Ainay-le-Château

Ainay-le-Château
Town hall
Coat of arms
Ainay-le-Château
Location within Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region  Ainay-le-Château
Coordinates: 46°42′43″N 2°41′36″E / 46.7119°N 2.6933°E / 46.7119; 2.6933Coordinates: 46°42′43″N 2°41′36″E / 46.7119°N 2.6933°E / 46.7119; 2.6933
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Allier
Arrondissement	Montluçon
Canton	Bourbon-l'Archambault
Intercommunality	Pays de Tronçais
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Stephane Milaveau
Area1	24.07 km2 (9.29 sq mi)
Population (2013)2	1,021
• Density	42/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	03003 / 03360
Elevation	184–252 m (604–827 ft) (avg. 208 m or 682 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Ainay-le-Château is a French commune in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Castelainaisiens or Castelainaisiennes.^[1]

Geography

Ainay-le-Château is located some 55 kilometres (34 mi) south-east of Bourges and 50 kilometres (31 mi) south-west of Nevers. The northern border of the commune is the departmental boundary with Cher and the regional boundary with the Centre-Val de Loire region. Access to the commune is by D951 road from Thaumiers in the north which passes through the town and continues south to Cérilly. The D951 from Charenton-du-Cher in the north-west to Bessais-le-Fromental in the north-east passes through the north of the commune. The D28 comes from Braize in the south-west to the town then continues north to join the D951. The D64 goes east from the town to Valigny. There are several country roads in the commune linking the villages and hamlets inside. These include Le Castinerie, Salvert, La Bete, Saint-Benin, Charnoux, La Moullin de la Riviere, and L'Amour.^[2]

The town is traversed by the Marmande river, a tributary of the Cher; and the Sologne river, which feeds into the Marmande. The village overlooks the right bank of the Sologne. There are a number of small lakes at the heads of the streams to the east of the town. On the left bank, the suburb of Mandais is covers both sides of the road from Bourges and the border with the department of Cher passes within 300 metres (980 ft) of the bridge.

The commune is bordered by the Forest of Tronçais to the south with a small portion of the forest in the commune called Taillis de Pontcharaud.

Neighboring Communes and Villages^[2]

		Vernais	Bessais-le-Fromental
	Charenton-du-Cher		Valigny
		Ainay-le-Château
	Coust	Saint-Bonnet-Troncais	Isle-et-Bardais

History

Ainay-le-Chateau is a medieval town, one of the seventeen Châtelainies of the Dukes of Bourbon. The city was enclosed by walls and a castle stood around the church of Saint-Stephen.

During the French Revolution, the town took the name of Ainay-sur-Sologne.^[3]

The former parish and commune of Saint-Benin was reunited with Ainay-le-Château in 1842 and is today a village east of the town. Saint-Benin carried the Charnoux at the time of the French Revolution.^[3]

Home for people with psychiatric disorders

The town is home for a hospital which runs foster homes for the mentally ill. There are many of those foster homes in the commune and in the surrounding ones. Thus, these people are very well accepted, which allows them to live in optimal conditions. Because of this particular, the town has been featured on TF1 in the program Sept à huit (Seven to Eight) on 31 January 2010 (retransmitted on 21 April 2013), as well as in the program la Fabrique de l'Histoire (Fabric of History) on France Culture on 7 December 2010.^[4]

Heraldry

Blazon: Argent, 3 Palls of sable 2 and 1.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Ainay-le-Château^[5]

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2013, the commune had 1,021 inhabitants.^[7] The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses conducted in the town since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.^{[Note 1]}

Economy

In February 2010, according to the commercial register, Ainay-le-Château had 76 companies registered in the commune. There are 61 Real estate and other companies with their headquarters in the town.

Most of them engage in craft activities, shops and services nearby. Since 2005 there have been from 2 to 6 new company registrations per year.

Three different bank branches are available in Town: La Banque Postale, the Banque Populaire, and Crédit Agricole Centre France.

A local specialty is goat cheese.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has two sites that are registered as historical monuments:

• A Public Park^[8]
• The Urban area Fortifications (15th century)^[9] The fortifications include the Clock Gate and the enclosure with towers and walls.

• Fortifications of Ainay-le-Chateau
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Religious heritage

• The Church of Saint Etienne (12th century). is registered as an historical monument.^[10] The Church has a Renaissance doorway and an old porch from the 12th century. The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:
  • A Tombstone (1534)^[11]
  • A Tombstone (15th century)^[12]
  • A Cross: Christ on the Cross (17th century)^[13]
  • A Tabernacle with a canopy (17th century)^[14]
  • A Statue: Saint Francis (17th century)^[15]
  • A Statue: Virgin and Child (17th century)^[16]
  • A Group Sculpture: Virgin of Pity (16th century)^[17]
  • A Bas-relief: The House of Lorette (16th century)^[18]
• The Chapel of Saint-Roch contains a Statue: Saint Fiacre (17th century) which is registered as an historical object.^[19]

• Church of Saint Stephen
• 

  The Church Front

• 

  Church entrance

• 

  The nave

• 

  Funerary Slab

• 

  Funerary Slab

• 

  The Tabernacle

• 

  Virgin and child

• 

  House of Lorette

• 

  Pietà from the 16th century

• 

  Notre Dame de la Salette

• Church of Saint Roch
• 
• 

Ainay-le-Château in culture

In autumn 2005 Ainay-le-Château was the location of many of the scenes in Michou d'Auber, a film by Thomas Gilou released in 2007, with Gérard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye, and Mathieu Amalric acting.

Notable People linked to the commune

• Paul Guignard, racing cyclist, born on 10 May 1876 at Ainay-le-Château.
• André Lwoff, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1965 together with Jacques Monod and François Jacob.

See also

• Communes of the Allier department

Bibliography

• Henry Grozieux of Laguérenne, Ainay-le-Château in Bourbonnais, a history of the town and lordship from the beginning to the present day, Paris, H. Champion, 1912, 2 vols. in-8vo, fig., pl. and plans; repr. Yzeure, Imprimeries réunies, 1987, Vol. 1, 790 p.
• René Prophète, Ainay-le-Château - Visit to the church and the town, Les Imprimeries Réunies Réveret & Ardillon, Moulins, 1987.

External links

• Ainay-le-Château official website (French)
• Ainay-le-Château on Lion1906
• Ainay-le-Château on Google Maps
• Ainay-le-Château on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (French)
• Ainay-le-Château on the 1750 Cassini Map
• Ainay-le-Château on the INSEE website (French)
• INSEE (French)

Notes and references

Notes

1. ↑ At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002 , the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" which allow, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For municipalities with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these municipalities is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force on 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2006.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ainay-le-Château.

Communes of the Allier department
Abrest Agonges Ainay-le-Château Andelaroche Archignat Arfeuilles Arpheuilles-Saint-Priest Arronnes Aubigny Audes Aurouër Autry-Issards Avermes Avrilly Bagneux Barberier Barrais-Bussolles Bayet Beaulon Beaune-d'Allier Bègues Bellenaves Bellerive-sur-Allier Bert Bessay-sur-Allier Besson Bézenet Billezois Billy Biozat Bizeneuille Blomard Bost Boucé Le Bouchaud Bourbon-l'Archambault Braize Bransat Bresnay Bressolles Le Brethon Le Breuil Broût-Vernet Brugheas Busset Buxières-les-Mines La Celle Cérilly Cesset La Chabanne Chambérat Chamblet Chantelle Chapeau La Chapelaude La Chapelle La Chapelle-aux-Chasses Chappes Chareil-Cintrat Charmeil Charmes Charroux Chassenard Château-sur-Allier Châtel-de-Neuvre Châtel-Montagne Châtelperron Châtelus Châtillon Chavenon Chavroches Chazemais Chemilly Chevagnes Chezelle Chézy Chirat-l'Église Chouvigny Cindré Cognat-Lyonne Colombier Commentry Contigny Cosne-d'Allier Coulandon Coulanges Couleuvre Courçais Coutansouze Couzon Créchy Cressanges Creuzier-le-Neuf Creuzier-le-Vieux Cusset Deneuille-lès-Chantelle Deneuille-les-Mines Désertines Deux-Chaises Diou Domérat Dompierre-sur-Besbre Le Donjon Doyet Droiturier Durdat-Larequille Ébreuil Échassières Escurolles Espinasse-Vozelle Estivareilles Étroussat Ferrières-sur-Sichon La Ferté-Hauterive Fleuriel Fourilles Franchesse Gannat Gannay-sur-Loire Garnat-sur-Engièvre Gennetines Gipcy Gouise La Guillermie Haut-Bocage Hauterive Hérisson Huriel Hyds Isle-et-Bardais Isserpent Jaligny-sur-Besbre Jenzat Laféline Lalizolle Lamaids Langy Lapalisse Laprugne Lavault-Sainte-Anne Lavoine Lenax Lételon Liernolles Lignerolles Limoise Loddes Loriges Louchy-Montfand Louroux-Bourbonnais Louroux-de-Beaune Louroux-de-Bouble Luneau Lurcy-Lévis Lusigny Magnet Malicorne Marcenat Marcillat-en-Combraille Marigny Mariol Le Mayet-d'École Le Mayet-de-Montagne Mazerier Mazirat Meaulne Meillard Meillers Mercy Mesples Molinet Molles Monestier Monétay-sur-Allier Monétay-sur-Loire Montaiguët-en-Forez Montaigu-le-Blin Montbeugny Montcombroux-les-Mines Monteignet-sur-l'Andelot Le Montet Montilly Montluçon Montmarault Montoldre Montord Montvicq Moulins Murat Nades Nassigny Naves Néris-les-Bains Neuilly-en-Donjon Neuilly-le-Réal Neure Neuvy Nizerolles Noyant-d'Allier Paray-le-Frésil Paray-sous-Briailles Périgny La Petite-Marche Pierrefitte-sur-Loire Le Pin Poëzat Pouzy-Mésangy Prémilhat Quinssaines Reugny Rocles Rongères Ronnet Saint-Angel Saint-Aubin-le-Monial Saint-Bonnet-de-Four Saint-Bonnet-de-Rochefort Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais Saint-Caprais Saint-Christophe Saint-Clément Saint-Désiré Saint-Didier-en-Donjon Saint-Didier-la-Forêt Saint-Éloy-d'Allier Saint-Ennemond Sainte-Thérence Saint-Étienne-de-Vicq Saint-Fargeol Saint-Félix Saint-Genest Saint-Gérand-de-Vaux Saint-Gérand-le-Puy Saint-Germain-de-Salles Saint-Germain-des-Fossés Saint-Hilaire Saint-Léger-sur-Vouzance Saint-Léon Saint-Léopardin-d'Augy Saint-Loup Saint-Marcel-en-Marcillat Saint-Marcel-en-Murat Saint-Martin-des-Lais Saint-Martinien Saint-Menoux Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs Saint-Palais Saint-Pierre-Laval Saint-Plaisir Saint-Pont Saint-Pourçain-sur-Besbre Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule Saint-Priest-d'Andelot Saint-Priest-en-Murat Saint-Prix Saint-Rémy-en-Rollat Saint-Sauvier Saint-Sornin Saint-Victor Saint-Voir Saint-Yorre Saligny-sur-Roudon Sanssat Saulcet Saulzet Sauvagny Sazeret Serbannes Servilly Seuillet Sorbier Souvigny Sussat Target Taxat-Senat Teillet-Argenty Terjat Le Theil Theneuille Thiel-sur-Acolin Thionne Tortezais Toulon-sur-Allier Treban Treignat Treteau Trévol Trézelles Tronget Urçay Ussel-d'Allier Valignat Valigny Vallon-en-Sully Varennes-sur-Allier Varennes-sur-Tèche Vaumas Vaux Veauce Venas Vendat Verneix Le Vernet Verneuil-en-Bourbonnais Vernusse Le Veurdre Vichy Vicq Vieure Le Vilhain Villebret Villefranche-d'Allier Villeneuve-sur-Allier Viplaix Vitray Voussac Ygrande Yzeure