Commune of Vichy Vichy town hall
Location
Coordinates	46°10′N 3°24′E
Administration
Country	France
Region	Auvergne
Department	Allier (sous-préfecture)
Arrondissement	Vichy
Intercommunality	Communauté d'agglomération de Vichy Val d'Allier
Mayor	Claude Malhuret
Statistics
Land area¹	5.85 km²
Population² (1999)	26,501 (Vichyssois)
- Density (1999)	4,530/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	03310/ 03200
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Vichy (Occitan: Vichèi) is a French commune, situated in the département of Allier and the région of Auvergne. It is known as a spa and resort town. The inhabitants are known as Vichyssois. It was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944. It has a population of 26,528 (1999). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x775, 162 KB) Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), Vichy, France Photo taken by User:thbz, July 2005. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including independent states (both those that are internationally recognised and generally unrecognised), inhabited dependent territories and areas of special sovereignty. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Capital Clermont-Ferrand Area 26,013 km² Regional President Pierre-Joël Bonté (PS) (since 2004) Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density (Ranked 19th) 1,327,000 1,308,878 51/km² (2004) Arrondissements 14 Cantons 158 Communes 1,310 Départements Allier Cantal Haute-Loire Puy-de-Dôme... Departments (French: départements) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ... Allier is a département in south-central France named after the Allier River. ... Subprefecture is an administrative level that is below prefecture or province. ... The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ... The arrondissement of Vichy is an arrondissement of France, located in the Allier département, in the Auvergne région. ... The commune is an administrative division of France. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Claude Malhuret is the mayor of Vichy, France. ... 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). ... Postal codes were introduced in France in 1972, when La Poste introduced automated sorting. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... This page lists English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations, such as and . ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Occitan, or langue doc is a Romance language characterized by its richness, variability, and by the intelligibility of its dialects. ... The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to British counties. ... Allier is a département in south-central France named after the Allier River. ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... Capital Clermont-Ferrand Area 26,013 km² Regional President Pierre-Joël Bonté (PS) (since 2004) Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density (Ranked 19th) 1,327,000 1,308,878 51/km² (2004) Arrondissements 14 Cantons 158 Communes 1,310 Départements Allier Cantal Haute-Loire Puy-de-Dôme... A spa town is a town frequented, in times past, for health reasons, to take the waters. The name derives from the Belgian town Spa, and in continental Europe, a spa was known as a ville deau (town of water). ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of capital) is the principal city or town associated with a countrys government. ... Motto: Travail, famille, patrie (Work, family, country) unoccupied zone of Vichy France (until November 1942) Capital Vichy Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholicism Government Republic President of the Council  - 1940 - 1944 Philippe Pétain Legislature National Assembly Historical era World War II  - Battle of France June 16, 1940  - Battle of... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

Geography

Vichy lies on the banks of the Allier River. The source of the Allier is in the nearby Massif Central Mountain range which lies only a few miles to the south, near the region's capital Clermont-Ferrand. Heavy snows in the Massif Central often make roads impassable, but Vichy is low enough at 817 feet that climate is more Continental. Rainfall is moderate, averaging 30 inches annually. Allier is a river in central France, tributary to the river Loire. ... France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... A continental climate is the climate typical of the middle-latitude interiors of the large continents of the Northern Hemisphere in the zone of westerly winds; similar climates exist along the east coasts and southwest coasts of the same continents, and also at higher elevations in certain other parts of...

Although the historical existence of volcanic activity in the Massif Central is more visually evident, such as in the towns of Le Puy-en-Velay, volcanic activity is the direct cause of the many thermal springs that exist in Vichy. Saint Michel dAiguilhe Chapel Le Puy-en-Velay (Lo Puèi de Velai in the Auvergnat dialect of the Occitan language, pronounced [lu/lə ˈpœj də ˈvəlaj]) is a commune of south-central France, préfecture (capital) of the Haute-Loire département. ...

History

Roman Era

In 52 B.C., on returning from their defeat at the Battle of Gergovia by the Gallic legions of Vercingetorix, the Romans established a township at their crossing on the Flumen Elaver (Allier). These Roman settlers had acknowledged the therapeutic value of the Springs in the area and were eager to exploit them. During the first two centuries AD, Vichy was very prosperous because of these thermal springs. The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC at Gergovia (modern Gergovie), the chief town of the Arverni, situated on a hill in Auvergne, about eight miles from the Puy de Dome, France. ... Statue of Vercingetorix by Bartholdi, on Place de Jaude, in Clermont-Ferrand Vercingetorix (pronounced in Gaulish) died 46 BC), chieftain of the Arverni, led the great Gallic war against Roman imperialism in 52 BC. His name in Gaulish means over-king of the marching men; the marching men would now... Allier is a river in central France, tributary to the river Loire. ... A natural spring on Mackinac Island in Michigan. ...

At the end of the 3rd century, the Roman Emperor Diocletian undertook a vast administrative reorganization and land-survey. At that time the place name VIPIACUS first appeared (name of an agricultural field belonging to a certain VIPIUS) which, by phonetic evolution, became VICHIACUS, then VICHIET or VICHIER, and hence VICHY. Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus ( 245– 312), born Diocles (Greek Διοκλής) and known in English as Diocletian,[1] was Roman Emperor from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305. ...

Middle Ages

On September 2, 1344, Jean II ceded the noble fiefdom of Vichy to Duke Pierre I of Bourbon. On December 6, 1374, the last part of Vichy was acquired by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon. At that point Vichy was incorporated into the House of Bourbon. In 1410, a Celestinian monastery was founded with twelve monks. A building located above the Celestinian Spring is still visible. Events English king Edward III introduces three new gold coins, the florin. ... John II the Good (French: Jean II le Bon) (April 16, 1319 – April 8, 1364), was King of France 1350–1364, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou and Maine 1332–1350, Count of Poitiers 1344–1350, and Duke of Guienne 1345–1350. ... Peter I of Bourbon (1311 – September 19, 1356, Poitiers) was the second Duke of Bourbon, from 1342 to his death. ... Events June 24 - Dancing mania begins in Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen), possibly due to ergotism King Gongmin is assassinated and King U ascends to the Goryeo throne Births April 11 - Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, heir to the throne of England (died 1398) Leonardo Bruni, Italian humanist (died 1444... Louis II of Bourbon, called the Good (Latin translation of elitios) (1337 – 1410, Montlucon) was the third Duke of Bourbon. ... Also see:  Early Modern France The House of Bourbon is an important European royal house. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

In 1527, the House of Bourbon was incorporated into the French Kingdom. By the end of the 16th century, the mineral baths had obtained a reputation for having quasi-miraculous curing powers and attracted patients from the noble and wealthy classes. Government officials, such as Fouet and Chomel, began to classify the curing properties of the mineral baths.

Vichy's Thermal Baths - path to fame

The marquise de Sévigné, was a patient in 1676 and 1677 and would popularize Vichy's Thermal Baths through the written descriptions in her letters. The Vichy waters were said to have cured the paralysis in her hands, thus enabling her to take up the letter-writing for which she is most famous. In 1761 and 1762, Adélaïde and Victoire of France, the daughters of Louis XV, came to Vichy for the first time and returned in 1785. The Bath facilities seemed extremely uncomfortable to them because of the muddy surroundings and insufficient access. When they returned to Versailles, they asked their nephew Louis XVI to build roomier and more luxurious thermal baths, which were subsequently completed in 1787. Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné (February 5, 1626 – April 17, 1696), French letter-writer, was born at Paris. ... Events January 29 - Feodor III becomes Tsar of Russia First measurement of the speed of light, by Ole Rømer Bacons Rebellion Russo-Turkish Wars commence. ... 1677 (MDCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Madame Adelaide was the daughter of Louis XV. Called Rag by her father, she and her sisters were referred to as plump, clumsy old wenches. ... Princess Victoire of France was a daughter of King Louis XV of France. ... Louis XV of France (February 15, 1710 – May 10, 1774), the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1715 until his death. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Louis XVI Louis XVI (August 23, 1754 - January 21, 1793), was King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then King of the French in 1791-1792. ...

In 1799, Laetitia Bonaparte, mother of Napoleon, came to be cured with her son Louis. Under the Empire, Le Parque des Sources was arranged under the Emperor's orders. (Decree of Gumbinen of 1812). Maria Letizia Bonaparte nee Ramonlino (24 August 1750, Ajaccio - 2 February 1836, Rome) was born to Giovanni Geronimo Ramolino (April 13, 1723 - 1755) and Angela Maria Pietrasanta (c. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Louis I Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Holland, Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves, Count of Saint-Leu (Lodewijk Napoleon in Dutch) (September 2, 1778 – July 25, 1846) was the fifth surviving child and fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. ...

Under Charles X, the great increase in patients wishing to be healed at the springs led to an expansion of the Hydrotheraputic facilities. Princess Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte expanded the Janson buildings under the plan of Rose - Beauvais (work completed in 1830.) From 1844 to 1853, theatrical and poetry recitals were performed for the wealthy in the comfort of their own homes by Isaac Strauss. Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, is probably the oldest form of medical treatment. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jan. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Vichy in Style

By the 19th century, Vichy was a station à la mode, attended by the many celebrities. But the stays of Napoleon III between 1861 and 1866 were to cause the most profound transformation of the city: dykes were built along the Allier river, 13 hectares (33 acres) of landscaped gardens replaced the old marshes, and along the newly laid out boulevards and streets, chalets and pavillions were built for the Emperor and his court. Recreational pursuits were not spared: in view of the Park, a large casino was built by the architect Badger in 1865. The emperor would be the catalyst of the development of a small rail station which multiplied the number of inhabitants and visitors by ten in fifty years. Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (April 20, 1808 - January 9, 1873) was the son of King Louis Bonaparte and Queen Hortense de Beauharnais; both monarchs of the French puppet state, the Kingdom of Holland. ... 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar) // January 1 - Benito Juárez captures Mexico City January 2 - Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia dies and is succeeded by... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

After the Second French Empire, the Belle Époque marked the second large construction campaign in Vichy. In 1903 the Opera, the Hall of Springs and a large bath done in the eastern style were inaugurated. In 1900, the Parc des Sources was enclosed by a metal gallery which came from the World Fair of 1889. 700 meters (2,300 feet) long, it is decorated by a frise de chardons and was completed by the ironworker Emile Robert. Many private mansions with varied architectural styles were erected during the first half of the 20th century. The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... The Belle Époque, or beautiful era in French, was a period in French history that began during the late 19th Century and lasted until World War I. Although the Belle Epoque ended in World War I, it was replaced by the Roaring Twenties. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Worlds Fair is any of various large expositions held since the mid-19th century. ...

Vichy welcomed 40,000 curistes in 1900 and nearly 100,000 on just before the onset of the First World War. The thermal life had its apex in the Thirties. The success in treating health ailements attributed to the Vichy Baths led la Compagnie Fermière to enlarge the Baths again by creating the Callou and Lardy Baths. The Art Nouveau-style Opera, inaugurated in 1903, accommodated all the great names of the international scenes. Vichy became the summertime music capital of France, but the war of 1914 would put a brutal end to this development. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Poster by Alfons Mucha Vitebsk Railway Station one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture. ...

Vichy France - Seat of the État Français, the Nazi collaborationist Government

The Opera in Vichy. In this building, the parliament of the French Third Republic decided to grant full powers to Marshal Philippe Pétain, thereby terminating the republican regime and inaugurating Vichy France (July 10, 1940).

Following the armistice signed on June 22, 1940, the zone which was not occupied by the Germans took the name of the French State (État Français) (as opposed to the traditional name, République française or French Republic ) and set up its capital in Vichy on July 1, because of the town's relative proximity to Paris (4.5 hours by train) and because it was the city with the second largest hotel capacity at the time. Moreover, the existence of an ultramodern telephone exchange (the current hotel had only been built in 1935) made it possible to reach the whole world by a phone call. The Opera in Vichy. ... The Opera in Vichy. ... Philippe Petain Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain, was a French general, later Head of State of Vichy France, from 1940 to 1944. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Motto: Travail, famille, patrie (Work, family, country) unoccupied zone of Vichy France (until November 1942) Capital Vichy Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholicism Government Republic President of the Council  - 1940 - 1944 Philippe Pétain Legislature National Assembly Historical era World War II  - Battle of France June 16, 1940  - Battle of... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

On the first of July, the government took possession of many hotels. 600 members of Parliament (Appointed members and Senators) would join Vichy for the meeting of the Chambers. On the 9th and 10th, in the room of the Opera, the members of Parliament voted for the end of the Third Republic. The republican system was abolished, and the French State, with Philippe Pétain at its helm as Head of State replaced it. Only 80 of the 600 members of Parliament voiced their opposition. Starting from this date, Vichy would be, for more than four years, the capital of the French State. This government is often called the Vichy Regime. The preferred term is "Pétainist Regime" or "Regime of the French State." The term "Vichyste," which designates partisans of this regime, should not be confused with "Vichyssois" which designates the inhabitants of the city. The Vichy fascists also signed a decree outlawing rugby league in Vichy. The French Third Republic, (in French, La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe République) (1870/75-10 July 1940) was the governing body of France between the Second French Empire and the Vichy Regime. ... Philippe Petain Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain, was a French general, later Head of State of Vichy France, from 1940 to 1944. ... Rugby league football is a full-contact team sport played by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ...

Reine des villes d'eaux

The Fifties and Sixties would be the most ostentatious period for Vichy, complete with parading personalities, visits from crowned heads (The Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakech, Prince Rainier of Monaco) and profits from the massive arrival of North African French clients, who holidayed in Vichy spending lavishly. There were thirteen cinemas (which sometimes showed special previews), eight dance halls, and three theatres. It was at this period that the station would take the title of "Reine des villes d'eaux." From June to September, so many French-Algerian tourists were arriving that it almost seemed like there was an airlift set up between Vichy-Charmeil and the aerodromes of Algeria. Mayor Pierre Coulon (1950-1967) decided to create Lake Allier (June 10, 1963) and Omnisports Park (1963-68), giving the city its current look. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005), styled His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost fifty-six years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ...

Decline

The war in Algeria, following decolonisation, marked once again a brutal halt in prosperity for the city, which from then on had to deal with much less favourable conditions. The need to continue to pay the debts incurred by the considerable investments that had been made in happier times obliged the new mayor Jacques Lacarin(1967-1989), successor of Pierre Coulon, to adopt a much more careful policy of management. Combatants FLN (1954-62) MNA (1954-62) France (1954-62) FAF (1960-61) OAS (1961-62) Commanders Mostefa Benboulaïd Ferhat Abbas Hocine Aït Ahmed Ahmed Ben Bella Krim Belkacem Larbi Ben MHidi Rabah Bitat Mohamed Boudiaf Messali Hadj General Jacques Massu General Maurice Challe Bachaga Said Boualam... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Modern Revival

Claude Malhuret, former Minister of Human Rights, born in Strasbourg in 1950, has been mayor since 1989. He and Bernard Kouchner are the cofounders of Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières.) The City and its economic partners started and concluded an important program of restoration and modernization. These projects include: Claude Malhuret is the mayor of Vichy, France. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bernard Kouchner, born on November 1, 1939 in Avignon is a French politician and a doctor. ... Médecins Sans Frontières ( (help· info)) (English: Doctors Without Borders) is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organisation best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic disease. ...

• Creation of vast pedestrian zone in the city center
• a program of modernization
• upgrading of hotels to the sector standards
• rebuilding and restoration of the thermal baths
• realization of a center for balneotherapy dedicated to wellbeing
• development of the architectural heritage
• realization of a center of congress within the old Casino
• restoration of the Opera.

Administration

Source: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/carteret/ Site essentiel sur la ville Claude Malhuret is the mayor of Vichy, France. ... The Union for a Popular Movement (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire, UMP), initially named the Union for the Presidential Majority (Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle), is the main French conservative political party. ... Baron Lucas is a title in the Peerage of England. ...

Economy

The city has been known for its thermal cures since Roman times. Its waters are famous worldwide (coming from springs including Vichy Celestins and Vichy Saint-Yorre) but lozenges made from soda contained in the spring waters are also famous.

The health and beauty business, with the laboratories of the L'Oréal company, also make it possible to publicize the city's name to a worldwide audience under the Vichy brand. (This French website discusses the history of this brand.) The LOréal Group Euronext: FR0000120321, headquartered in Clichy, France, is the worlds leading cosmetics and beauty company. ...

Unlike the neighboring communes on the Allier, like industrial Montluçon and administrative seat Moulins, Vichy's economy is centered on the tertiary sector and aims at the development of the health and well-being sector to mitigate the decline of medical hydrotherapy. The local market, open Sunday, attracts purchasers from tens of kilometers around. Allier is a river in central France, tributary to the river Loire. ... Montluçon is a city and commune in central France. ... Moulins or Moulin (French for mill) is the name or part of the name of several communes in France. ... Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, is probably the oldest form of medical treatment. ...

The closing of two important local employers, Manurhin and Sediver, threatens employment in the Vichy basin. Job creation by developing companies like NSE (electronics) or Satel (calls center) can't compensate for the removals of stations which will result from this, even if the tour operator on Internet Karavel (promovacances.com) establishes a new calls center in May 2005, which should create 300 jobs over 3 years.

Nevertheless, the three most important employers of the city belong to the public sector: the hospital (1120 employees), the town hall (720) and the college of Presles (370).

Since 1989 Vichy has been one of the 7 sites of the European Total Quality Institute (l'Institut Européen de la Qualité Totale .)

Pôle University and Lardy Technology, born from a project of thermal waste land rehabilitation and launched during the mid-nineties, is an economic priority. This 9,000 m² campus accommodates 600 students in the downtown area, in ten areas of study including the fields of biotechnology, international trade, multi-media and languages. The CAVILAM (Center of Live Approaches to Languages and the Media), created in Vichy in 1964, is now installed with Pôle-Lardy.

The Palace of the congresses is a venue primarily for the conferences of trade associations and learned societies. The structure is 1,800 m² large, including two plenary rooms and fifteen multi-use rooms. With 25,000 visitors yearly, the conferences must now carry the economic role once held by the hydrotherapy, which today counts only 12,000 patients each year. The hydrotherapy business will now have to reorganize itself to take a less strict therapeutic-only role, and reorient itself for patients' stays shorter than the traditional 3 weeks.

Current Building Projects

Currently, under the authority of the local communities, much work is being done on building sites and projects, which will deeply modify Vichy in the years to come. Some believe that construction by the Hotel of the Community of Agglomeration in September 2005 on the old site of the "Commercial City" may precede the total restoration of the market hall (which would cost €5.9 Million) which would be delivered in September 2006. Some also note the creation of a 12 000 m² mother-child center in the hospital complex, the restoration of the spa façade (removal of the metal boarding to uncover the original style of 1862), the transformation of the spa into a multi-use center, creation of parks with fountains in place of parking lots, the demolition and the transformation of the buildings in a congested area to create an enterprise center intended to create 800 jobs (opening of the site envisioned at the end of 2007), the construction of a new aquatic stadium including 5 basins (initially envisaged to cost €14.3 million but may end up costing €20 Million) whose delivery is envisaged with the autumn 2007, and finally motorway connection in 2011.

This French website gives key economic figures for the Vichy area.

Miscellaneous

Births

Vichy was the birthplace of:

• Valéry Larbaud (1881–1957), Writer
• Albert Londres (1884-1932), Journalist
• Claude Vorilhon, Raël (Born September 30, 1946), Religious Leader of the Raëlian Movement

Valéry Larbaud (29 August 1881 – 2 February 1957) was a French writer. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Albert Londres (1884 - 1932) was a French journalist. ... 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Raels first published book, the basis of the Raelian movement Claude Vorilhon, also known as Raël, (born September 30, 1946) is the founder and spiritual guide of the Raelian Movement. ... “Rael” redirects here. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... A picture of Raelians taking part in Sensual Meditation exercises. ...

Twin towns

Vichy is twinned with:

• Wilhelmshaven, Germany
• Bad Tölz, Germany
• Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Germany
• Dunfermline, United Kingdom
• Logroño, Spain
• Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Wilhelmshaven is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... Bad Tölz seen from the River Isar Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen. ... Rhein-Neckar-Kreis is a district (Kreis) in the north-west of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... City Chambers, Dunfermline Town Centre The Royal Burgh of Dunfermline (in Gaelic, Dùn Phàrlain) is a town in Fife, Scotland. ... Location within Rioja Media (La Rioja). ... Map of Romania showing Cluj_Napoca Cluj_Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvár, German: Klausenburg, Latin: Claudiopolis), the seat of Cluj county, is one of the most important academic, cultural and industrial centers in Romania. ...

See also

• Hydrotherapy
• List of spa towns in France
• Vichy France

Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, is probably the oldest form of medical treatment. ... The following is a list of spa towns in France. ... Motto: Travail, famille, patrie (Work, family, country) unoccupied zone of Vichy France (until November 1942) Capital Vichy Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholicism Government Republic President of the Council  - 1940 - 1944 Philippe Pétain Legislature National Assembly Historical era World War II  - Battle of France June 16, 1940  - Battle of...

Sources

Translated from the French-language page, 29 June 2006.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Vichy

• City council website