Ambérieux-en-Dombes (, literally ''Ambérieux in Dombes'') is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the department of Ain in the

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...

region of eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Ambarrois'' or ''Ambarroises''

Geography

As its name suggests, ''Ambérieux-en-Dombes'' is a part of the Dombes country in Ain. It is located some 10 km east of Villefranche-sur-Saone and 35 km north of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

. There are several access roads to the commune: the D904 comes from Savigneux in the west through the heart of the commune and the town and continues east to Lapeyrouse; the D66 road from

Saint-Trivier-sur-Moignans Saint-Trivier-sur-Moignans (; frp, Sent-Treviér) is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Ain department The following is a list of the 393 communes of the Ain department of France. ...

in the north passes through the town and continues south to Saint-Jean-de-Thurigneux; the D660 comes from Rancé in the south-west to the town; and the D82 comes from Monthieux in the south-east and continues to Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne in the north-east. All of these roads intersect in or very near the town.Google Maps
/ref> There is a network of country roads covering the commune which is entirely farmland outside the built-up areas. Apart from the town there is the hamlet of La Jonchay to the north-east of the town. There are many ''étangs'' or ponds in the commune, particularly in the east but almost no waterways.

History

The village was known as ''Ambariacum'' in the 6th century and the land belonged to the castles of the first Burgundian kings. On 13 July 1922 a train of the ''Compagnie des Tramways de l'Ain'' returning pilgrims from

Ars-sur-Formans Ars-sur-Formans is a commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. Geography The village is in the south-western part of the Ain department 33 km north of Lyon and 10 km east of Villefranche-su ...

derailed between Ambérieux-en-Dombes and Lapeyrouse leaving one dead and several injured.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Ambérieux-en-Dombes

Population

Culture and heritage

Sites and monuments

Une tour du château d'Ambérieux-en-Dombes

*The Chateau of Ambérieux-en-Dombes (15th century) is registered as an historical monument. It was built between 1370 and 1376 (dendrochronological study) during the reign of Humbert V of Thoire and Villars. It is located in the centre of the village today and still has four towers - three square towers 19 metres tall and a round tower of small diameter which served as a prison. The dungeon has been completely restored with the installation of a new roof in 2010.The Castle on the Town Hall website of Ambérieux
/ref> *The War Memorial has the feature of being topped by a rooster. Monument aux morts d'Ambérieux-en-Dombes - 2.JPG, The War Memorial. Château d'Ambérieux-en-Dombes - grille.JPG, Door to the Castle. L'église d'Ambérieux-en-Dombes.JPG, View of the Village Church. File:Château d'Ambérieux-en-Dombes - ruines.JPG, Ruins of the Castle File:Plaque MH tour du château d'Ambérieux-en-Dombes.jpeg, Historical monument plaque on the Chateau

Notable people linked to the commune

*Laurent Capponi (1512-1573), Lord of Ambérieux-en-Dombes *Jean Saint-Cyr (1899-1990), French politician, born in Ambérieux-en-Dombes *

Gundobad Gundobad ( la, Flavius Gundobadus; french: Gondebaud, Gondovald; 452 – 516 AD) was King of the Burgundians (473 – 516), succeeding his father Gundioc of Burgundy. Previous to this, he had been a patrician of the moribund Western Roman Em ...

, the 6th-century king of the

Burgundians The Burgundians ( la, Burgundes, Burgundiōnes, Burgundī; on, Burgundar; ang, Burgendas; grc-gre, Βούργουνδοι) were an early Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared in the middle Rhine region, near the Roman Empire, and ...

, born in the commune