Pougny (Ain)

Puni is a commune in the French department of Ain, in the Rhône -Alpes.

Geography

Puni is on 410 m above sea level. M., about 17 km west- southwest of the City of Geneva (air line). This former farm extends in the south west of the Pays de Gex: a scenic elevated position on a ridge above the broad Talniederung the Rhône, east of the Jura, in the Geneva basin near the border with Switzerland.

The area of ​​7.77 square kilometers municipal area includes a portion of the Pays de Gex. The eastern and southern boundary runs along the Rhône, which flows here in a wide Talniederung and is dammed below Puni to an elongated shallow lake with Schwemmlandinseln. The tertiary molasse basin of Geneva was formed by glacial Rhone glacier. Due to erosion, the Rhone has cut into the post-glacial deposits in, which is why the valley is accompanied by around 60 meters high slopes. From the river, the municipality's area extends to the adjacent plateau. Also the Bach Annaz, which flows into the Rhône at Puni, has created a deep valley. In the forest area Bois plan is 461 m above sea level. M. reached the highest elevation of Puni.

To Puni next to the original site also includes several hamlets and farmhouses, including:

• Puni Gare ( 352 m above sea level. M. ) in the Rhone valley near the mouth of the Annaz
• Le Cret (412 m above sea level. M. ) on the plateau between the Rhone Valley and the Annaz
• L' Etournel (365 m above sea level. M. ) on a ledge above the Rhône valley

Neighboring communities of Puni are Vulbens in the south, Collonges and Farges in the West, Péron and Challex in the north and the Swiss community Chancy in the south.

History

Is first mentioned Puni in 1277 under the name Castrum de Pounye. In the course of time, changed the spelling on Pounie ( 1289 ), Pugnye ( 1304) Pougnie ( 1365 ), Pougnier ( 1397 ) and Pougnies ( 1554 ) to the present name Puni occupied since 1734. The name goes back to the Gallo-Roman family names Punius and means something like estate of Punius ( Pugniacum ).

In the 14th century the village came under the suzerainty of the Counts of Savoy. Then Puni told the eventful history of the Pays de Gex, with which it finally reached in 1601 after the Treaty of Lyon in France.

Attractions

The parish church of Saint -Louis was originally developed from a Gothic building, but was extensively rebuilt in the 18th century and remodeled in the 19th century.

Population

With 808 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Puni is one of the small communities of the department of Ain. Since the mid- 1960s, a continuous population growth was recorded, but which is much less than in most other towns of the Pays de Gex.

Economy and infrastructure

Puni was until well into the 20th century a predominantly coined by farming village. Today, there are some establishments of local small businesses. Meanwhile, the border village has also changed into a residential community. Many working population commuters who work in the larger towns of the Pays de Gex or as a frontier in the agglomeration of Geneva.

The village region has a quite well developed. It is located on a secondary road that leads from Collonges via Chancy to Geneva. Further road links exist with Challex and Péron. Puni has a station on the railway line Lyon -Genève.

Built in 1924 Laufwasserkraftwerk Chancy - Puni is not on the community, but above 600 m on the Rhone between the municipalities of Chancy and Challex.