Souvigny
| Souvigny | |
|---|---|
  Souvigny | |
|
Location within Auvergne region  Souvigny | |
| Coordinates: 46°32′08″N 3°11′34″E / 46.5356°N 3.1928°ECoordinates: 46°32′08″N 3°11′34″E / 46.5356°N 3.1928°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Auvergne |
| Department | Allier |
| Arrondissement | Moulins |
| Canton | Souvigny |
| Intercommunality | Moulins |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Christian Soteau |
| Area | |
| • Land1 | 44.35 km2 (17.12 sq mi) |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Population2 | 1,943 |
| • Population2 Density | 44/km2 (110/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 03275 / 03210 |
| Elevation |
224–357 m (735–1,171 ft) (avg. 242 m or 794 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. | |
Souvigny is a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne in central France.
Today the main town of a canton of the Allier department, Souvigny has long been one of the major towns in the Bourbonnais (it used to be the capital of that region), and the royal House of Bourbon was based there. Ties with the nearby Cluny Abbey add to its rich history. [1]
Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1962 | 2,165 | — |
| 1968 | 2,212 | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 2,119 | −4.2% |
| 1982 | 1,929 | −9.0% |
| 1990 | 2,024 | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 1,952 | −3.6% |
| 2008 | 1,943 | −0.5% |
Tourism
Souvigny was nominated “great regional site of Auvergne” in 1993 on the basis of its architectural riches, and subsequently, in 2003, it was made "great Romanesque sanctuary of Auvergne".
Sights
The museums, gardens, annual exhibitions, and excursions to the Priory attract a great many tourists every year. The conserved wooded areas add to interest for tourists.
The Priory houses the remains of two abbots of Cluny who died at Souvigny: Mayeul, the fourth abbot (who died in 994) and his successor Odilon (who died in 1049). Their sepulchres, which had sank into oblivion after the ravishings of the French Revolution, were rediscovered by archaeologists in 2001 and 2002. [2]
The town has two primary schools and a public nursery school. Public events include:
- a botanical fair April 31 and May 1, 2011
- an antiques fair (in May)
- a medieval fair (beginning on the last Saturday of July) [3]
- autumn music days (last weekend of September)
- regional sale of antiquarian books (in November). [2]
Architecture
The Benedictine Priory is outstanding in the Bourbonnais region. Beside a few abbots, the Dukes of Bourbon were buried here.
The region shows a convergence of styles. While Romanesque buildings in the proper sense are not found here, influences from Auvergne, Berry and Bourguignon are combined. The restoration around 1435 exemplifies a more straightforward Gothic style.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.ville-souvigny.com/ (accessed September 30, 2007)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Souvigny, site officiel
- ↑ http://www.souvigny.com/ (accessed September 30, 2007)
- ↑ [Larousse] Encyclopédie française: La grande encyclopédie, Paris 1971-76:1902-03
