Belley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 45°46′00″N 5°40′00″E / 45.766667, 5.683333

Commune of Belley

Location
Belley (France)
Belley
Administration
Country France
Region Rhône-Alpes
Department Ain
Arrondissement Belley
Canton Belley
Intercommunality Belley Bas Bugey
Mayor Jean-Claude Travers
(2001-2008)
Statistics
Elevation 277 m (avg.)
Land area¹ 22.42 km²
Population²
(1999)
8,473
 - Density 377.9/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 01034/ 01300
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.
France

Belley (Arpitan : Bèlê) is a commune in the department of Ain in eastern France.

Contents

[edit] History

Belley is of Roman origin, and in the 5th century became an episcopal see. It was the capital of the province of Bugey, which was a dependency of Savoy till 1601, when it was ceded to France. In 1385 the town was almost entirely destroyed by an act of incendiarism, but was subsequently rebuilt by the dukes of Savoy, who surrounded it with ramparts of which little is left.

Belley was the birthplace of the epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

[edit] Ecclesiastical history

Belley was the seat of the Bishop of Belley and the location of Belley Cathedral.

[edit] Economy

The town is famed for its cheese, la Tome de Belley, also known as Chevret or still "Le pave d'Affinois". It is also at the centre of the Bugey wine region. It is also home to a sizeable Volvo production unit producing compact excavators, Comatel and Ciat.

[edit] References

[edit] External links