Montluçon Facts for Kids

Montluçon is a commune in central France on the Cher river. It is the largest commune in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, although the department's préfecture is in the smaller town of Moulins.

The town is the historical capital of the old province of Bourbonnais and was part of the mediaeval Duchy of Bourbon.

History
Population
Places of interest
Gallery
People from or related to Moulins
Sister cities
Related pages
See also

History

Montluçon was built in the Middle Ages. The first mention of a place called Monte Lucii is from the eleventh century. Guillaume, son of Archambaud IV of Bourbon, built a castle on a small rocky hill on the Cher river.

The town, which formed part of the duchy of Bourbon, was taken by the English in 1171, and by Philip II of France in 1181; finally, in the 14th century, the English had to leave the town.

In the 14th century, Louis II de Bourbon re-built the castle and walls of the town. Montluçon and other Burgundian lands went back to the French crown in 1529, and Henry IV further improved the defenses. La commune de Montluçon is on the northwestern part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, on the northern part of the Massif Central; it is on the Cher river. It has an area of 20.67 km² (7.98 sq mi) and its average altitude is 279 m (915 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 207 m (679 ft)..

The city is 61 km (38 mi) from Moulins, 72 km (45 mi) from Clermont-Ferrand and 281 km (175 mi) from Paris.

Montluçon and its neighboring *communes*

Montluçon is surrounded by the communes Saint-Victor, Désertines, Saint-Angel, Néris-les-Bains, Lavault-Sainte-Anne, Prémilhat and Domérat.

Domérat	Saint-Victor	Désertines
Domérat		Saint-Angel
	Montluçon

Prémilhat	Lavault-Sainte-Anne	Néris-les-Bains

Population

With a population of 38,072, Montluçon is the largest city of the Allier department. It has a population density of 1,842 inhabitants/km².

The inhabitants of Montluçon are known, in French, as Montluçonnais (women: Montluçonnaises).

Places of interest

Some interesting places in Montluçon are:

The Church of Saint-Pierre (Église Saint-Pierre de Montluçon) is a Roman Catholic church built in the 12th century, with a Romanesque architecture.
The Church of Notre-Dame (Église Notre-Dame de Montluçon), another Roman Catholic church built in the 15th century, with a Gothic architecture.
The Dukes of Bourbon castle (Château des ducs de Bourbon) is a castle. It was built beginning in 1070.