Anjou () is a commune in the

Isère Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.

department, region of

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 ...

, southeastern

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 ...

Geography

Anjou is a commune located in Bas-Dauphiné, some 6 km east by south-east of

Roussillon Roussillon ( , , ; , ; ) was a historical province of France that largely corresponded to the County of Roussillon and French Cerdagne, part of the County of Cerdagne of the former Principality of Catalonia. It is part of the region of ' ...

and 10 km north-east of

Saint-Rambert-d'Albon Saint-Rambert-d'Albon (, literally ''Saint-Rambert of Albon, Drôme, Albon''; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Drôme Departments of France, department in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Population Notable re ...

. Resting on a south-facing hill and partially sheltered from rain by the peaks of the Pilat mountain range, it benefits from a mild and sunny climate. For many decades, the beauty of its location has drawn numerous tourists and many others who reside in the village. Access to the commune is by the D51 road from Agnin in the west passing through the commune and the village and continuing to Sonnay in the east. The Ruisseau de la Ronzee passes through the north of the commune from east to west joining the Ruisseau de la Vescia which forms part of the northern border of the commune and which has several tributaries rising in the commune. An unnamed stream forms the southern border of the commune flowing from east to west.Google Maps
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Neighbouring communes and villages

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Anjoulois'' or ''Anjouloises'' in French.

Sites and monuments

*The Church was built in the 19th century and its bell tower was completed with two bells cast in Lyon in 1849 and in 1861. This tower has the oldest bell in the region. It originated from the Celestine convent in

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 ...

which was destroyed during the French Revolution and brought to Anjou by the Bectoz family of Vaubonnais who owned a chateau in the area. A collection of stained glass windows unique for the homogeneity of design and the outstanding quality of the colours is renowned in this building. The Church contains a Commemorative Plaque (1274) which is registered as an historical object. Open to the public. *The '
Chateau of Anjou and its 10-hectare park
'' (18th century) are registered as historical monuments.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The remains of the castle and a park created by the famous landscape architects Henri and Achille Duchêne for Clément and Alice Jourdan are open to the public. *The '
Fondru Chateau
'' was built in the 19th century and belonged to the Bectoz family of Vaubonnais. It has an attractive dovecote which is undergoing restoration. Not open to the public. *The Chateau de la Sablière. Not open to the public. *The '

'' was part of an old medieval castle from the 12th or 13th century. It overlooks the Old Village and the Chateau of Anjou. The tower is today a panoramic site that provides a unique perspective over several departments: Explanatory panels, an orientation table, picnic tables, and toilet facilities available to visitors. Open to the public. *The '
Old Village of Anjou
'' has many charming and picturesque lanes including a blacksmith's sign dating to 1666. *A '

'' allows the leisurely exploration of the history and culture of Anjou in a day.

Notable people linked to the commune

*Raimon of Anjou, a 12th-century

Troubadour A troubadour (, ; ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female equivalent is usually called a ''trobairitz''. The tr ...

in the

provençal language Provençal may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Provence, a region of France ** Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the southeast of France ** ''Provençal'', meaning the whole Occitan language * Proven ...

, one of the first lords of Anjou. * Charles IX, King of France (1550-1574) dined at the Anjou Chateau on 15 August 1564. *Claude Brosse, a famous community trustee of the Dauphine villages, was châtelain of Anjou. In 1639

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

granted a decree to him rendering fairer assizes (taxes) for the people, or Third-estate. His daughter married Joseph de Bectoz de Vaubonnais and brought him, through her dowry, the Anjou land. *Melchior Mitte de Chevrières, Count of Anjou, hosted Louis de Bourbon, cousin of Louis XIII and the governor of

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 ...

at his Chateau in Anjou during Christmas celebrations in 1623. *

, King of France, lodged at Anjou Chateau with his entire court on 20 July 1629, during his return from the South. *Humbert Guillot de Golat, Squire of Garenne, a Dauphinois poet, lived at Anjou where he wrote many poems. *

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...

visited Anjou in 1887 and stayed at Anjou Chateau at the invitation of Clément and Alice Jourdan.