Gaillard

Gaillard is a commune in the French department of Haute- Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region.

Geography

Gaillard is located 420 meters above sea level. M., 2 km west-southwest of Annemasse, 5 km east-southeast of the city of Geneva (air line). The municipality extends on the plateau between the lowlands of the Arve in the south and the Foron in the north, on the outskirts of Annemasse, near the border with Switzerland.

The area of ​​4.02 km ² municipal area includes a section at the bottom Arve Valley. The southern boundary runs along the Arve, which here flows in a 1 km wide at the northern foot of the Talniederung Salève. From the river, the municipality's area extends northward across the valley floor and a 20 m high steep slope to the plateau of Gaillard. Here is 425 m above sea level. M. reached the highest point of the municipality. The northern boundary ( French-Swiss border ) is the slightly meandering Foron, which flows from Gaillard in the Arve at the extreme western edge.

To Gaillard alongside the original village include many new residential and commercial districts as well as the settlement Vernaz (405 m above sea level. M. ) on the edge of Arvetals. Neighboring communities of Gaillard and Annemasse Ambilly are in the East, Étrembières in the south, and the Swiss towns Veyrier and Thônex in the northwest.

History

The origins of Château- Gaillard goes back to Gaillard, a fortified town, which was founded in the late 13th century by the Counts of Geneva, to control the eastern entrance to the city of Geneva. In 1444, it became part of Savoy. Following the conquest by Bern Gaillard was temporarily the center of a bailiwick after 1536.

Before 1816 Gaillard was part of the greater community Chêne- Thônex. After this church came to the Swiss canton of Geneva, while the area was southeast of the Foron with Gaillard split off and came to the Kingdom of Sardinia. Shortly after 1818, the municipalities Ambilly and Gaillard were merged to form the new municipality Ambilly -Gaillard in 1843 but was again separated.

Population

With 11,290 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Gaillard is one of the major towns in the Haute-Savoie region. Significant growth rates with respect to the number of inhabitants were recorded mainly during the 1960s and 1970s. The settlement area of Gaillard is completely conjoined with that of Annemasse, Ambilly and Thônex.

Economy and infrastructure

Gaillard was up to the beginning of the 20th century, mainly stamped by agriculture village. Since the 1950s, it quickly developed into a residential suburb of Annemasse and Geneva. Today there are numerous companies of small and medium industries, as well as construction and trading companies and firms in the service sector. A large industrial area was developed in the last 20 years in the Arve Valley. Also in the Arve Valley, there are farming and horticulture.

The village has a good infrastructure. It is located near the main road that leads from Annemasse to Geneva. The nearest links to the A411 motorway, which runs through the municipality, is located at a distance of approximately one kilometer. The customs facilities are partially in the field of Gaillard.

Sports

The community has to get through the FC Evian Thonon Gaillard nationwide notoriety, who rose to the highest French Football League in 2011, its games but no longer discharges in Gaillard since 2005.