Arbent
Arbent is a commune in the French department of Ain, in the Rhône -Alpes.
Geography
Arbent is located on 565 m above sea level. M., about five kilometers north- northeast of the city Oyonnax (air line). The village is located in the northern Bugey, in the Jura, on both sides of the Ruisseau de Merdanson which also occurs here, a narrow valley in the basin of Oyonnax.
The area of 23.49 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the southern French Jura. The eastern part is occupied by the basin of Oyonnax, which has here a width of 1.5 km and forms a syncline the Jura folds. This basin is drained by the Merdanson west to Bienne. To the east, the municipality's area extends over the densely forested slopes of the Jura ( Forêt de Macretet, Bois du Roy ) up to the crest of Mont de la Chaux, on 1100 m above sea level. M. the highest elevation reached by Arbent. Here arises the Ruisseau de Merdanson, who has created a deep gully in its upper reaches. The eastern part of the area is the basin of Viry.
To Arbent include former hamlet Marchon (560 m above sea level. M. ) on the outskirts of Oyonnax and various housing developments. Neighboring communities of Arbent are Viry the north and east, Échallon and Oyonnax in the south and Dortan in the West.
History
The origin of Arbent formed a company founded in the 1100s convent, which was dependent on Saint -Claude. The monks cleared the area, made it reclaimed and laid the foundations for the colonization. In the Middle Ages Arbent was a separate dominion which belonged to the lords of Thoire -Villars and 1402 came under the suzerainty of the Counts of Savoy. The Treaty of Lyon reached the village in 1601 to France. In the context of disputes between France and the Franche -Comté Arbent was destroyed by troops from the Franche-Comte in the 17th century.
Attractions
The Gothic parish church of Saint -Laurent was built in the 15th century. From the former monastery, which was destroyed in the 17th century, the last vestiges were eliminated in the 1930s. In Marchon is a chapel.
Population
With 3458 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Arbent belongs to the medium-sized municipalities in the department of Ain. Since the early 1960s, a striking increase in population was recorded. During this period, the population of the village has more than tripled. Meanwhile, the settlement area of Arbent is almost completely conjoined with that of Oyonnax.
Economy and infrastructure
Arbent has long been a predominantly coined by agriculture and forestry village. Thanks to the nearby Oyonnax several new companies could be since the first half of the 20th century in Arbent down. Today there are in the valley between Arbent and Oyonnax two large commercial and industrial zones with a total of more than 80 companies. Among the important industries include plastic fabrication and precision engineering industries.
The village region has a very well developed. It is located near the main road that leads from Montréal- la- Cluse via Oyonnax to Saint -Claude. Another road connection with Viry. The nearest links to the motorway A404 ( Saint -Martin- du- Frêne - Oyonnax ) is located at a distance of around 2 km. Arbent has a station on the railway line from Oyonnax to Saint -Claude. The municipality's ground is also the airfield Oyonnax - Arbent.