Fourchambault (French pronunciation: [fuʁʃɑ̃bo]) is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.[3]
Fourchambault | |
|---|---|
.JPG) The centre of Fourchambault | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
Location of Fourchambault  | |
  Fourchambault  Fourchambault | |
| Coordinates: 47°01′10″N 3°05′08″E / 47.0194°N 3.0856°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté |
| Department | Nièvre |
| Arrondissement | Nevers |
| Canton | Fourchambault |
| Intercommunality | CA Nevers |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Alain Herteloup[1] |
| Area 1 | 4.55 km2 (1.76 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 4,037 |
| • Density | 890/km2 (2,300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 58117 /58600 |
| Elevation | 162–181 m (531–594 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Geography edit
Fourchambault lies on the right, eastern bank of the river Loire, about 7 km northwest of Nevers. Fourchambault station has rail connections to Nevers, Cosne-sur-Loire and Paris. The A77 autoroute (Montargis–Nevers) passes east of the town.
Demographics edit
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 6,279 | — |
| 1975 | 6,625 | +0.77% |
| 1982 | 5,850 | −1.76% |
| 1990 | 5,037 | −1.85% |
| 1999 | 4,828 | −0.47% |
| 2007 | 4,711 | −0.31% |
| 2012 | 4,787 | +0.32% |
| 2017 | 4,229 | −2.45% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
Industrial history edit
In 1819 Boigues & Fils, iron merchant in Paris, and M. Labbé, decided to find a new site on the Loire for their iron foundry to which it would be easier to transport coal, and decided on Fourchambault. A dock was built for cargo boats, and the Loire provided water for the steam engines.[5] Construction of the factory at Fourchambault began in 1821. The Charbonnières Raveaux and Cramain furnaces became annexes to the new building, and Boigues & Fils collected several furnaces from Nivernais and Berry. Manufacturing began in 1822. Almost 3,000 workers from the surrounding countryside were employed in the cast iron foundry.[6]
The Société de Commentry, Fourchambault et Decazeville was formed in 1853 through a merger of the Fourchambault foundry, Imphy (Nièvre) steelworks, Montluçon (Allier) foundry and Commentry (Allier) colliery.[7] In 1954 the company was renamed the Société métallurgique d'Imphy. In 1968 it was merged with the Société des forges et aciéries du Creusot, which in 1971 became Creusot-Loire.[7] The combined company was in turn absorbed by Creusot-Loire (Saône-et-Loire) in 1971. The Creusot-Loire group was liquidated in December 1984.[6]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ INSEE commune file
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
- ^ Dassé 2006, p. 2.
- ^ a b Dassé 2006, p. 3.
- ^ a b Société de Commentry - Fourchambault – industrie.lu.
Sources edit
- Dassé, Pauline (2006), Société de Commentry, Fourchambault et Decazeville (59 Aq Et 1996 064 - 36 Mi) Inventaire Des Archives Photographiques (PDF) (in French), Centre Des Archives du Monde du Travail, retrieved 3 August 2017
- "Société de Commentry - Fourchambault", industrie.lu (in French), retrieved 2 August 2017
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