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Commentry

Coordinates: 46°17′23″N 2°44′32″E / 46.2897°N 2.7422°E / 46.2897; 2.7422
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Commentry
Town hall
Town hall
Coat of arms of Commentry
Location of Commentry
Map
Commentry is located in France
Commentry
Commentry
Commentry is located in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Commentry
Commentry
Coordinates: 46°17′23″N 2°44′32″E / 46.2897°N 2.7422°E / 46.2897; 2.7422
CountryFrance
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes
DepartmentAllier
ArrondissementMontluçon
CantonCommentry
IntercommunalityCommentry Montmarault Néris Communauté
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Sylvain Bourdier[1]
Area
1
20.96 km2 (8.09 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
6,059
 • Density290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
03082 /03600
Elevation332–462 m (1,089–1,516 ft)
(avg. 385 m or 1,263 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Commentry (French pronunciation: [kɔmɑ̃tʁi]; Auvergnat: Comentriac) is a commune in the department of Allier in central France. It lies 42 miles (68 km) southwest of Moulins in the valley of the Œil. It is within 8 km of one of the geographic centres of France. The film actress Yvonne Rozille (1900–1985) was born in Commentry.

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 600—    
1800 498−2.63%
1806 565+2.13%
1821 601+0.41%
1831 1,277+7.83%
1836 1,126−2.49%
1841 1,424+4.81%
1846 3,015+16.19%
1851 5,465+12.63%
1856 8,484+9.19%
1861 8,582+0.23%
1866 9,978+3.06%
1872 11,698+2.69%
1876 12,978+2.63%
1881 12,416−0.88%
1886 12,515+0.16%
1891 12,618+0.16%
1896 12,632+0.02%
1901 11,169−2.43%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1906 10,205−1.79%
1911 10,112−0.18%
1921 10,256+0.14%
1926 10,089−0.33%
1931 10,136+0.09%
1936 8,827−2.73%
1946 9,119+0.33%
1954 9,259+0.19%
1962 9,711+0.60%
1968 10,026+0.53%
1975 10,043+0.02%
1982 9,195−1.25%
1990 8,021−1.69%
1999 7,204−1.19%
2007 6,803−0.71%
2012 6,592−0.63%
2017 6,239−1.09%
2020 6,100−0.75%
Source: EHESS[3] and INSEE (1968-2017)[4]

History

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Commentry was home to Compagnie de Commentry-Fourchambault-Decazeville, thanks to an important coal deposit. The coal mine fueled a huge growth in population, from under 1,000 to more than 12,000, while Stéphane Mony was its CEO (1840–1884).[5] Commentry was the first commune ever to elect a socialist mayor: Christophe Thivrier was elected 6 June 1882.[6] The Socialist Party of France was founded in Commentry in September 1902.

Economy

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Commentry gave its name to a coal field over 21 square kilometres in extent, and historically had important foundries and forges.[7]

Science

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Charles Brongniart discovered many fossils near Commentry, including Meganeura in the Stephanian stage coal measures in 1880.

Personalities

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  • Jean Bayet (1882–1969) Professor of Latin Language and Literature at the Sorbonne, whose grandfather Gilbert Bayet was mayor of Commentry 1871–1873.
  • Henri Fayol (1841–1925) mining engineer, developed Fayolism, an approach to management and administration.
  • Abel Gance (1889–1981) film director and producer, raised by maternal grandparents in Commentry until the age of eight.
  • Jacques Hillairet (1886-1984) historian specializing in the history of Paris, officer of the Legion of Honour.
  • Émile Mâle (1862–1954) art historian and member of the Académie française.
  • Stéphane Mony (1800–1884) Engineer, director of the colliery at Commentry; mayor from 1854 to 1883; deputy from 1868 to 1871.
  • Christophe Thivrier (1841–1895) first elected Socialist mayor in France.
  • Roger Vergé (1930–2015) Celebrated chef and restaurateur.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Commentry, EHESS (in French).
  4. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  5. ^ (in French) L'Administration industrielle et générale par Henri Fayol ISBN 978-2-903628-09-3 https://f-origin.hypotheses.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/1931/files/2016/09/Fayol-1916.pdfArchived 2019-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ (in French) Election of the first socialist mayor Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Commentry". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 766.