Everything about Annonay totally explained
Annonay is a
commune in the north of the
Ardèche département in the
Rhône-Alpes region in southern
France. It is the most populous commune in the Ardèche département, although it isn't the
préfecture (capital), which resides in the smaller town of
Privas.
Geography
Annonay lies a few kilometres from the river
Rhône, 75 km south of
Lyon and 40 from
Saint-Étienne.
Annonay is built on the hill overlooking the meeting of the deep gorges of the
Deûme and the
Cance, the waters of which supply power to the factories of the town. By means of a dam across the
Ternay, an affluent of the Deûme, to the north-west of the town, a reservoir is provided, in which an additional supply of water, for both industrial and domestic purposes, is stored.
History
The town's name may be of
Roman origin.
By the
Middle Ages, the town was already thriving and was the home to several powerful families.
Pilgrims stopped in the town on the way from the Rhône valley to the
shrine of the
Virgin Mary at
Puy-en-Velay. The town was plundered several times by invading armies and armed bands, and suffered during the
Hundred Years' War, despite the wall that were built around the town.
In the first half of the 16th century, the town was influenced by
Luthean and
Calvinist ideas and there were several skirmishes between
protestants and
catholics, with several "
heretics" being
burnt alive. The population had reached 3,500 by the start of the
religious wars in
1562. The
wars were used as a pretext to deprive the town of its prosperity. The nearby castle of Pugneux was badly damaged on two occasions.
1585 to
1586 were especially disastrous, with not only war, but
famine and the
plague. Calm and prosperity retunded after the
1598 Edict of Nantes.
On June 4,
1783, Annonay was the location of the
Montgolfier brothers first public unmanned
hot air balloon flight. The event is celebrated annually each June, on the site of the flight in the
place des Cordeliers. The Montgolfier brothers were natives of the town, and there's an obelisk in honour of them.
On March 8,
2001, an
ETA terrorist suspect was arrested at a local roadblock.
Economy
Annonay has a strong industrial tradition. In the past Annonay was noted for its
leather goods. Although the industry has declined, the
Tannerie d'Annonay (Tannery) continues the tradition under the
Grison brand.
Irisbus, a
Renault Vehicles Industries and
Fiat Iveco joint venture, constructs busses, and is the largest single employer with around 2,000 staff, and several associated businesses.
The multinational
paper company
Arjo Wiggins' subsidiary
Papeteries Canson et Montgolfier SA, which dates back to 1557 (and is linked to the Montgolfier brothers?), owns three of the several paper
factories in the town.
Other industries in or close to the town include plastics, textiles, and pharmaceutical companies including
Ciba,
Aguettant and
Tetra Médical.
There are a number of
vineyards near the town.
The average salary in the area is 23,300
euro.
Miscellaneous
The town is home to an annual international
film festival.
A tribunal of commerce, a board of trade-arbitrators, a branch of the Bank of France, and chambers of commerce and of arts and manufactures are among the public institutions.
On film
The
2003 part-
British funded
movie L'homme du train (The Man on the Train) was filmed in Annonay.
Births
Annonay was the birthplace of:
Twin towns
Annonay's
twin towns include:
Further Information
Get more info on 'Annonay'.
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