Cusset

Cusset is a common French, located in the department Allier and the area Auvergne.

The city saw agriculture and the small ones and average industries.

Geography

Located on the Sichon, affluent To combine it, on the buttresses of the Mountain Bourbonnaise, Cusset is joint of Vichy.

History

Gallo-Roman period vestiges of aqueducts and hypocauste were discovered which attests presence of a villa.

In 886, Eumène, bishop of Nevers, founds a Benedictine abbey women (the building is occupied today by the town hall).

The July 17th 1440, the dolphin Louis, future Louis XI, was reconciled there with his/her father Charles VII, putting thus fine at Praguerie.

Louis XI become king, it makes rebuild the fortifications of the city by the project superintendent Vauzy of Saint Martin's day, of 1476 to 1483. With their walls with embossings, their drain-holes with embrasures with the Frenchwoman (in X), they constitute the prototype of the modern fortification, able to answer the attacks of the metal balls; Vauban will make use of it of model. Destroyed gradually starting from the 17th century, it as a subisist only one tower (which shelters the museum) and the “undergrounds”, i.e. galleries of ground floor of the doors which were found buried during the filling of the ditches.

Until 1866, date on which the number of inhabitants of Vichy exceeds that of Cusset, Cusset is the big city of the area, with tradesmen, craftsmen, fairs attracting all the mountain bourbonnaise. Located in edge of a zone rich in medicinal springs, it starts to drill some as from 1840 and opens a hydropathic establishment in 1853; but it cannot resist the competition of Vichy the thermal activity ceases at the beginning of the 20th century.

From 1960 to 1977, an important urban renovation is carried out.

Cusset with the characteristic curious to have known two witches:

Marie Filastre, burned alive under Louis XIV to have tried to poison Miss de Fontanges at the request of Madam de Montespan growing old and forsaken by the king who preferred his young rival to him.
Gabrielle Pagnat, imprisoned for swindle one century later, mentalities on the supposed gifts of the witches having evolved/moved.

Their history inspired a novel, “the Three Pearls of Domérat” of Anna Galore.

In another register, since the 11th century until in the years 1950-1960, the hills in the neighborhoods of Vichy and Cusset were covered with vines, one can thus speak about “old the Vichy-native Vignoble”.

Heraldic

Until the 17th century, Cusset did not have as a blazon that weapons of the Notre-Dame chapter: “of azure, with the senestrochère of money, outgoing of of the same, moving clouds of the dextral side of the ecu, holding a money sword also, the handle and the guard of gold, on the point of which is posed a crown also gold” . In 1698, when of Hozier carries out general Armorial of France, Cusset is seen equipping with a second blazon: “of sown mouths of gold escutcheons” .

To see

The Souterrain S of Cusset dating from the 15th century are exceptionally well preserved. They are the old galleries of the ground floor of the doors of the fortification which girdled the city at the end of the Middle Ages. Two of these doors are opened today with the public: the door of Doyat and the Saint-Anthony door. The departure is done starting from the museum (of June 1st with the September 30th of 14:00 to 19:00 except Monday).

Administration

Demography

In addition, at the time of the Census of 1999, the Total population, including the double accounts, was of 13.975 inhabitants.

Inheritance

The city has many vestiges of the medieval period.

Downtown

Religious architecture

Cloister of the abbey, Paul-Duchon public garden, 12th century. Markets with metal framework had been built there at the 19th century with the site of the Romance cloister; their demolition made it possible to give to the day the stone arcades.
Old house of the canons, 22 place Victor-Hugo, 13th century. In XIIIe century, the moniales of Cusset make build a church devoted to Notre-Dame to shelter a statue of Virgin to the Child miraculeusement found with the site of the current Victor-Hugo place. The church is then served by canons living in a house of which remain a profiled window with mullions and a part with sides of wood.
Tower of the commandery of Saint-Anthony, 34 rue du Général-Raynal, 13th century. It is the last vestige still upright of the commandery of Saint-Anthony based in XIIIe century by Hospital Saint-Antoine-of-Viennese to help the poor, on a ground given by the abbey of Cusset. In 1768 the order is joined together with that of Malta. Its activity ceases with the advent of the Revolution.
Cross of the 15th century: out of stone, close to the museum of the Captive Tower. It comes from the old cemetery, located before on the Victor-Hugo place. A face is decorated of a Virgin to the Child, the other of a Christ in cross.
Church Saturnin Saint, place Radoult-of-The-Pit: built between 1859 and 1868 per Jean-Baptiste Lassus and Hugues Batilliat in the place of the old medieval church. The chorus is framed radiating chapels. The bell-tower and the bedside are due to the generosity of Napoleon III.
Old Hotel God, place of the Centenary-of-the-Republic:

house of entry: built in 1702, it gave access the court of the old Hotel God. This last building, rebuilt at the 20th century, shelters an old people's home.
vault: it was built in the years 1860 per Hugues Batilliat in style néo-novel.

Civil architecture

Old house of the bailliage, 8 rue du Censeur, 15th century.
House, 40 place Victor-Hugo, XVe century.
Door in warhead, 6 rue du Général-Foy, XVe century.
House with wood sides, street Saturnin-Arloing, XVe century. It was built by an elected official of Cusset, deputy in the States of Auvergne. It accommodates the Tourist office today.
House, 27 rue de la Constitution, XVe century: two doors in warhead and a curved bay.
Hotel Jean of Borderie, street of Market-with-Corn, XVe century: carry surmounted by a tympanum in warhead framed of two pinnacles, large mullioned windows. It was the private mansion of Jehan of Borderie. It is there that in 1440 peace was signed putting an end to Praguerie which had opposed the king Charles VII to the large lords of the kingdom about the creation of a professional army.
Turret of staircase, 5 rue Saturnin-Arloing, 16th century. A door gives access to a spiral staircase. Grooved columns support a triangular pediment. With the top, is a profiled window of rinceaux and flanked faces of a man and a woman leaving a sheath of foliages.
Court of Bankruptcy, 4 rue Gambetta, XVIe century. It was the residence of Jehan Corrier, lieutenant general of the bailliage in XVIe century.

Military architecture

Fortification built between 1476 and 1483 by Vauzy of Saint Martin's day at the request of Louis XI:

Museum of Turn-Captive, street of the Ditch-of-the-Turn-Prisonnère: out of limestone and basalt. This tower is the last vestige still upright fortifications of the city. It was used as prison from the 16th century, and this until the years 1960. It accommodates the museum since 1980.
Portes of Doyat (place of the Centenary-of-the-Republic) and of Saint-Anthony (place of the Republic): old access doors of the fortifications; demolished, their galleries of ground floor are underground today.

Prison architecture

Old prison of the women, boulevard of General-of-Gaulle; it goes back to 1824. At the ground floor the cells of captive were, the infirmary and the visiting room, the apartment of the guard being located on the 1st floor. One reaches the building by the door in semicircular arch of before body. The prison is closed in 1960, then acquired by the commune. From now on, it accommodates the reserves of the museum of theCaptive one.

Industrial architecture

the old mill of Chambon, street of Suburb-of-Chambon:

Flour mill: built in 1808 in the place of a mill going back to 1771. The building was modified in 1853.
House of the miller: Built at the 19th century by Rose-Beauvais.
Turns, street Andreau. Going back to 1943, they mark the entry of the park of Chambon.

Old mill of the Courses, angle street of the Mills and Lafayette course; it functioned until in 1960.

Thermal architecture

Tracy Source, Tracy course; the octagonal iron house was set up in 1845. Temperature 13 °C.

Outside

Religious architecture

Old Holy-Foy vault with Aubepierre, 12th century, out of stone, in basilical plan with simple apse. The Aubepierre locality belonged to the abbey of Cusset. Aubepierre formed a parish.
Manor of Aubepierre, 15th century. As from 1517, this village was the residence of the abbesses of Cusset.
Holy-Madeleine Vault on the road the Soft ones, XIIe century. Foundation of the abbey of Cusset, it was served by Capuchins until 1789.
Chapelle Holy-Anne in Chassignol, XIIe century - 1694. At the beginning of the 13th century, the abbey of Cusset acquires Chassignol and creates there a priory dedicated to Sainte Anne. She was often altered.

Industrial architecture

Mill of Ribière, 19th century; it was one of the largest mills with flour of the surroundings. The paddle wheel and the braking mill still remain.
Holy Mill Jean, 18th century; last mill in activity of the valley of Sichon. One can however still see turning the double paddle wheel renovated in 2000. The property accommodates rooms of hosts today.

Culture

The commune has several infrastructures devoted to the culture.

the council school of music, installed in the hotel of Borderie and whose teaching relates to the flute, the oboe, the clarinet, the saxophone, the trumpet, the horn, the bugle, the saxhorn baritone, the trombone, the percussions, the violin, the viola, the violoncello, the guitar, the piano, the accordion and the bagpipe.
the public library, which has: 13000 works.
the municipal theater, located close to the town hall, and currently in rebuilding.
Chambon space, built in 1993, which comprises several rooms, of which one has a capacity of 600 seats, which makes it possible to accommodate plays, balls, living rooms or exposures.

Teaching

Elementary schools

Elementary school Liandon
Elementary school of Presles
Elementary school Darcins.
Primary schools private and nursery school Notre-Dame.

Colleges

College Maurice Constantin-Weyer
College Saint-Joseph

Colleges

College of Presles
College Saint-Pierre
Vocational school Albert London
College Valery Larbaud

Places of worship

The mass is celebrated with the church Saint Saturnin.

Church Saint-Saturnin de Cusset
Chassignol (vault Holy-Anne)
Hospital
Holy-Madeleine

Personalities related to the commune

Claude Nougaro, which was registered with the college of Cusset in 1945. It wrote its first poems there.
Rene Barjavel, which attended to him also the College of Cusset, of 1923 until its Baccalaureat in 1927.
Jean Giraudoux, of which the older brother, Alexandre, was doctor with Cusset. The writer visited it regularly. A street of the city bears its name.
Maurice Constantin-Weyer, which lived a time with Cusset. The municipal college bears its name.

External bonds

Official site of the town of Cusset
Devoted to Vichy, this excellent site gives information on Cusset
Cusset on the site of the national geographical Institute
Cusset on the site of INSEE
Cusset on the site of Quid
Localization of Cusset on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plan on Cusset on Mapquest
Holy Moulin Jean, rooms of hosts near Cusset

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