Commentry (; Auvergnat: ''Comentriac'') is a commune in the department of Allier in central

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 ar ...

. 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 Yvonne Rozille (1900–1985) was born in Commentry.

Population

History

Commentry was home to Compagnie de Commentry-Fourchambault-Decazeville, thanks to an important coal deposit. The coal mine fueled a huge growth in population, from under 1,000 to more than 12,000, while

Stéphane Mony Stéphane Christophe Mony (or Stéphane Flachat, or Mony-Flachat, 14 February 1800 – 10 March 1884) was a French railway engineer, company president and politician. He was involved in the Saint-Simonian movement when a young man. He was trained ...

was its CEO (1840–1884). Commentry was the first commune ever to elect a socialist mayor: Christophe Thivrier was elected 6 June 1882. The Socialist Party of France was founded in Commentry in September 1902.

Economy

Commentry gave its name to a coal field over 21 square kilometres in extent, and historically had important foundries and forges.

Science

Charles Brongniart Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

discovered many fossils near Commentry, including '' Meganeura'' in the Stephanian stage coal measures in 1880.

Personalities

* Jean Bayet (1882–1969) Professor of Latin Language and Literature at the Sorbonne, whose grandfather Gilbert Bayet was mayor of Commentry 1871–1873. *

Henri Fayol Henri Fayol (29 July 1841 – 19 November 1925) was a French mining engineer, mining executive, author and director of mines who developed a general theory of business administration that is often called Fayolism.Morgen Witzel (2003). ''Fifty ke ...

(1841–1925) mining engineer, developed Fayolism, an approach to management and administration. * Abel Gance (1889–1981) film director and producer, raised by maternal grandparents in Commentry until the age of eight. *

Jacques Hillairet Auguste André Coussillan (31 July 1886 – 15 April 1984) was a French historian specialising in the history of Paris. Under the pen-name Jacques Hillairet he wrote two major reference works on the subject in the 1950s - ''Connaissance du vieux ...

(1886-1984) historian specializing in the history of Paris, officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

. * Émile Mâle (1862–1954) art historian and member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

. *

(1800–1884) Engineer, director of the colliery at Commentry; mayor from 1854 to 1883; deputy from 1868 to 1871. * Christophe Thivrier (1841–1895) first elected Socialist mayor in France. * Roger Vergé (1930–2015) Celebrated chef and restaurateur.

Population

History

Economy

Science

Personalities

See also