Moulins, Allier

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Commune of Moulins
Location
Longitude 03° 19' 60" E
Latitude 46° 33' 55" N
Administration
Country France
Region Auvergne
Department Allier (préfecture)
Arrondissement Moulins
Canton Chief town of 2 cantons
Intercommunality Communauté
d'agglomération
de Moulins
Mayor Pierre-André Périssol
(2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude 202 m–240 m
(avg. 220 m)
Land area¹ 8.61 km²
Population²
(1999)
21,892
 - Density (1999) 2,542/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 03190/ 03000
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).
France

Moulins is a town and commune in central France, préfecture (capital) of the Allier département. Population (1999): 21,892.

[edit] History

Before the French Revolution, Moulins was the capital of the province of Bourbonnais and the seat of the Dukes of Bourbon. Its documented existence may be traced back at least as far as the year 990. In 1232, Archambaud VIII, Sire de Bourbon, granted a franchise to the village's inhabitants. The town achieved greater prominence in 1327, when Charles IV elevated Louis I de Clermont to Duke of Bourbon. Either Louis or the later Peter II, Duke of Bourbon and of Auvergne moved the capital of the province from Bourbon-l'Archambault to Moulins.

Note: This article in French suggests Pierre II moved the capital, while the local tourism website (also in French) suggests it was Louis I.

In February 1566 it became eponymous to the edict of Moulins, an important royal ordinance dealing with many aspects of the administration of justice and feudal and ecclesiastical privilege, e.g. limitations of the appanages held by French orincessess, abrogation of the levy of rights of tallage claimed by seigneurs over their dependants, provisions for a system of concessions on rivers etc.

[edit] Transport

Montbeugny Airport is a small airport located near Moulins.

[edit] External links