Annonay is a town and commune in the Ardèche département of France in the Rhône-Alpes region. It lies a few kilometres from the river Rhône, 75 kilometres south of Lyon and 40 from Saint-Étienne. The postal code is 07100 (and the INSEE code 07010). Population (1999) 17,457. The town's name may be of Roman origin. The commune is an administrative division of France. ... Ardèche is a département in south-central France named after the Ardèche River. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. ... France - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Capital Lyon Area 43,698 km² Regional President Jean-Jack Queyranne ( PS) (since 2004) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 2nd) 5,893,000 5,645,407 135/km² (2004) Arrondissements 25 Cantons 335 Communes 2,879 Départements Ain Ardèche Drôme Isère Loire Rhône... Length 800 km Elevation of the source 1753 m Average discharge 1800 m³/s Area watershed 100,200 km² Origin Rhône glacier Mouth Mediterranean Sea Basin countries Switzerland, France The River Rhône (Latin Rhodanus, French Rhône, Occitan Rose, German Rotten) is one of the major rivers (ca. ... This article is about the French city. ... Location within France Saint-Étienne is a city in the central eastern part of France, 60 km. ... A postal code is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. ... INSEE is the French abbreviation for the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (French: Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques). ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Roman Empire is not the Holy Roman Empire (843-1806). ...

History

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 armys and armed bands, and suffered during the Hundred Years' War, despite the wall that were built around the town. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... For albums named Pilgrim, see Pilgrim (album). ... Eastern Orthodox shrine Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom. ... The term Virgin Mary has several different meanings: For the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary, see Mary, the mother of Jesus. ... Le Puy-en-Velay or Le Puy is a commune of south-central France, préfecture (capital) of the Haute-Loire département. ... A map of Europe in the 1430s, at the height of the Hundred Years War The Hundred Years War was a 116-year-long armed conflict between the Kingdom of England and France, beginning in 1337 and ending in 1453. ...

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. Fortunately calm and prosperity retunded after the 1598 Edict of Nantes. For other people named Martin Luther see: Martin Luther (disambiguation), or here for Martin Luther King, Jr. ... Calvinism has been known at times for its simple, unadorned churches and lifestyles, as depicted in this painting by Emmanuel de Witte where the 17th century congregation stands to hear a sermon. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Catholic is a term generally used in relation to the members, beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Burning of two sodomites at the stake (Zürich, 1482) Execution by burning is the execution of individuals by fire. ... The French Wars of Religion were a series of conflicts fought between the Catholic League and the Huguenots from the middle of the sixteenth century to the Edict of Nantes in 1598. ... Events Earliest English slave-trading expedition under John Hawkins. ... For other uses of War, see War (disambiguation). ... Events January 12 - The Netherlands adopts the Gregorian calendar Beginning of the Eighth War of Religion in France (also known as the War of the Three Henrys) August 8 - John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in quest for the North West Passage. ... Events November 19 - Henry Barrow, English Puritan and Separatist is imprisoned. ... A famine is an phenomenon in which a large percentage of the population of a region or country are undernourished and death by starvation becomes increasingly common. ... Plague redirects here. ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... The Edict of Nantes was issued on April 13, 1598 by Henry IV of France to grant French Protestants (also known as Huguenots) substantial rights in a Catholic nation. ...

October 21, 1879 - French composer, singer and folk-song collector Joseph Canteloube (Marie-Joseph Canteloube de Malaret) was born in Annonay. 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Marie Joseph de Calaret Canteloube (1879 - November 4, 1957), was a French composer. ...

On March 8, 2001, an ETA terrorist suspect was arrested at a local roadblock. 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other meanings of ETA, see Eta. ...

Current Events

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. Events February 3 - Spain recognizes United States independence. ... The Montgolfier brothers, Joseph Michel Montgolfier (August 26, 1740 – June 26, 1810) and Jacques Étienne Montgolfier (January 6, 1745 – August 2, 1799), inventors of the montgolfière hot air balloon. ... Hot air balloons are the oldest successful human flight technology, dating back to the Montgolfier brothers invention in Annonay, France in 1783. ...

The town is home to an annual international film festival. For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of... A festival or fest is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some theme, sometimes on some unique aspect of the community. ...

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. Modern leather-making tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ...

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. Renault S.A. is a French vehicle manufacturer producing small to upper-midsize cars, vans, buses and trucks. ... This article is about Fiat the automobile manufacturer. ...

The multinational paper company Arjo Wiggins' subsidiary Papétries 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. Piece of paper Paper is a thin, flat material produced by the compression of fibres. ... A factory (previously manufactory) is a large industrial building where goods or products are manufactured. ...

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. A vineyard A vineyard is a place where grapes are grown for making wine, raisins, or table grapes. ...

The average salary in the area is 23,300 euro. Euro (disambiguation). ...

On Film

The 2003 part-British funded movie L'homme du train (The Man on the Train) was filmed in Annonay. 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of... Lhomme du train (The Man on the Train) 2003 is a British funded comic-drama movie, directed by Patrice Leconte, starring Jean Rochefort and Johnny Hallyday. ...

Twin Towns

Annonay is twinned with Chelmsford, England and Backnang, Germany. This article is about partnerships between towns distant from each other; see Twin cities for the different concept of physically neighbouring cities. ... Arms of Chelmsford Borough Council This article is about the town of Chelmsford in Essex. ... Map of Germany showing Backnang Backnang is a town in Germany, in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg (formerly the kingdom of Württemberg), roughly 30 kilometers northeast of Stuttgart. ... The Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ...

See also

Communes of the Ardèche département The following is a list of the 339 communes of the Ardèche département in France: INSEE - Post# - Commune 07001 - 07160 - Accons 07002 - 07200 - Ailhon 07003 - 07530 - Aizac 07004 - 07000 - Ajoux 07005 - 07400 - Alba-la-Romaine 07006 - 07190 - Albon-dArdèche 07007 - 07440 - Alboussière 07008 - 07210 - Alissas...

External links

• Town Hall and local information (http://www.mairie-annonay.fr/) (in French)
• Regional Chamber of Commerce (http://www.annonay.cci.fr/) (in French)
• Industrial data (http://www.rhone-alpes.drire.gouv.fr/di/industrie/ze20.htm) (in French)