Châteldon (French pronunciation: [ʃatɛldɔ̃]; Occitan: Chasteladon) is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France.[3]
Châteldon | |
|---|---|
 A general view of Châteldon | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
Location of Châteldon  | |
  Châteldon  Châteldon | |
| Coordinates: 45°58′39″N 3°31′16″E / 45.9775°N 3.5211°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
| Department | Puy-de-Dôme |
| Arrondissement | Thiers |
| Canton | Maringues |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Tony Bernard[1] |
| Area 1 | 28.43 km2 (10.98 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 764 |
| • Density | 27/km2 (70/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC 01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC 02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 63102 /63290 |
| Elevation | 285–862 m (935–2,828 ft) (avg. 300 m or 980 ft) |
| Website | chateldon.com |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
About the town
editChâteldon is a medieval village in the northern part of Auvergne. It dates from the early Middle Ages, with many of its buildings dating back to the 14th century. The town's fortifications are still in evidence.
The village lies on the western edge of the Montagne Bourbonnaise and the northern edge of the Livradois-Forez Regional Natural Park, the largest nature park in Europe. To the west lies the Limagne, where the Allier and Dore rivers converge. Nineteen kilometres to the north is the City of Vichy.
Château de Châteldon was purchased by Pierre Laval, who went on to serve as the French Prime Minister from 1942 to 1944, in September 1931.[4] Laval purchased it from Léon Sénèque.[4] As of 2014, the castle belonged to the Josée and René de Chambrun Foundation.[5]
Nearby towns
edit- Lachaux, Puy-Guillaume and Ris.
Administration
edit| Election Date | Name |
|---|---|
| 1790 | Jean-Baptiste Couher |
| 1792 | Louis Chabrier |
| 1793 | Jean-Baptiste Quissac |
| 1800 | Michel Delaire |
| 1810 | Hugues Debrit |
| 1926 | Léon Seneque |
| 1929 | Victor Rivet |
| 1940 | Charles Cocurat |
| 1964 | Victor Ducher |
| 1965 | René Verdier |
| 1971 | René Verdier |
| 1977 | René Verdie |
| 1978 | Genès Fradin |
| 1983 | Genès Fradin |
| 1989 | Jean-Paul Dassaud |
| 1995 | Jean-Paul Dassaud |
| 1997 | Tony Bernard |
| 2001 | Tony Bernard |
| 2008 | Tony Bernard |
| 2014 | Tony Bernard[6] |
| 2020 | Tony Bernard[1] |
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 1,101 | — |
| 1975 | 953 | −2.04% |
| 1982 | 916 | −0.56% |
| 1990 | 840 | −1.08% |
| 1999 | 737 | −1.44% |
| 2007 | 752 | 0.25% |
| 2012 | 778 | 0.68% |
| 2017 | 773 | −0.13% |
| Source: INSEE[7] | ||
Mineral water
editChâteldon is known for its naturally carbonated mineral water. It was the first mineral water exploited in France and transported by bottles to the Court of Louis XIV in Versailles. This water is used for its diuretic and digestive properties. It is also rich in potassium, sodium and fluorine. In France, one finds the water of Châteldon in the large hotels and restaurants, and in delicatessens. In 1650, the first doctor of the king, Guy-Crescent Fagon, praised the virtues of Châteldon to Louis XIV.
Notable people
editChâteldon was the birthplace of Pierre Laval (1883–1945), French politician and his wife Marguerite Laval (1888–1959), born Claussat, the daughter of the mayor of Chateldon Joseph Claussat.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ INSEE commune file
- ^ a b Kupferman, Fred (2015). Pierre Laval (2nd ed.). Paris: Tallandier. pp. 87–118. ISBN 9782847342543 – via Cairn.info.
- ^ Gondeau, Jean-Paul (August 8, 2014). "A Châteldon, le château du dernier propriétaire, proscrit et renié, ne se visite pas". La Montagne (in French). Retrieved July 8, 2016.
- ^ "List of Mayors of Puy-de-Dôme" (PDF). Prefecture of Puy-de-Dôme. 9 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
External links
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