Paray-le-Monial
Paray-le-Monial | ||
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Commune | ||
The basilica of Paray-le-Monial | ||
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Paray-le-Monial Location within Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region Paray-le-Monial | ||
Coordinates: 46°27′07″N 4°07′13″E / 46.4519°N 04.1203°ECoordinates: 46°27′07″N 4°07′13″E / 46.4519°N 04.1203°E | ||
Country | France | |
Region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | |
Department | Saône-et-Loire | |
Arrondissement | Charolles | |
Canton | Paray-le-Monial | |
Intercommunality | Paray-le-Monial | |
Government | ||
• Mayor (2001–2008) | Jean-Marc Nesme | |
Area1 | 25.20 km2 (9.73 sq mi) | |
Population (2006)2 | 9,502 | |
• Density | 380/km2 (980/sq mi) | |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | |
INSEE/Postal code | 71342 /71600 | |
Elevation |
234–304 m (768–997 ft) (avg. 245 m or 804 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. |
Paray-le-Monial [pa.ʁɛ.lə.mɔn.jal] is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.
It is nicknamed the "city of the Sacred Heart" and its inhabitants are called Parodiens.
Geography
The river Bourbince flows northwestward through the commune and crosses the town.
History
Paray (Paredum; Parodium) existed before the monks who gave it its surname of Le Monial, for when Count Lambert of Chalon, together with his wife Adelaide and his friend Mayeul de Cluny, founded there in 973 the celebrated Benedictine priory,[1] the borough had already been constituted, with its ædiles and communal privileges. At that time an ancient temple was dedicated to the Mother of God (Charter of Paray). The Cluny monks were, 999-1789, lords of the town.
Main sights
The town is mainly known for its Romanesque church of the Sacré-Coeur ("Sacred Heart") and as a place of pilgrimage. It was built from the 12th century as a small-scale version of the Abbey of Cluny. It was finished in the 14th century, while the cloister dates to the 18th century.
The Hôtel de Ville, in Renaissance style, is also one of the historical monuments.
Another major building in Paray-le-Monial, is Saint Nicolas' tower, built during the 16th century, which hosts different exhibitions but mainly mosaic exhibitions.
Economy
The area's primary industry is agriculture in particular beef cattle farming. The area is known for its charollais cattle.
Notable people
Paray-le-Monial was the birthplace of:
- Alexandre Lapandry (born 1989), rugby union player
- Jacqueline Maillan (1923–1992), actress
Paray-le-Monial was also home to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, where, in the Visitation convent, she had visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Twin towns - Sister cities
Paray-le-Monial is twinned with:
Tourism
In Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, you can see :
- The Arboretum de Pézanin, one of the richest forest collection in France,
- The Rock of Solutré,
- The Cluny abbey, and its medieval city,
- Mâcon,...
See also
References
- ↑ Bouchard 2015, p. 265.
- ↑ "Bethlehem Municipality". www.bethlehem-city.org. Archived from the original on 2010-07-24. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
Sources
- Bouchard, Constance Brittain (2015). Rewriting Saints and Ancestors: Memory and Forgetting in France, 500-1200. University of Pennsylvania Press.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paray-le-Monial. |