Anjou is a commune

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 Isère

Isère

Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...

 department in south-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...

.

Anjou is a French Commune, located in the department of Isère in the Rhône-Alpes region.

Introduction

Anjou is a village in Bas-Dauphiné, a few kilometres from the Rhône, located between Vienna and Valence. Resting on a south-facing hill, partially sheltered from rain by the peaks of the Pilat mountain range, it benefits from a mild and sunny climate. For many decades, the beauty of its location has drawn numerous tourists and many others who reside in the village.

List of mayors

Period		Name
2001	2008	M. Michel Morel
2008	current	M. Denis Rozier

Demographics

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
535	565	505	585	744	809	931
After 1968 : Population without double counting Population without double counting Population without double counting is an English translation of the phrase Population sans doubles comptes.In France, for the purposes of the census, the INSEE has defined several population indicators that allow people who live in more than one place to be counted in each place, to study and keep...

Landmarks and tourist attractions

• The church was built during the 19C and its steeple was built using two bells cast in Lyon in 1849 and in 1861. The steeple of Anjou's church has the oldest bell in the region. It originates from the Celestine convent in Lyon, destroyed during the French Revolution, and brought to Anjou by the Bectoz de Vaubonnais, owners of a chateau in the area. Open to the public.
• Anjou Chateau and a 10 hectare park. Chateau ruins and a park created by the famous landscape architects Henri and Achille Duchêne, for Clément and Alice Jourdan (Historic Landmark designation, 2009). Open to the public.
• Fondru Chateau was built in the 19C and belonged to the Bectoz de Vaubonnais family. It has an attractive pigeon loft, undergoing restoration. Not open to the public.
• Chateau de la Sablière. Not open to the public.
• The feudal tower of Anjou, which was part of the old medieval castle of the 12th century or 13th century. It overlooks the Old Village and the chateau of Anjou. The tower is, today, a panoramic site that provides a unique perspective over several departments. Interpretive panels, a lookout spot, picnic tables and facilities available to visitors. Open to the public.
• The Old Village of Anjou has many charming and picturesque lanes that include a blacksmith sign dating to 1666.
• A beautiful pedestrian promenade allows the leisurely exploration of the history and culture of Anjou in a day.

Notable people connected with Anjou

• Raymond of Anjou, a 12th century troubador in the provençal language, one of the first lords of Anjou.
• Charles IX, King of France (1550-1574) dined at the Anjou Chateau on August 15, 1564.
• Claude Brosse, famous community trustee of the Dauphine villages, was châtelain of Anjou. In 1639 Louis XIII granted a decree to him rendering fairer assizes (taxes) for the people, or Third-estate. His daughter married Joseph de Bectoz de Vaubonnais and brought him, through her dowry, Anjou lands.
• Melchior Mitte de Chevrières, Count of Anjou, hosted at Anjou Chateau Louis de Bourbon, cousin of Louis XIII, the governor of Dauphiné, during Christmas celebrations in 1623.
• Louis XIII, King of France, lodged at Anjou Chateau with his entire court, on July 20, 1629, during his return from the South.
• Humbert Guillot de Golat, Lord of Garenne, a Dauphinois poet, resided at Anjou where he wrote many poems.
• Sarah Bernhardt visited Anjou in 1887 and stayed at Anjou Chateau, at the invitation of Clément and Alice Jourdan.

External links

• Anjou on the Website of the INSEE
  INSEE
  INSEE is the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. It collects and publishes information on the French economy and society, carrying out the periodic national census. Located in Paris, it is the French branch of Eurostat, European Statistical System...