Indre
Indre (); is a department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administrative region of Cent ...
Centre-Val de Loire
Centre-Val de Loire (; ,In isolation, ''Centre'' is pronounced . ) or Centre Region (, ), as it was known until 2015, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France. It straddles the middle Loire Valley in the interior ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. It is also referred to as ''Issoundun'', which is the ancient name.
Geography
Location
Issoudun is a sub-prefecture, located in the east of the
Indre
Indre (); is a department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administrative region of Cent ...
department. It is in the former region of
Berry
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...
.
The surrounding communes are:
* Les Bordes (4 km)
* Saint-Aoustrille (5 km)
* St. Lizaigne (7 km)
* Chouday (7 km)
* Lizeray (8 km)
* Condé (8 km)
* Thizay (8 km)
* Saint-Georges-sur-Arnon (10 km)
* Saint-Ambroix (10 km)
* Saugy (10 km)
* Saint-Aubin (11 km)
* Châteauroux (27 km)
* Châtre (41 km)
* Le Blanc (79 km)
Terrain
The river of Théols passes through Issoudun.
The commune of Issoudun takes up an area of 36.6 km2.
Transport
The national road N151 passes through the area.
The nearest airport is the Marcel Dassault Airport, 27 km away.
The Issoudun station is located at 4 Pierre Favreau boulevard, 36100.
History
Origins
Issoudun, in Latin ''Exoldunum'' or ''Uxellodunum'', existed in and before Roman times. In 1195 it was successfully defended by the partisans of Richard Cœur de Lion against
Philip II of France
Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...
.
Middle Ages
During the 12th and 13th century, the history of the entire province of
Berry
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...
Richard I of England
Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...
defended the city from the advances of
Philip II of France
Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...
. The two kings met in December 1195 between Issoudun and Chârost, and reached an agreement, known as the ''Treaty of Issoudun''. Around this time the beak-shaped
keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...
of the castle was built. By the Treaty of Le Goulet (1200), Lords of Issoudun () returned to the suzerainty of the French Crown. The most prominent Lords of Issoudun from that period were Odo III and his son Raoul III, who was married to Margaret of Courtenay. Since Raoul III of Issoudun died (c. 1213) without direct male heirs, the Lordship was passed to several secondary heirs, through the female line of succession. First of them was William I of Chauvigny () in 1217, but final settlement was reached in 1221, after the intervention of the French Crown.
In 1499, Cesare Borgia, son of
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503.
Born into t ...
, married Charlotte d'Albret, and as a dowry, was given, amongst other titles, the Lordship of Issoudun.
Issoudun has in the past often suffered from fires. A very destructive one in 1651 was the result of an attack on the town in the war of The Fronde;
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
rewarded its fidelity to him during that struggle by the grant of several privileges.
World War I
In 1917, the U.S. Air Service established its largest European training centre, the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center, about northwest of the town. At the time of the Armistice, 11 November 1918, thirteen fields were in operation and well over 10,000 ground personnel, student pilots and instructors were located there. It was at that time the largest air base in the world. A single monument on Department Route 960 remains to mark Issoudun's part in the Great War.
The United States Air Service formally left Issoudun on 28 June 1919, almost eight months after the war ended. The sites of the former airfields have returned to their previous status as agricultural fields.
On 28 June 2009, the people of Issoudun had a commemoration ceremony in honour of the American aviators who had trained, and in many cases, died while training there.
Recent Events
On 14 July 2009,
Bastille Day
Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as () in French, though ''la fête nationale'' is also u ...
Among the interesting buildings are the church of St Cyr, combining various architectural styles, with a fine porch and window, and the chapel of the Hôtel Dieu of the early 16th century. Of the fortifications with which the town was formerly surrounded, a town-gate of the 16th century and the White Tower, a lofty cylindrical building of the reign of Philip II, survive.
File:05issoudun_alliss_Volga.JPG, Volga ALLISS Module
File:06issoudun alliss Gange.JPG, Ganges ALLISS Module
File:02issoudun_feeders+rideaux.JPG, Former RFI Issoudun Relay station feeders and curtain arrays
File:01issoudun_rideaux_E.JPG, Former RFI Issoudun Relay curtain arrays (1990s)
The International broadcasting center of TDF (Télédiffusion de France) is at Issoudun/Ste Aoustrille. Issoudun is currently used by TDF for
shortwave
Shortwave radio is radio transmission using radio frequencies in the shortwave bands (SW). There is no official definition of the band range, but it always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (app ...
transmissions. The site uses 12 rotary
ALLISS Alliss is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Percy Alliss (1897–1975), English golfer
*Peter Alliss (1931–2020), English golfer, son of Percy
** Peter Alliss Masters, children's charity founded by Peter Alliss
See also
* A ...
antennas fed by 12 transmitters of 500 kW each to transmit shortwave broadcasts by
Radio France International
Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the State media, state-owned international radio news network of France. With 59.5 million listeners in 2022, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world ...
(RFI), along with other broadcast services.
In popular culture
Issoudun figures prominently in Balzac's novel A Bachelor's Establishment (also known as The Black Sheep) which the Guardian has ranked as the 12th greatest novel of all time.
Culture
Issoudun is home to the Musée de l'Hospice Saint Roch, that consistently hosts contemporary art exhibitions.
Issoudun Aerodrome
Issoudun Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the vicinity of Issoudun, Centre, France. They were used during World War I as part of the Third Air Instructional Center, American Expeditionary Forces for training United States airmen ...