Meaulne-Vitray () is a commune in the department of

Allier Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...

, central

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 ...

. The municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger of the former communes of

Meaulne Meaulne () is a former commune in the Allier department in central France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Meaulne-Vitray.

(the seat) and Vitray.

History

In an effort to guarantee the maintenances of public services in the face of the reduction in state donanations, the , the communes of

Meaulne Meaulne () is a former commune in the Allier department in central France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Meaulne-Vitray.

and Vitray — which did not have a church, cemetery, and no longer a school, in addition to relying on infrastructure from Meaulne — fused to become the commune nouvelle of Meaulne-Vitray.

Politics and administration

Administrative and electoral attachments

Meaulne-Vitray is situated in the Montluçon arrondissement in the department of

. Within the department, the commune is attached to the Canton of Bourbon-l'Archambault. For

legislative elections A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...

to the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

, Meaulne-Vitray is part of Allier's 2nd legislative constituency.

Intercommunality

Since its inception the commune has been a part of the communauté de communes du Pays de Tronçais.

List of delegated communes

List of mayors

Population

Population data refer to the commune in its geography as of January 2023.

Local culture and heritage

Places and monuments

* , built in the 17th century, the church has been inscribed as a ''

monument historique () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...

'' since 1985. It is notable for containing the particular sculpted group: ''Vierge de Pitié'' from the 16th century, and has itself been a ''

'' since 1975. * , built between the 12th and 17th centuries, the church consists of a bell tower entirely covered in shingles. It has been listed as a ''

'' since 2 June 1976. * , built in the 17th century, the castle has been listed as a ''

'' since 1985. * , located two kilometres from the town centre. The main body of the building dates back to the 17th century and was later supplemented with two pavilion-roofed wings. At one point the castle belonged to Général , the father of French philosopher and government minister during the

Vichy regime Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

Jacques Chevalier Jacques Chevalier (; 13 March 1882 – 19 April 1962) was a French Catholic philosopher and a politician. Chevalier was born in Cérilly, Allier, educated at the École normale supérieure and the University of Oxford and taught at the Faculty ...

. The residence, surrounded by a vast property had been abandoned prior to being restored and maintained by its current owners. * ''La GilPat'', old 8 acres farm which was built in 1905 and located at the foot of the ''Château des Alliers''. *

Forest of Tronçais The Forest of Tronçais (, ) is a national forest comprising in the Allier department of central France. It is managed by the National Forests Office (ONF). Its oaks, planted by Louis XIV's minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert to supply the Frenc ...

Notables individuals linked to the commune

References

Communes of Allier Populated places established in 2017 2017 establishments in France Communes nouvelles of Allier {{Allier-geo-stub