Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule (, literally ''Saint-Pourçain on

Sioule The Sioule (; oc, Siula) is a long river in central France, a left tributary of the river Allier. Its source is near the village of Orcival, north of Mont-Dore, in the Massif Central. The Sioule has cut a deep gorge, especially in its upper ...

'';

Auvergnat or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne. Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rather a va ...

: ''Sant Porçanh de Siula'') 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 Allier department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

.INSEE commune file
/ref> It is named after Saint Pourçain, a 6th century AD freed slave who was founder of a local monastery.

Geography

The commune is located north of

Vichy Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais. It is a spa and resort town and in World War II was the capital of ...

and south of Moulins on the former Route nationale 9 (departmental road 2009). The river

Bouble The Bouble () is a long river in the Allier and Puy-de-Dôme departments in south central France. Its source is at Gouttières. It flows generally northeast. It is a left tributary of the Sioule into which it flows between Saint-Pourçain-sur ...

forms part of the commune's southern border, then flows into the

, which flows north-northeast through the commune and crosses the town.

Population

Wine

Saint-Pourçain wine is made in an area around the commune.

Natural and technological risks

The city is exposed to some natural risks : * Flood risk due to the fact that the Sioule goes through the city. The last significant flood has been recorded in year 1982. * Earthquake hazard : low risk zone. as well as two industrial risks : * Transport of hazardous substances: County roads 2009 and 46 (East) record significant traffic, including trucks. Besides, two gas pipelines go across the city. * Dam failure : It concerns the dam "des Fades", which can cause a flood, the wave being felt 4 hours after the failure. The entire county is exposed to storm risk. 150 km/h winds have been recorded just before the year 2000. Two prevention plans of natural risks have been prescribed on the basins of the "Sioule" and of the "Allier", and have both been approved respectively in year 1999 and 2008.

Personalities

Durandus of Saint-Pourçain Durandus of Saint-Pourçain (also known as Durand of Saint-Pourçain; c. 1275 – 13 September 1332 / 10 September 1334) was a French Dominican, philosopher, theologian, and bishop. Life He was born at Saint-Pourçain, Auvergne. Little is kn ...

(ca.1275 – 1332), an important scholastic theologian and philosopher, member of the

Dominican order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of ...

, was born here. *French diplomat and cryptographer

Blaise de Vigenère Blaise de Vigenère (5 April 1523 – 19 February 1596) () was a French diplomat, cryptographer, translator and alchemist. Biography Vigenère was born into a respectable family in the village of Saint-Pourçain. His mother, Jean, arrang ...

was born in the town in 1523.

References

External links

Official website
Communes of Allier Auvergne Allier communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia {{Allier-geo-stub