Châteldon

Châteldon
Châteldon
Location within Auvergne region Châteldon
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Puy-de-Dôme
Arrondissement	Thiers
Canton	Châteldon
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Tony Bernard
Area1	28.43 km2 (10.98 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	760
• Density	27/km2 (69/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	63102 / 63290
Elevation	285–862 m (935–2,828 ft) (avg. 300 m or 980 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.

Châteldon is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.

About the town

Châteldon is a medieval village in the northern part of Auvergne. It dates from the early Middle Ages, with many of its buildings dating back to the 14th century. The town's fortifications are still in evidence.

The village lies on the western edge of the Montagne Bourbonnaise and the northern edge of the Livadois-Forez Park, the largest nature park in Europe. To the west lies the Limagne, where the Allier and Dore rivers converge. Nineteen kilometres to the north is the City of Vichy.

Castle Châteldon was once owned by Prime Minister Pierre Laval. It remains the prime landmark of the village.

Nearby towns

• In the Region of Châteldon :
  Lachaux, Puy-Guillaume and Ris ;

Administration

List of the Mayors of Châteldon

Election Date	Name
1790	Jean-Baptiste Couher
1792	Louis Chabrier
1793	Jean-Baptiste Quissac
1800	Michel Delaire
1810	Hugues Debrit
1926	Léon Seneque
1929	Victor Rivet
1940	Charles Cocurat
1964	Victor Ducher
1965	René Verdier
1971	René Verdier
1977	René Verdie
1978	Genès Fradin
1983	Genès Fradin
1989	Jean-Paul Dassaud
1995	Jean-Paul Dassaud
1997	Tony Bernard
2001	Tony Bernard
2008	Tony Bernard

Demographics

Historical population of Châteldon

Year	1882	1990	1999	2006
Population	1946	840	737	760

Mineral water

Châteldon is known for its naturally carbonated mineral water. It was the first mineral water exploited in France and transported by bottles to the Court of Louis XIV in Versailles. This water is used for its diuretic and digestive properties. It is also rich in potassium, sodium and fluorine. In France, one finds the water of Châteldon in the large hotels and restaurants, and in delicatessens. In 1650, the first doctor of the king, Guy-Crescent Fagon, praised the virtues of Châteldon to Louis XIV.

People

Châteldon was the birthplace of Pierre Laval (1883–1945), French politician and his wife Marguerite Laval (1888-1959), born Claussat, the daughter of the mayor of Chateldon Dr. Joseph Claussat.

See also

• Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme department

References

• INSEE commune file

External links

• Official site of Châteldon