Montluçon (; ) is a commune in central

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 ...

on the river

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

. It is the largest commune in the

Allier Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...

department, although the department's

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

is located in the smaller town of Moulins. Its inhabitants are known as ''Montluçonnais''. The town is in the traditional province of

Bourbonnais The Bourbonnais (; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Borbonés'') was a Provinces of France, historic province in the centre of France that corresponds to the modern ''département in France, département'' of Allier, along with part of the ''dépar ...

and was part of the mediaeval duchy of Bourbon.

Geography

Montluçon is located in the northwest of the Allier department near the frontier of the

Centre-Val de Loire Centre-Val de Loire (; ,In isolation, ''Centre'' is pronounced . ) or Centre Region (, ), as it was known until 2015, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France. It straddles the middle Loire Valley in the interior ...

and

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...

regions. Montluçon is linked with surrounding regions and towns via four main road axes, plus the highway A71 from

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...

; through a railway linking in the North Vierzon then Paris (3-5h). Formerly the canal de Berry linked Montluçon towards the north. Montluçon is south of

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 ...

, from Paris, from

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...

, (3h) from

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 ...

, (2h) from

Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...

and from the Atlantic coast. Montluçon is close to the '' Méridienne verte'' (an architectural project marking the Paris meridian) and to the Greenwich meridian. Montluçon is also close to the geographic centre of

Metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...

History

Early history

Montluçon was built in 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 ...

. The first mention of a place called ''Monte Lucii'' (Mont de

Lucius Lucius is a masculine given name derived from Lucius (Latin ; ), abbreviated L., one of the small group of common Latin forenames () found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius probably derives from Latin word ( gen. ), meaning "light" (<

) dates from the eleventh century. Guillaume, son of Archambaud IV of Bourbon, built the castle in a defensible position on a small rocky hill on a bend in the river

. The town, which formed part of the duchy of Bourbon, was taken by Henry II in 1171, and by

Philip Augustus Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...

in 1181; the English were finally driven out in the 14th century. In the 14th century, Louis II de Bourbon re-built the

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

and walls. Montluçon and other Bourbon lands reverted to the French crown in 1529, and Henry IV further improved the defenses. Montluçon became the administrative seat of the area in 1791, then entered the industrial era thanks to the presence of coalpits distant in Commentry, the Canal de Berry in 1830 and the railway in 1864. These transport links allowed the import of ore and export of coal, wood and manufactured goods. The population grew from 5000 inhabitants in 1830 to 50 000 in 1950. During the

repression of January and February 1894 The repression of January and February 1894 was an episode of the Ère des attentats (1892–1894), during which France engaged in significant Political repression, state repression against Anarchism, anarchists. The passage of the lois scélérat ...

, the police conducted raids targeting the

anarchists Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or hierarchy, primarily targeting the state and capitalism. Anarchism advocates for the replacement of the state w ...

living there, without much success.

World War II

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 ...

, the Germans occupied the Dunlop tyre plant (even though Montluçon was in the free zone) to exploit the research laboratory to synthesize rubber, since natural rubber could not be imported by Germany. The manufacturing of tyres for

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

aircraft was also of interest for the Germans. For this reason, the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

bombed the site on 12–16 September 1943, as well as part of the nearby town Saint-Victor, causing 36 deaths and injuring more than 250 civilians. A notable act of resistance occurred in the city on 6 January 1943 when a mob of citizens overran guards supervising a massive deportation of men to Germany in accordance with the ''Service de Travail Obligatoire'' (Obligatory Work Service) plan that sent able Frenchmen to fill vacancies in German factories during the war. All the men who were to be deported managed to escape into the countryside, evading the forced industrial service awaiting them in the Reich.

Post-World War II

Since 1945, traditional industry (blast furnaces and glassware) has declined. Today Montluçon has chemical industries, tyre manufacture ( Dunlop), and electronics (

Sagem SAGEM (, translated as "Company of General Applications of Electricity and Mechanics") was a French company involved in defense electronics, consumer electronics, and communication systems. Founded in 1924, SAGEM initially specialised in mechani ...

), and more recently a technopole at La Loue was established for high-tech companies. New Zealand-born SOE agent Nancy Wake, the most decorated woman of World War II, led her small army of resistance fighters in the countryside around Montluçon. Wake died on 7 August 2011 aged 98, and on 11 March 2013, her ashes were scattered in a small wood outside Montluçon. The ceremony was followed by a civic reception in the town.

Population

Transportation

Air

There is a small airport from Montluçon ( Montluçon - Guéret Airport) with flights mainly for Paris, and a smaller aerodrome in Montluçon itself ( Montluçon - Domérat Aerodrome). The nearest international airports are Clermont-Ferrand Airport and Limoges Airport.

Road

Montluçon is linked to French and European road networks, by three major routes: * the highway A71 from

. * the national route to Clermont-Ferrand (E11) and to Bourges/Vierzon * the E62/RN145 joining Limoges to Moulins

Rail

The Gare de Montluçon-Ville railway station is served by three main passenger rail lines. * 'Montluçon -

Vierzon Vierzon () is a Communes of France, commune in the Cher (department), Cher departments of France, department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography A medium-sized town by the banks of the river Cher (river), Cher with some light industry and a ...

- Paris' (fastest travel time to Paris: 3h08) * 'Montluçon - Gannat -

' * 'Montluçon -

Guéret Guéret (; Occitan: ''Garait'') is a commune and the prefecture of the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France. Geography Guéret is a light industrial town, the largest in the department, with a big woodland a ...

- Saint-Sulpice-Laurière -

' (on the

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

line)

City buses

Montluçon's local buses are run by Maelis.

Sights

The upper town, on the right bank of the

, consists of steep, narrow, winding streets, and preserves several buildings of the 15th and 16th centuries. The lower town, traversed by the Cher, is the industrial zone. The church of Notre-Dame dates from the fourteenth century, the church of St Pierre partly from the 12th. The town hall, with a library, occupies the site of an old Ursuline convent, and two other convents are used as a college and hospital. Overlooking the town is the castle rebuilt by

Louis II, Duke of Bourbon Louis de Bourbon, called the Good ( – 1410), was the third Duke of Bourbon. He was also the Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis and Lord of Beaujeu. Life Louis was the son of Peter de Bourbon and Isabella de Valois. His mother was the siste ...

, and taken by Henry IV during the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...

; it serves as a barracks.

Monuments

* The Dukes of the Bourbon castle in Montluçon, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries * Church of Notre-Dame, XVe * Church of Saint-Pierre, XIIe * Church of Saint-Paul, XIXe * Church of Sainte-Thérèse, XXe * Church of Saint-Martin, XXe * Church of Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc, built in 1966 * Temple de l'Église Réformée de France, (1888) * Tour des forges (or 'tour fondue'), XIIe siècle * Crown, XIIe * Maison des Douze apôtres du XIIe * Museum of popular musiques *

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

, XIXe * Ancienne chapelle Saint-Louis * Passage du doyenné * Castle la Louvière * Castle de Bien-Assis * Canal de Berry: locks, canal bridge

Culture

* Musée des Musiques Populaires * Théâtre Municipal Gabrielle Robinne

International relations

Montluçon is twinned with: *

Antsirabe Antsirabe () also known as Ville d'eau is the list of cities in Madagascar, third largest city in Madagascar and the capital of the Vakinankaratra region, with a population of 265,018 in 2014. In Madagascar, Antsirabe is known for its relatively ...

, Madagascar *

Guimarães Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved ...

, Portugal *

Hagen Hagen () is a city in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, on the southeastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne and Volme meet the Ruhr (river), Ruhr. In 2023, the ...

, Germany *

Igualada Igualada () is a municipality and capital of Anoia county in Penedès, Catalonia, Spain. It is located on the left bank of the Anoia River and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona Railway. Igualada is the capital and central ...

, Spain *

Leszno Leszno (, , ) is a historic city in western Poland, seat of Leszno County within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Leszno is a former residential cit ...

, Poland

Miscellaneous

Administration: Montluçon is a sub-prefecture and has courts, a board of trade arbitration, a chamber of commerce and several schools (general public, private, commercial). Sport: * ÉDS Montluçon

Personalities

Montluçon was the birthplace of: * Achille Allier (1807-1836), archaeologist and writer * Françoise Bonnet (born 1957), a long-distance runner and Olympic athlete * Guy Chauvet (1933–2007), a

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

Jules Cluzel Jules Cluzel (born 12 October 1988 in Montluçon, Allier) is a French former motorcycle racer. After retiring from competition in 2022, from 2023 he is a rider-coach for Yamaha Thailand, a Supersport World Championship team. In 2019 he compete ...

(born 1988), a motorcycle Grand Prix road racer * Marx Dormoy (1888–1941), a

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

* Michael Fitzpatrick (born 1970), American musician, lead singer of Fitz and the Tantrums *

Jehan Jehan is a predominantly male given name. It is the old orthography of Jean in Old French, and is rarely given anymore. It is also a variant of the Persian name Jahan in some South Asian languages. People with the given name Jehan * Jahan (na ...

(born 1957), a songwriter *

Jean-Daniel Lafond Jean-Daniel Lafond (born August 18, 1944) is a French-Canadian filmmaker, teacher of philosophy, and the husband to the former Governor General Michaëlle Jean, making him the viceregal consort of Canada during her service. Biography Lafond w ...

, spouse of former Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean. * Louis Alexis Étienne Bonvin (1886-1946) Governor General of

French India French India, formally the (), was a French colony comprising five geographically separated enclaves on the Indian subcontinent that had initially been factories of the French East India Company. They were ''de facto'' incorporated into the ...

between 1938 and 1946 *

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty , opérettes and other stage works, among which his ballet (1 ...

(1853–1929), a composer * Raoul Minot (1893–1945), WWI veteran, department store vendor, and clandestine amateur photographer in Nazi-occupied Paris; honored during WWI ''

Croix de guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

'' with bronze medal, and after WWII as '' Mort pour la France'' * (born 1977), a mixed martial arts fighter * Gabrielle Robinne (1886-1980), a stage and film actress * Florian Vachon (born 1985), a professional road bicycle racer * Jean Val Jean (born 1980), an adult film actor * Bernadette Vergnaud (born 1950), a

French politician The politics of France take place within the framework of a semi-presidential systems, semi-presidential system determined by the Constitution of France, French Constitution of the French Fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "in ...

and

Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...

* Roger Walkowiak (1927-2017), a cyclist, winner of the

1956 Tour de France The 1956 Tour de France was the 43rd edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 5 to 28 July. It consisted of 22 stages over . There was no previous Tour winner competing for the 1956 Tour, which had only previously happened in 1903 Tour d ...

Climate

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Montlucon Communes of Allier Subprefectures in France Bourbonnais