Moulins (; oc, Molins) is a commune in central France, capital of the

Allier Allier ( , , ; oc, Alèir) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region that borders Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire to the east, Puy-de-Dôme to the south, and Creuse to the south-west. Named after ...

department. It is located on the river

. Among its many tourist attractions are the Maison Mantin, the Anne de Beaujeu Museum and The National Center of Costume and Scenography.

Geography

Moulins is located on the banks of the river Allier.

History

Before the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, Moulins was the capital of the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Bourbonnais Bourbonnais () was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponds to the modern ''département'' of Allier, along with part of the ''département'' of Cher. Its capital was Moulins. History The title of the ruler of Bourbonnais ...

and the seat of the

Dukes of Bourbon Duke of Bourbon (french: Duc de Bourbon) is a title in the peerage of France. It was created in the first half of the 14th century for the eldest son of Robert of France, Count of Clermont and Beatrice of Burgundy, heiress of the lordship of B ...

. It appears in documented records at least as far back as the year 990. In 1232, Archambaud VIII, Sire de Bourbon granted a franchise to the village's inhabitants. The town achieved greater prominence in 1327, when Charles IV elevated Louis I de Clermont to Duke of Bourbon. Either Louis or the later Peter II, Duke of Bourbon and of Auvergne moved the capital of the province from

Bourbon-l'Archambault Bourbon-l'Archambault is a spa town and a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in central France. It is the place of origin of the House of Bourbon. Population Personalities In 1681, Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon, ...

to Moulins. :''Note: This article in French suggests Pierre II moved the capital, while th
local tourism website
(also in French) suggests it was Louis I.'' In February 1566 it became eponymous to the Edict of Moulins, an important royal ordinance dealing with many aspects of the administration of justice and feudal and ecclesiastical privilege, including limitations on the appanages held by French princes, abrogation of the levy of rights of tallage claimed by seigneurs over their dependants, and provisions for a system of concessions on rivers. This was the birthplace of the great 19th-century operatic

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the ...

and art collector

Jean-Baptiste Faure Jean-Baptiste Faure () (15 January 1830 – 9 November 1914) was a French operatic baritone and art collector who also composed several classical songs. Singing career Faure was born in Moulins. A choirboy in his youth, he entered the Paris ...

. In the 20th century,

Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty, c ...

went to school in Moulins as an orphan, before moving to Paris, where she became a fashion designer and major innovator in women's clothing.

Politics and administration

Territorial division

Moulins in the préfecture of

, even though it is not the most populated commune of the department.

Elections to municipal and intercommunal councils

Mayors of Moulins

The position of mayor has existed in Moulins since 1518.

Other elections

International relations

Moulins is twinned with: *

Bad Vilbel Bad Vilbel () is a spa town in Hesse (Hessen), Germany, famous for its many mineral water springs. Bad Vilbel is the largest town in the Wetteraukreis district and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area with its city center being located 8& ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

since 26 October 1990 * Montepulciano,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Population

Transport

Moulins-sur-Allier station, in the centre of the town, has direct trains to Paris (

Gare de Bercy Gare de Paris Bercy, officially Gare de Paris Bercy Bourgogne - Pays d'Auvergne, is one of the seven mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. It handles about 4.3 million passengers annually according to the estimates of the SNCF, ...

), which take about 2 hours 25 minutes. Montbeugny Airport is a small airport located near Moulins.

Museums

Centre National du Costume de Scene Centre National du Costume de Scene (CNCS) (English: National Center of Stage Costume (CNCS)), is a French museum dedicated to stage costumes and sets. It was inaugurated on 1 July 2006 in Moulins, Allier by Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres the Minis ...

(museum)

Notable people

Antoine Gilbert Griffet de Labaume Antoine Gilbert Griffet de Labaume (21 November 1756, Moulins – 18 March 1805) was an 18th-century French writer, playwright and translator. He died in Paris aged 48. Biography A writer gifted of the most extensive knowledge and with a talen ...

(1756–1805), translator and man of letters * Théodore de Banville (1823–1891), poet and playwright * Jean Pastelot (1820–1870), painter and caricaturist *

, fashion designer, started as a cabaret singer * Philippe N'Dioro, footballer * Jean-Luc Perrot (born 1959), pipe organ player and composer * Stéphane Risacher, basketball player for the French national team *

, opera singer *

Claude Louis Hector de Villars Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues, Marquis then Duc de Villars, Vicomte de Melun (, 8 May 1653 – 17 June 1734) was a French military commander and an illustrious general of Louis XIV of France. He was one of only six Marshals ...

(1653–1734), Marshal General of France * Gilbert Mercier (1957), author of "The Orwellian Empire" and journalist * Louis Jacques Brunet (1811), ancient professor of natural history * James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick (1670–1734) * Rahel Shtainshnaider,footballer