Valençay

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Coordinates: 47°09′41″N 1°34′01″E / 47.1613888889, 1.56694444444

Commune of Valençay

Château de Valençay

Location
Valençay (France)
Valençay
Administration
Country France
Region Centre
Department Indre
Arrondissement Châteauroux
Canton Valençay
Intercommunality Valençay
Mayor Claude Doucet
(2001-2008)
Statistics
Elevation 91 m–154 m
(avg. 145 m)
Land area¹ 41.59 km²
Population²
(1999)
2,736
 - Density 65/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 36228/ 36600
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

Valençay is a small town and commune in the Indre département in the Loire Valley of France situated on a hillside overlooking the Nahon river.

Contents

[edit] History

The commune was formed by the amalgamation of three settlements: the "Bourg-de-l'Eglise", the "Bas-Bourg", and what is called the "old quarter."

On May 6, 1941, Georges Bégué, the first SOE agent from England was parachuted into a field near Valençay. Fifty years to the day, the Valençay SOE Memorial, originally known as the "Spirit of Partnership," was dedicated in honor of the 104 members of SOE's F Section who died for the liberation of France.

[edit] Sights

The town is dominated by the Château de Valençay, built in 1540 by Robert d'Estampes and most notably acquired in 1747 by the Scottish Banker John Law. Later, in 1803 the castle was purchased by the diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand.

[edit] Miscellaneous

The town is also famous for its pyramid shaped Valençay cheese made from raw goat milk.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links