Paray-le-Monial
Template:Infobox French commune
Paray-le-Monial Template:IPA is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Since 2004, Paray-le-Monial has been part of the Charolais-Brionnais region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its inhabitants are called Parodiens and Parodiennes.
Geography
Paray-le-Monial is located in the southwest of the Saône-et-Loire Département, in the heart of the Charolais countryside, in a plain bounded by the Brionnais upland, the rivers Loire, l'Arroux and the Bourbince.
The roughly parallel Bourbince River and the canal du Centre traverse the city from the southeast to the northwest.
Among the elements that form the city, as it has developed over its history, are the upland near the Bourbince River, the priory and basilica, a rectangular town center with very dense housing, national highway N79, which crosses the Bourbince River east and west of the town center, a newer part of town located north of the town center, the Bellevue residential area to the southwest, and several suburbs.<ref>Michel Bouillot, « Contribution à l'étude des plans des villes clunisiennes », article paru dans Mélanges d'histoire et d'archéologie offerts au professeur Kenneth John Conant par l'association Splendide Bourgogne, Éditions Bourgogne-Rhône-Alpes, Mâcon, 1977, pp 173–204.</ref>
History
Paray (Paredum; Parodium) existed before the monks who gave it its surname of Le Monial: when Count Lambert of Chalon, together with his wife Adelaide and his friend Mayeul de Cluny, founded a Benedictine priory there in 973,Template:Sfn the borough had already been constituted, with its ædiles and communal privileges. At that time an ancient temple was dedicated to the Mother of God (Charter of Paray). The Cluny monks were lords of the town from 999 until 1789.
Because of its historical association with Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and Saint Claude de la Colombière, it has been called the "city of the Heart of Jesus".<ref>Emmanuel Community, Who are we?, accessed on 3 February 2025</ref>
Population
Template:Historical populations
Main sights
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
The town is mainly known for its Romanesque church of the Sacré-Coeur ("Sacred Heart") and as a place of pilgrimage. It was built starting in the 12th century as a small-scale version of the Abbey of Cluny. It was finished in the 14th century, while the cloister dates to the 18th century.
The Hôtel de Ville, in Renaissance style, is also one of the historical monuments. Another major building in Paray-le-Monial is Saint Nicolas' tower, built during the 16th century, which hosts different exhibitions but mainly mosaic exhibitions.
Economy
The area's primary industry is agriculture, in particular beef cattle farming. The area is known for its charolais cattle.
Notable people
- Saint Claude de la Colombière (1641–1682), Jesuit priest and the confessor of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
- Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), Visitation nun and mystic who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref><ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref> Jesus' apparitions are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jules Quicherat (1814–1882), historian and archaeologist.<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
- Léon-Benoît-Charles Thomas (1826–1894), cardinal
- Émile Buisson (1902–1956), gangster
- Jacqueline Maillan (1923–1992), actress
- Gérard Ducarouge (1941–2015), Formula One car designer
- Richard Trivino (born 1977), goalkeeper
- Vincent Clerc (born 1981), rugby union player
- Alexandre Lapandry (born 1989), rugby union player
Twin towns - Sister cities
Paray-le-Monial is twinned with:
- Template:Flagicon Bethlehem, Palestine<ref name="BethlehemTwinning">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Bad Dürkheim, Germany
- Template:Flagicon Payerne, Switzerland
- Template:Flagicon Wells, United Kingdom
Climate
See also
References
Sources
External links
- Sanctuary of Paray-le-Monial – Official website