Thoissey () 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

Ain Ain (, ; frp, En) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where ...

department in eastern

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 ...

Geography

The

Chalaronne The Chalaronne () is a long river in the Ain department in eastern France. Its source is at Lapeyrouse, in the Dombes. It flows generally northwest. It is a left tributary of the Saône, into which it flows between Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne ...

forms the commune's southeastern border, then flows into the

Saône The Saône ( , ; frp, Sona; lat, Arar) is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department and joining the Rhône in Lyon, at the southern end of the Presqu'île. The name ...

, which forms its western border.

History

Historical facts

This commune, formerly walled, was the second city of the principality of Dombes and housed, for this principality, a

collège In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

founded in 1680.

Population

Sights

* A

Lavoir A lavoir (wash-house) is a public place set aside for the washing of clothes. Communal washing places were common in Europe until industrial washing was introduced, and this process in turn was replaced by domestic washing machines and by laun ...

of the 19th century. * A 19th-century church, restored in 2007, housing works of the Lyonnais painter, Daniel Sarrabat (17th century); a set of six paintings dedicated to Mary Magdalene; three delivered in 1706 and three in 1713. * The apothecary's shop of the ancient sisters' hospital, of the 18th century. In 1700, a rich draper, Etienne Pollo, is responsible for the founding of Thoissey's hospital. In 1701, the duke of Maine gave the letters patent for the creation of “L’Hôpital de la Charité”. The apothecary's shop was built between 1731 and 1735. Walnut boiseries on the walls are the work of Jean Noblet, master carpenter. The ceiling was painted by Lugnot on a marouflaged canvas (cf. photo). About 60 faience pots from

Nevers Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France. It was the principal city of the former province of Nivernais. It is sou ...

decorated with a cobalt blue camaieu were used to collect the substances used by the apothecary, they were placed in niches and Renaissance style sideboards.

Personalities

Jean-Baptiste Marchand :''for others with similar names, see Jean Marchand General Jean-Baptiste Marchand (22 November 1863 – 14 January 1934) was a French military officer and explorer in Africa. Marchand is best known for commanding the French expeditionary ...