Chanay
Chanay is a commune in the French department of Ain, in the Rhône -Alpes.
Geography
Chanay is located on 492 m above sea level. M., about twelve kilometers south of the town of Bellegarde -sur -Valserine (air line). The village stretches a scenic location on a plateau west of the deep Rhone Valley, at the eastern foot of the Jura ridge, north stretches the Cret du Nu from Grand Colombier.
The area of 18,10 km2 municipal area includes a portion of the Rhone Valley. The eastern part of the municipality is occupied by the plateau of Chanay that on average 480 m above sea level. M. lies. It descends gradually from the east and is broken down by the valleys of short tributaries of the Rhône. The eastern boundary runs along the Rhône, the deeply depressed here in one of the area and some sections of rock walls flanking the valley from north to south flows. In the south, the boundary is marked by the erosion valley of Dorche. To the west, the municipality's area extends over the steep slope down to the subsequent Jura ridge in the area of the pass traversal Col de Richemond ( 1036 m above sea level. M. ). On the Cret Dauphin is at 1200 m above sea level. M. reached the highest elevation of Chanay.
To Chanay addition to the actual village also includes various hamlets and farmhouses, including:
- Dorches (370 m above sea level. M. ) in the Valley of Dorche
- Contamine (440 m above sea level. M. ) on the plateau of Chanay
- Vovray (540 m above sea level. M. ) on the plateau of Chanay at Jurafuß
- Pyrimont (300 m above sea level. M. ) on the Rhone
Neighboring communities of Chanay are Lhopital and Surjoux in the north, Challonges and Bassy in the east, the south and Corbonod Songieu in the West.
History
Chanay is first mentioned in the 10th century and belonged to the estate of the monastery Nantua. For later times the names Chagnay ( 1365 ) and Chaney (1400) have survived. The name goes back to the Old French word chasnoi (oak grove ). In the 12th century Chanay was part of the rule Dorches. In the 14th century it was the center of the reign Chanay - d'Izernore.
In the Rhone Valley in Pyrimont earlier asphalt mines were exploited. From the asphalt factories are today in ruins, and the current applied to the loading station Pyrimont - Chanay on the railway line Lyon -Genève is no longer operated. The 1835 above the mines prison, Château de Pyrimont belonged to the owners of the asphalt mines. At the height of the train station, completed in 1907 road bridge pont de Pyrimont crossed the Rhône. The bridge was blown up in 1940 during the Second World War by French soldiers from the advancing Germans and not rebuilt.
Attractions
The parish church of Chanay was built in the 15th century and remodeled in the 19th century; it served as a grave place of the Lords of Dorches. Originally built in the 14th century comes the Château de Chanay, which was rebuilt in the 19th century. From the medieval castle Dorches (12th century) ruins are preserved, particularly a square tower is inscribed as a monument historique. The hamlet Dorches characterized by several farmhouses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. In Pyrimont protrude from the pent- Rhône nor the pillar of the bridge blown up in 1940 out of the water.
Population
With 627 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Chanay one of the small communities of the department of Ain. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century, a striking increase in population was recorded since the early 1990s again.
Economy and infrastructure
Chanay was until well into the 20th century a predominantly coined by farming village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises. Meanwhile, the village has also changed into a residential community. Many working population commuters who engage in the larger towns in the area and mainly in Bellegarde -sur -Valserine their work.
The village region has a quite well developed. It lies on the secondary road D991 which leads from Châtillon -en- Michaille after Seyssel. Another road connection with Challonges east of the Rhone on a new Rhônebrücke at Surjoux. The nearest links to the A40 motorway is located at a distance of around 18 kilometers.