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Lapalisse () is a French commune located in the department of Allier in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
The commune is labeled a Village étape (Stopover Village) since 2006 and is part of the association Les Plus Beaux Détours de France (The Most Beautiful Detours in France). It is also recognized as a "flowered town" with two flowers and has been the patron town of the Aviso Commandant Blaison of the French Navy since 1981.
Its inhabitants, numbering 3,127 according to the 2022 census, are called Lapalissois and Lapalissoises.
Six other communes border Lapalisse:
For the period 1971-2000, the average annual temperature was , with an annual thermal amplitude of . The average annual rainfall was , with of precipitation in January and in July. For the period 1991-2020, the average annual temperature observed at the nearest Météo-France weather station, in the commune of Arfeuilles away as the crow flies,. was and the average annual rainfall was ... For the future, the commune's climate parameters estimated for 2050 under different scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions can be viewed on a dedicated website published by Météo-France in November 2022..
The IGN also provides an online tool to compare the evolution over time of land use in the commune (or in territories at different scales). Several time periods are accessible in the form of maps or aerial photographs: the Cassini map (), the état-major map (1820-1866) and the current period (1950 to present). To compare the evolution between two dates, click on the bottom of the vertical dividing line and move it to the right or left. To compare two other maps, choose the maps in the windows at the top left of the screen.
Until , the town was crossed by the Route Nationale 7 connecting Moulins and Varennes-sur-Allier to the west and then north on one hand, and toward Roanne and Lyon to the east and then south on the other, with vibrations from heavy trucks crossing the railroad crossing even causing cracks in the castle walls. Since that date, the town has been bypassed by an expressway-type route with two of 2 lanes and the old route has been downgraded to the departmental road network (RD 707).
In 2010, a western bypass was constructed by the Allier department (). This same road continues north toward Jaligny-sur-Besbre and Dompierre-sur-Besbre. South of this bypass, leads to a roundabout with , and leading to Magnet, Cusset and Vichy.
To the east, serve the eastern part of the department (toward Montaiguët-en-Forez and Marcigny).
The local service roads are:
The spelling has varied over the centuries between "La Palice" and "La Palisse". Until the French Revolution, the name was written as two words. It was in 1789 that the spelling "Lapalisse" was definitively adopted.
At Lubié there is a Gallo-Roman pottery workshop., . The style of BANUUS III is one of the most characteristic creations of this workshop.
The Chez-Duret site, in the southwest of the commune, was the subject of a preventive excavation in 1996 as part of the development of the bypass by National Route 7..
"From Varenne to La Palisse, four leagues. It is a small ugly (layde) and dirty (orde) town. There is a small castle. We dined there and I spent (despendis) 8 groats (gros)" Chy S'ensuyvent les gistes, repaistres et depens que moy Jacques Le Saige marchand demourant à Douay au faict de Douay à Rome (...) Edition Douay 1525 -- Jacques Lesage ; Voyage en Terre sainte d'un marchand de Douai en 1519. by Yvonne Bellenger. Edition Balland 1989 (based on the manuscript of J. Lesage, modern text and presentation)
Being very devout, the wealthy Douai draper Jacques Lesaige, who was then heading to Rome with his four companions, very probably during his itinerary, dined and stayed at the hostellerie du Puits de l'Image in La Palisse, a hotel facing the old Royal Road (current rue de la Liberté). Skirting the structures of the old fortress of La Palisse, one can easily imagine what was then all the discomfort and insalubrity of this hilly street, composed during the bad season, of stones and mire.
In his famous Guide des Chemins de France published in 1552, the learned scholar Charles Estienne, mentioned with precision the various stages of the old royal roads, crossing the provinces of the kingdom of France, including those of Bourbonnais, which he calls after Moulins, the "Grand Chemin de Lyon" (Great Road to Lyon).
Always a road city, La Palisse, located on one of the most important roads in France (Paris-Lyon), experienced in the a prosperous attractiveness through its flows of travelers frequenting its numerous inns, through the passage of Mail coaches (post horses) and its post relay where the authority of a postmaster was exercised over the postilions. At the beginning of the , sieur Pierre Mareschal, postmaster in 1612 at La Palisse, also served as "Chevaucheur du Roi" (King's Rider).
Taking the great royal road from Paris to Lyon, the Parisian writer and traveler Jean-Jacques Bouchard (1606-1641), in his journey from Paris to Rome made in 1630, crosses the small city of La Palisse; like the Florentine Benvenuto Cellini a century earlier, he gives, in his Confessions, a picturesque and not very reassuring portrait of the region, a country then traversed by plunderers and highwaymen:
"...La Palisse, 2 leagues from, small strong town situated on a very steep mountain. There is an old fortress. One must leave early, in order to pass by day the valley of La Palisse, which is full of woods and commanded by mountains, from where the robbers who are always in good number in this forest, discover from afar the passersby and come to assail them unexpectedly; this passage was then all full of soldiers disbanded from the army of Italy, who nevertheless did no violence out of respect for the Marquis of Effiat,Antoine Coëffier de Ruzé d'Effiat. superintendent of finances, who passed that same afternoon in a litter with his wife. (...) Les Confessions, de Jean-Jacques Bouchard parisien, suivies de son Voyage de Paris à Rome en 1630, Liseux, 1881, ."
An ordinance of 16 December 1666 by Monseigneur d'Estaing, authorizes the foundation in La Palisse of a convent of hospital nuns. This act of foundation was confirmed shortly after, by letters patent given by King Louis XIV at Compiègne in June 1667, providing regulations for the establishment of hospital nuns in the town of La Palice, registered on 14 August 1668. This convent-hospice, named "La Providence", was founded under the impetus of Marshal Claude Maximilien de La Guiche, Lord of La Palisse, by Augustinian sisters from Riom.
"La Palice is a small town considerable for its Fairs & its Markets & for the passage of those who go from Paris to Lyon. There is only a lord's justice; its castle is ancient and well built."
The entire town rebelled against the gabelle, a particularly hated tax, in 1736. On 11 October, the gabelous (tax collectors) were attacked, chased, and forced to flee over the rooftops. The municipality did not intervene, quite the contrary. The Farm General wanted a trial: everyone dragged out the investigation and the trial did not take place until 1740. In the end, they pleaded confusion between soldiers, smugglers, gabelous, and passersby, who all looked alike, and things remained there, the intendant being unable to have them condemned. According to Jean Nicolas, this episode testifies to the solidarity that could manifest within a community.
La Palisse enjoyed a very great reputation in France for the importance of its fairs and markets, especially for the very lucrative grain trade. Already in 1785, the economist Jean-Baptiste Antoine Malisset d'Hertereau noted, in his economic analysis work, two considerable fairs of exceptional duration, already confirmed previously since 1745 in the official data of the Royal Almanac: Royal Almanac 1745, ; National Almanac of France (1793-1803), "State of the most considerable Fairs", 1 January 1793, p. 479 (La Palisse, fair of 7 & 17 September).
"Palice (La) in Bourbonnois. Fairs, September 7 for three days & September 17 for six days. La Parfaite Intelligence du Commerce où se trouvent les connoissances et les renseignements les plus utiles à diverses classes de citoyens & particulièrement aux armateurs , négocians, courtiers, etc., volume two by Jean-Baptiste Antoine Malisset d'Hertereau, Paris, Lami, 1785, ."
In this veritable world dictionary of political economy from the late 18th century for the use of merchants, traders, shipowners, industrialists, financiers, etc., author Malisset d'Hertereau did not fail to mention also about the small Bourbonnais city:
"(...) Palice (La): Town of France in Bourbonnois, on the Besbre 15 leagues from Moulins. It is remarkable only for the solidity of the tall boots, which are made there in large quantity and part of which is sent to Paris. (...)". La Parfaite Intelligence du Commerce, volume I, by J.A.B. Malisset d'Hertereau, Paris, Lami, 1785, .
The geographer Antoine-Augustin Bruzen de La Martinière confirmed in 1737 in his encyclopedist works these same data and noted very rightly in this regard:
"..(...) This town is nevertheless considerable for its fairs which are twelve in number, for its markets which are held every week, for the passage of those who go from Paris to Lyon; it is also renowned for the good boots that are made there. (...)" Le Grand Dictionnaire Géographique, Historique et Critique by Antoine-Augustin Bruzen de La Martinière, 1737.
In the middle of the , France experienced floods of its main rivers and waterways reaching an unprecedented severity. La Palisse, crossed by the "peaceful" Besbre river, was not spared and was also severely damaged by the great historic flood of October 1846.
"At La Palisse, on October 17, all the inhabitants were in the greatest consternation. The waters of the Besbre rose to a prodigious height and instantly submerged the entire lower part of the town and its suburbs. In living memory, no such flood and spectacle had been seen. At about six o'clock, cries of distress of unfortunate suburb dwellers, upstream of the bridge, were heard; they had taken refuge in their attics to avoid certain death.A. Berger, Floods of 1846. Complete and Official Account Indicating Day by Day, the Progress of the Floods, Paris, L. Maison, 1846, ."
After the coup d'état of December 2, 1851, the inhabitants of the cantons of Luneau, Le Donjon and Jaligny rose up and seized Lapalisse after some fighting (one gendarme killed). But the news of the success of the coup d'état led to the dispersal of the insurgents. The repression was severe: the three cantons that rose up totaled about 350 arrests..
The town developed from the original nucleus at the foot of the castle following the main transportation routes (RN7, RD243, RD61, RD990, RD7, RD48), thus giving rise to a star-shaped urbanization.
Until , Lapalisse was the subprefecture of arrondissement. The administration of Vichy France then transferred the subprefecture to Vichy.
In the 2014 municipal elections, the incumbent mayor Jacques de Chabannes, a direct descendant of the family of Chabannes de La Palice, was re-elected on a miscellaneous left list, the only one to run. 57.92% of voters turned out..
In the 2015 departmental elections, the pair (radical left) composed of Martine Arnaud and Jacques De Chabannes received 54.43% of the votes cast. 62.83% of voters turned out..
The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. For communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, a census survey covering the entire population is carried out every five years, with the reference populations of the intermediate years being estimated by interpolation or extrapolation. For the commune, the first exhaustive census falling within the framework of the new system was carried out in 2008.
In 2022, the commune had 3,127 inhabitants, an evolution of +0.71% compared to 2016 (Allier: −1.38%, France excluding Mayotte: +2.11%).
Students continue their education at the Lucien-Colon middle school, managed by the General Council of Allier.. High school students attend school in Cusset, at the Albert-Londres high school..
The commune also benefits from its position on important road axes, particularly with the passage of the RN7 which, even though it now bypasses the town center, continues to bring significant economic activity.
Urban planning
Typology
As of 1 January 2024, Lapalisse is categorized as a rural township, according to the new municipal density grid with 7 levels defined by Insee in 2022..
It belongs to the urban unit of Lapalisse, an intra-departmental agglomeration of which it is the central city. Furthermore, the commune is part of the attraction area of Lapalisse, of which it is the central commune.The concept of attraction area of a city replaced the former concept of urban area in October 2020, to allow for consistent comparisons with other countries in the European Union This area, which includes 9 communes, is categorized among areas with fewer than 50000 inhabitants...
Land use
The land use of the commune, as shown by the biophysical land use database Corine Land Cover (CLC), is marked by the importance of agricultural territories (79.1% in 2018), down from 1990 (80%). The detailed distribution in 2018 is as follows:
meadows (63.4%), heterogeneous agricultural areas (13.8%), forests (10.7%), urbanized areas (8.1%), industrial or commercial zones and communication networks (2.1%), arable land (1.8%)..
Transport and communication routes
Road networks
Dating back to ancient times, the city of Lapalisse was a very important road city, from which it derived great economic prosperity from its agricultural and commercial exchanges with neighboring provinces (Roannais, Forez, Brionnais, etc.). In 1903, the sports journalist Henri Desgrange, creator of the famous Tour de France, chose to route the First Tour de France cycling race through La Palisse.
Rail transport
The Moret - Veneux-les-Sablons - Lyon-Perrache railway line passes through the neighboring commune of Saint-Prix, where a SNCF station is located. It was closed to passenger service in 2006 to reduce the travel time of rail services between the stations of Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon-Perrache.
Etymology
The name Lapalisse first appears on an ancient map from the 12th century (in 1165) referring to a chapel ( Capella di Palicia). The family of the first lords of La Palice established themselves there at this time after having borne the name of the Lords of Lubié, of La Motte des Noyers.
History
Antiquity
The first trace of occupation at the place called Lubié or Lubillet predates by several centuries the definitive establishment of the former Lipidiacus (La Palisse), on the banks of the Besbre River.
Middle Ages and Renaissance
In 1429, Charles, Duke of Bourbon, purchased the seigneurial domain of La Palice from Jeanne de Châtillon and resold it for 6,000 gold écus in 1430 to Jacques I, one of the last two representatives of the Chabannes family, which dates back to the year 1000. This sum was partly financed by the ransoms of English knights captured during the siege of Orléans. Jacques I and his brother Antoine, Count of Dammartin, were among the great leaders who, like Joan of Arc and at her side, contributed to the defeat of the English during the Hundred Years' War.
From the Late Middle Ages to the French Revolution
What might the small town of La Palisse have looked like at the beginning of the ? Probably the major works of redevelopment of the city with the razing of the old medieval ramparts of the city and the enlargement of the old castle, left at the beginning of this building revival, to travelers passing through, an impression of disorder and insalubrity? Coming from his native French Flanders, Jacques Lesaige, a wealthy draper merchant from Douai, setting out at Easter 1518 for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, notes in his Memoirs having crossed the small city on the banks of the Besbre:
18th to 19th century: the beginnings of an agricultural and artisanal economy of great importance
In 1718, the historian and geographer Jean-Aimar Piganiol de La Force in his Description générale de la France mentioned the small city of Bourbonnais, of which he gives this brief description:
(2025). 9782070359714, Gallimard. ISBN 9782070359714.
Contemporary period
Significant changes took place in the 18th century: in 1753, the Grand Chemin de Lyon was laid out, leading to the destruction of part of the ramparts, as can be seen in the Billaudy and Liberty streets.
Politics and administration
Lapalisse is the chief town (then centralizing bureau since March 2015) of a canton covering, since the cantonal redistricting, the southeast of the Allier department and the Bourbonnais mountains to the gates of Vichy.
Political trends and results
In the 2012 legislative elections, the incumbent deputy Gérard Charasse was elected in the new 3rd constituency of Allier. In the commune, he received 59.02% of the votes cast. 59.10% of voters turned out..
Population and society
Demographics
The inhabitants of the commune Demonym the Lapalissois and Lapalissoises..
+ Population evolution 2,123 2,273 2,368 2,455 2,504 2,471 2,559 2,712 2,726 2,816 2,844 2,984 3,170 3,212 3,273 3,342 3,365 3,423 3,373 3,328 3,257 2,911 2,980 2,954 2,750 2,661 2,703 3,033 3,272 3,475 3,511 3,418 3,378 3,276 3,304 3,197 3,157 3,127
Cultural events and festivities
Education
Lapalisse is part of the Academy of Clermont-Ferrand. It manages the Arc en Ciel public nursery school and the G. Giraud public elementary school.
Economy
The economy of Lapalisse is based on several sectors:
Local culture and heritage
Places and monuments
/ref> contributed? Given the expensive costs demanded by Petit (41,200 Francs), the project to erect this memorial, which was initially conflictual with the city hall of Auguste Coche, was finally inaugurated on 31 July 1922 in the presence of Albert Peyronnet, senator of Allier and Minister of Labor in the Poincaré government, and the Under-Secretary of State for Public Instruction Gaston Vidal. During this ministerial visit, Mr. Peyronnet also inaugurated the monument dedicated to the victims of the coup d'état of 2 December 1851, as well as the new Hospice-Hospital of Lapalisse. The base and column pedestal of the "Poilu" statue of Lapalisse were made of pink granite from Droiturier.
Notable people
Heraldry
Malte-Brun, in La France illustrée (1882), reports two different for the heraldry of the town of Lapalisse, the second being that of the arms in force:
Vert, a saltire or. Gules, five narrowed pales argent
(The "narrowed pales" are actually vergettes, but the blazon wants to emphasize the aspect of "canting arms".)
Notes and references
Notes and maps
Notes
Maps
See also
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