district Aichach-Friedberg, in Bavaria, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the ...

, Germany (1973)

Population and society

Population

Its inhabitants are known as ''Ambarrois'' (masculine) and ''Ambarroises'' (feminine) in French.

Distribution of age groups

The population of the town is slightly younger than the departmental average. Percentage distribution of age groups in Ambérieu-en-Bugey and Ain Department in 2017 Source: INSEE

Education

Public education

Ambérieu-en-Bugey is located in the Academy of Lyon area. The town administers several kindergartens and communal elementary schools. ;List of public schools

Private education

The Sainte-Marie school brings together a

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

, a

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, and a

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

Other education

A ''GRETA'' - an organization specialising in continuing education for adults - is based in Ambérieu-en-Bugey. A

Bernard Palissy Bernard Palissy (; c. 1510c. 1589) was a Huguenot, French Huguenot pottery, potter, Hydraulics, hydraulics engineer and craftsman, famous for having struggled for sixteen years to imitate Chinese porcelain. He is best known for his so-called "rus ...

training centre for apprentices is also based in the commune.

Cultural events and festivals

In addition to the railway, as shown by the creation of the Railway Museum railway in 1987, Ambérieu-en-Bugey also developed around its library with an interest in autobiographical heritage including hosting the headquarters of the Association For Autobiography (APA). In addition, the town has provided a house for associations. There have been two notable events in the town: The first, the festival ''Jazz in the Park'' was a festival of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

that took place in the ''Parc des Échelles'' in July. The 13th and last edition was held in 2006. The second, the Salon du Gourmet is held each year in November with dozens of exhibitors from all over France to show their crafts. The ''Association for autobiography and autobiographical heritage'' located in Ambérieu-en-Bugey also organizes ad hoc cultural events.

Health

Several medical centres are based in Ambérieu-en-Bugey: other than the mutual clinic there is a maternity unit in the town, a medical practice at Allymes, the Paul-Mourlon centre for early medico-social action, and the specialized home care service also named Paul-Mourlon.

Sports

Infrastructure

The town has several sports facilities: the Cordier, Bellievre, Saint-Exupéry, and Plaine de l'Ain gyms. There is also a nautical centre called Laure Manaudou, the Theo-TillierThe stadium bears the name of the Mayor who succeeded Émile Bravet in 1940. stadium, and the

skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, Freestyle scootering, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairw ...

. Skate parc d'Ambérieu-en-Bugey (Ain, France).jpg, Ambérieu-en-Bugey

Skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, Freestyle scootering, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairw ...

Amicale boule du Tiret.jpg, Friendly

bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which players try to roll their ball (called a bowl) closest to a smaller ball (known as a "jack" or sometimes a "kitty"). The bowls are shaped (biased), so that they follow a curve ...

at Tiret ;List of sports associations in Ambérieu-en-Bugey in 2011 * Club Aéronautique du

* Ambérieu

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

Club * Judo Kodokan Ambérieu * Cercle de jade -

tai chi is a Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, for most practitioners it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. As an exercise, tai chi is performed as gentle, low-impact movement in which practitioners ...

* Académie de

Taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

et Olympique Ambérieu * Ambérieu Athlétic Club * Ambérieu Marathon * Fous du Volant Ambarrois * Ambérieu Basket Ball * ASCA Boules * Boule de Tiret * Boule du Gardon * Secteur Bouliste Plaine de l’Ain * Amicale Chasse * Groupement des pêcheurs sportifs * Pêcheurs à la Ligne de l’Ain * Vélo Club d’Ambérieu * Ambar’rock * Alegria * Cercle d’échec * ASC Ambérieu escrime * Ambérieu Football Club * Gym Aquatique et Grossesse * ALJF Gymnastique sportive * ASC Ambérieu Gym d’entretien * Handball Club Ambérieu * Moto Club d’Ambérieu * Ambérieu Natation * Color’s Paintball * ASC Ambérieu Pétanque * Sportif Ambarrois de Plongée et de Spéléologie * Club Aquatique Subaquatique Ambarrois * Club Spéléo Canyon Ambarrois * Ambérieu Rugby Club * Ski Club Régional de l’Ain * ALJF gym d'entretien * Savate forme * Racing Team Ambarrois * Tout Terrain Ambarrois * AinTerr’Actif 4x4 * Club Ambarrois de Tennis * ASC Ambérieu Tennis de Table * Tir Sportif du Bugey * Compagnie des Archers Bugistes * Compagnie des Archers du Roy * Triathlon Ambérieu * Ambérieu Volley Ball * Association de yoga d’Ambérieu

Media

Printing press

The newspaper ''

le Progrès ''Le Progrès'' (, ) is a regional daily newspaper which is based in Lyon, Rhône, France. ''Le Progrès'' reports primarily on local news in the Rhône-Alpes region. The paper has its headquarters in Lyon. The print works is in Chassieu, near ...

'' offers a daily edition dedicated to the region of

. ''Voix de l'Ain'' is a weekly publication offering local information for different regions of the department. ''Le Journal du Bugey'' is a weekly publication more focused on information for the Ambérieu-en-Bugey area and its surroundings.

TV

France 3 Rhône-Alpes France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Auvergne is available in the region.

Radio

A local radio station broadcasts the ''Fréquence Côtière'' from

Montluel Montluel (; ) is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France. It is situated on the outskirts of Lyon. The inhabitants are known as ''Montluistes''. Population Personalities * (1743-1818), Catholic Bishop of Quimper * André d'Ar ...

. Since the 2000s, the name has evolved into the station ''FC radio, the essential''.

Religion

Catholic worship

There are six churches for Catholic worship in the parish of Ambérieu-en-Bugey: Saint Symphorien, Saint Jean-Marie Vianney, Notre Dame des Neiges, Sainte Foy,

Saint Maurice Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, Maurits, or Mauritius; ) was an Egyptians, Egyptian military leader who headed the legendary Theban Legion of Roman Empire, Rome in the 3rd century, and is one of the favourite and most widely venerated saints of tha ...

, and Saint Denis. This parish is in the parish grouping of "Ambérieu-en-Bugey" which depends on the diocese of Belley-Ars in the

Archdiocese of Lyon The Archdiocese of Lyon (; ), formerly the Archdiocese of Lyon–Vienne–Embrun, is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archbishops of Lyon are also called primates of Gaul. The oldest diocese in Fran ...

Protestant worship

An evangelical Protestant church is located at 31 rue de la Resistance.

Muslim worship

Two prayer halls of the

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

Faith are located in Ambérieu-en-Bugey: the first is for the Union of Maghreb people of Ain and is located on the rue de la Resistance. The second is run by the Union of Muslim Associations for the Lyon Area and is located on Avenue

Paul Painlevé Paul Painlevé (; 5 December 1863 – 29 October 1933) was a French mathematician and statesman. He served twice as Prime Minister of France, Prime Minister of the French Third Republic, Third Republic: 12 September – 13 November 1917 and 17 A ...

. A building permit has been approved by the town council to build a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

Construction Permit for a Mosque approved by the Mayor
, ''

Le Progrès ''Le Progrès'' (, ) is a regional daily newspaper which is based in Lyon, Rhône, France. ''Le Progrès'' reports primarily on local news in the Rhône-Alpes region. The paper has its headquarters in Lyon. The print works is in Chassieu, near ...

'', 2 February 2013 .

Freemasonry

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

, the ''Brotherhood bugeysienne'' is based in Ambérieu-en-Bugey. They also have a

Masonic temple A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history I ...

in the commune of

. It is affiliated to the

Grand Orient of France The Grand Orient de France (, abbr. GODF) is the oldest and largest of several Freemasonic organizations based in France and is the oldest in Continental Europe (as it was formed out of an older Grand Lodge of France in 1773, and briefly absorbe ...

Economy

Incomes of the population and tax

In 2017 according to the INSEE survey, the median net income per household was €19,860 per year. 49% of the commune's households were then taxable.

Employment

In 2017 the population of Ambérieu-en-Bugey aged between 15 and 64 was distributed as follows: 76.2% of active people, 11.3% unemployed, 9.5% student or trainee, and 6.1% of retirees. An employment centre is located in the town.

Businesses and shops

At 31 December 2015, Ambérieu-en-Bugey had 1,337 business establishments: 52 were specialized in industrial activity, 131 in construction, 907 in trade, 7 in agriculture, and 142 were in public administration, education, health and social work. In 2018, 114 new companies were established in the territory of which 80 are under the ''auto-entrepreneur'' rules.

Culture and heritage

Civil monuments

There are three sites in the commune that are registered as historical monuments: * The Tour de Gy Fortified house of Saint Germain (14th century), including the tower, fireplace and spiral staircase. * The Gothic Château des Allymes (1351) mainly built by François Nicod. ;Other sites of interest * The Château des Echelles (19th century) in the Vareille district. * The remains of the Chateau of Saint-Germain, a medieval castle which overlooked the Tour de Gy

Religious monuments

* The Chapel of Our Lady of the Coast (18th century) at Saint-Germain. The Chapel contains two items which are registered as historical objects: ** A

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...

wooden

Retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...

(16th century) depicting scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin in 7 panels ** A Painting: Virgin of the Rosary with several Saints (1606) * The Chapel of Allymes * The Church of Saint-Symphorien (19th century) in the town centre. * The Church dedicated to Saint Jean-Marie Vianney (20th century) in the railway station district. * The Temple of the Reformed Church, in the Place Marcelpoil.

Environmental heritage

The commune has several parks: * The Blue Lake in the Vareilles district; * The Château des Echelles ParkMinistry of Culture, Mérimée is ranked as a Remarkable Garden of France where the Jazz in the Park festival used to be held each year; * The Parc du Grand Dunois Ambérieu-en-Bugey was awarded one flower in the ''

Concours des villes et villages fleuris The (, 'Competition of cities and villages in bloom') is an annual France, French Contesting, contest. It aims to encourage Communes of France, communes to adopt and implement policies improving the quality of life of their inhabitants and enh ...

'' (Competition for Towns and Villages in bloom) competition in 2005 and second in 2008. In 2014 the commune was awarded two flowers.Towns and Villages in bloom
, Concours des villes et villages fleuris website, consulted on 20 July 2014

In popular culture

Several films were partially shot in Ambérieu-en-Bugey: * 2001: ''

L'Emploi du temps ''Time Out'' ( or 'Le Vendu') is a 2001 Cinema of France, French Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Laurent Cantet and starring Aurélien Recoing and Karin Viard. The film is loosely based on the life story of Jean-Claude Romand ...

'' by

Laurent Cantet Laurent Cantet (; 11 April 1961 – 25 April 2024) was a French director, cinematographer and screenwriter. His film ''Entre les murs'' ('' The Class'') won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008. Biography Laurent Cantet was born in ...

* 2004: ''Cause toujours!'' by

Jeanne Labrune Jeanne Labrune (born 21 June 1950) is a French screenwriter and film director. She has directed 13 films since 1978. Her film '' Sand and Blood'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard (; 'A Certain Glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Fes ...

Notable people

* Claude Victor de Boissieu (1784–1868), painter and mayor of Ambérieu * Louis-Gabriel-Charles Vicaire (1848–1900), poet, lived here during his early years *

Roger Vailland Roger Vailland (; 16 October 1907 – 12 May 1965) was a French novelist, essayist, and screenwriter. Biography Vailland was born in Acy-en-Multien, Oise. His novels include the prize winning ''Drôle de jeu'' (1945), ''Les mauvais coups'' (194 ...

(1907–1965), writer, lived in the hamlet of Allymes * Denise Perrier (born 1935), actress and

Miss World 1953 Miss World 1953 was the third Miss World pageant, held at the Lyceum Theatre, London, Lyceum Ballroom in London, United Kingdom on 19 October 1953. At the end of the event, Denise Perrier of France was announced as Miss World 1953. This is the ...

Alexandre Vincendet Alexandre Vincendet (born 6 October 1983 in Ambérieu-en-Bugey) is a French politician. A member of The Republicans (France), The Republicans, he was elected Member of Parliament (France), Member of Parliament for Rhône's 7th constituency in th ...

(born 1983), politician, born here *

Laure Manaudou Laure Manaudou (; born 9 October 1986) is a retired French Olympic, world and European champion swimmer. She has held the world record in freestyle events between 200 and 1500 meter. She is the older sister of Florent Manaudou who is also an Olym ...

(born 1986), swimmer, Olympic champion, grew up here and the nautical centre bears her name *

Florent Manaudou ] Florent Manaudou (; born 12 November 1990) is a French competitive swimming (sport), swimmer, an Olympic champion of the 50-meter freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics, and the younger brother of Laure Manaudou, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist ...

(born 1990), swimmer, Olympic champion, grew up here

Gallery

Parc du Grand Dunois.jpg, View of the Grand Dunois Park Parc des Echelles.jpg, View of the Park of Échelles La tortue des Arcades.jpg, View of the arcade shops Bredevent.JPG, View of Bredevent and the Chateau of Allymes Gare d'Ambérieu (surélevé).JPG, Aerial view of the station

Notes and references

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amberieuenbugey Communes of Ain Bugey Ambarri