Commentry

Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Commentry (French pronunciation: [kɔmɑ̃tʁi]; Auvergnat: Comentriac) is a commune in the department of Allier in central France. It lies 42 miles (68 km) southwest of Moulins in the valley of the Œil. It is within 8 km of one of the geographic centres of France. The film actress Yvonne Rozille (1900–1985) was born in Commentry.

Population

History

Commentry was home to Compagnie de Commentry-Fourchambault-Decazeville, thanks to an important coal deposit. The coal mine fueled a huge growth in population, from under 1,000 to more than 12,000, while Stéphane Mony was its CEO (1840–1884).^[5] Commentry was the first commune ever to elect a socialist mayor: Christophe Thivrier was elected 6 June 1882.^[6] The Socialist Party of France was founded in Commentry in September 1902.

Economy

Commentry gave its name to a coal field over 21 square kilometres in extent, and historically had important foundries and forges.^[7]

Science

Charles Brongniart discovered many fossils near Commentry, including Meganeura in the Stephanian stage coal measures in 1880.

Personalities

• Jean Bayet (1882–1969) Professor of Latin Language and Literature at the Sorbonne, whose grandfather Gilbert Bayet was mayor of Commentry 1871–1873.
• Henri Fayol (1841–1925) mining engineer, developed Fayolism, an approach to management and administration.
• Abel Gance (1889–1981) film director and producer, raised by maternal grandparents in Commentry until the age of eight.
• Jacques Hillairet (1886-1984) historian specializing in the history of Paris, officer of the Legion of Honour.
• Émile Mâle (1862–1954) art historian and member of the Académie française.
• Stéphane Mony (1800–1884) Engineer, director of the colliery at Commentry; mayor from 1854 to 1883; deputy from 1868 to 1871.
• Christophe Thivrier (1841–1895) first elected Socialist mayor in France.
• Roger Vergé (1930–2015) Celebrated chef and restaurateur.

See also

• Communes of the Allier department

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
3. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Commentry, EHESS (in French).
4. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
5. (in French) L'Administration industrielle et générale par Henri Fayol ISBN 978-2-903628-09-3 https://f-origin.hypotheses.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/1931/files/2016/09/Fayol-1916.pdfArchived 2019-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
6. (in French) Election of the first socialist mayor Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
7.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Commentry". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 766.