Belley
Encyclopedia
Belley is a commune
in the Ain
department in eastern France
.
origin, and in the 5th century became an episcopal see
. It was the capital of the province of Bugey
, which was a dependency of Savoy
till 1601, when it was ceded to France. In 1385 the town was almost entirely destroyed by an act of incendiarism, but was subsequently rebuilt by the dukes of Savoy, who surrounded it with ramparts
of which little is left.
Belley was the birthplace of the epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
, the famous 19th C. Marist
missionary matryr and proto-martyr of Oceana.
, la Tome de Belley, also known as Chevret or still "Le pave d'Affinois". It is also at the centre of the Bugey wine region. It is also home to a sizeable Volvo
production unit producing compact excavators, Comatel and Ciat.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Ain
Ain
Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
department in eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
Belley is of RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
origin, and in the 5th century became an episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
. It was the capital of the province of Bugey
Bugey
The Bugey is a historical region in the département of Ain , France. It is located in a loop of the Rhône River in the southeast of the département...
, which was a dependency of Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
till 1601, when it was ceded to France. In 1385 the town was almost entirely destroyed by an act of incendiarism, but was subsequently rebuilt by the dukes of Savoy, who surrounded it with ramparts
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
of which little is left.
Belley was the birthplace of the epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
Ecclesiastical history
Belley was the seat of the Bishop of Belley and the location of Belley Cathedral. Belley is the home region of St. Peter ChanelPeter Chanel
Pierre Louis Marie Chanel, known in English as Saint Peter Chanel was a Catholic priest, missionary, and martyr.-Early years:Chanel was born in La Potière near Cuet in the area of Belley, Ain département, France....
, the famous 19th C. Marist
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
missionary matryr and proto-martyr of Oceana.
Population
Economy
The town is famed for its cheeseCheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, la Tome de Belley, also known as Chevret or still "Le pave d'Affinois". It is also at the centre of the Bugey wine region. It is also home to a sizeable Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
production unit producing compact excavators, Comatel and Ciat.