View source for Issoudun

{{other uses|Issoudun (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name                   = Issoudun
|commune status         = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image                  = Issoudun tour blanche.jpg
|caption                = White tower
|image coat of arms     = CoA civ FRA Issoudun ville.svg
|arrondissement         = Issoudun
|canton                 = Issoudun
|INSEE                  = 36088
|postal code            = 36100
|mayor                  = [[André Laignel]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020|language=fr}}</ref>
|term                   = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality       = [[Communauté de communes du Pays d'Issoudun|CC Pays d'Issoudun]]
|coordinates            = {{coord|46.9608|1.9944|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m            = 129
|elevation min m        = 122
|elevation max m        = 161
|area km2               = 36.60
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
'''Issoudun''' ({{IPA|fr|isudœ̃|-|Fr-Paris-Issoudun.ogg}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Indre]] [[Departments of France|department]], [[administrative regions of France|administrative region]] of [[Centre-Val de Loire]], [[France]]. It is also referred to as ''Issoundun'', which is the ancient name.
==Geography==
===Location===
Issoudun is a [[Subprefectures in France|sub-prefecture]], located in the east of the [[Indre]] department. It is in the former region of [[Berry (province)|Berry]].
The surrounding communes are:
* Les Bordes (4&nbsp;km)
* Saint-Aoustrille (5&nbsp;km)
* St. Lizaigne (7&nbsp;km)
* Chouday (7&nbsp;km)
* Lizeray (8&nbsp;km)
* Condé (8&nbsp;km)
* Thizay (8&nbsp;km)
* Saint-Georges-sur-Arnon (10&nbsp;km)
* Saint-Ambroix (10&nbsp;km)
* Saugy (10&nbsp;km)
* Saint-Aubin (11&nbsp;km)
* Châteauroux (27&nbsp;km)
* Châtre (41&nbsp;km)
* Le Blanc (79&nbsp;km)
===Terrain===
The river of [[Théols]] passes through Issoudun.
The commune of Issoudun takes up an area of 36.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.
===Transport===
The [[route nationale|national road]] N151 passes through the area.
The nearest airport is the [[Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport|Marcel Dassault Airport]], 27&nbsp;km away.
The Issoudun station is located at 4 Pierre Favreau boulevard, 36100.
==History==
===Origins===
Issoudun, in Latin ''Exoldunum'' or ''Uxellodunum'', existed in and before [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times. In 1195 it was successfully defended by the partisans of [[Richard I of England|Richard Cœur de Lion]] against [[Philip II of France]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Issoudun|volume=14|page=886}}</ref>
===Middle Ages===
During the 12th and 13th century, the history of the entire province of [[Berry, France|Berry]], including the Lordship of Issoudun, was marked by the [[Capetian–Plantagenet rivalry]]. In 1195, [[Richard I of England]] defended the city from the advances of [[Philip II of France]]. The two kings met in December 1195 between Issoudun and [[Chârost]], and reached an agreement, known as the ''Treaty of Issoudun''. Around this time the beak-shaped [[keep]] of the castle was built. By the [[Treaty of Le Goulet]] (1200), Lords of Issoudun ({{langx|fr|Seigneurs d'Issoudun}}) returned to the suzerainty of the French Crown. The most prominent Lords of Issoudun from that period were Odo III and his son Raoul III, who was married to [[Margaret Courtenay, Marchioness of Namur|Margaret of Courtenay]]. Since Raoul III of Issoudun died (c. 1213) without direct male heirs, the Lordship was passed to several secondary heirs, through the female line of succession. First of them was William I of Chauvigny ({{langx|fr|Guillaume I de Chauvigny}}) in 1217, but final settlement was reached in 1221, after the intervention of the French Crown.{{sfn|Devailly|1973|p=424-425, 434-435}}{{sfn|Abbott|1981|p=177-178}}
In 1499, [[Cesare Borgia]], son of [[Pope Alexander VI]], married [[Charlotte of Albret|Charlotte d'Albret]], and as a dowry, was given, amongst other titles, the Lordship of Issoudun.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Cesare Borgia|last = Bradford|first = Sarah|publisher = Penguin UK|year = 2011|isbn = 978-0297771241|location = United Kingdom|pages = 356|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=N8vzBJ_RGlkC|edition = 2011 Edition, Original 1976.}}</ref>
Issoudun has in the past often suffered from fires. A very destructive one in 1651 was the result of an attack on the town in the war of [[The Fronde]]; [[Louis XIV]] rewarded its fidelity to him during that struggle by the grant of several privileges.<ref name="EB1911"/>
===World War I===
In 1917, the [[United States Army Air Service|U.S. Air Service]] established its largest European training centre, the [[Issoudun Aerodrome|3rd Aviation Instruction Center]], about {{cvt|14|km|0}} northwest of the town. At the time of the Armistice, 11 November 1918, thirteen fields were in operation and well over 10,000 ground personnel, student pilots and instructors were located there. It was at that time the largest air base in the world. A single monument on Department Route 960 remains to mark Issoudun's part in the [[World War I|Great War]].
The United States Air Service formally left Issoudun on 28 June 1919, almost eight months after the war ended.  The sites of the former airfields have returned to their previous status as agricultural fields.
On 28 June 2009, the people of Issoudun had a commemoration ceremony in honour of the American aviators who had trained, and in many cases, died while training there.
===Recent Events===
On 14 July 2009, [[Bastille Day]], Issoudun hosted the arrival of the [[2009 Tour de France, Stage 1 to Stage 11#Stage 10|10th stage of the Tour De France]].
== Politics and administration ==
=== Territorial division ===
Issoudun is a member of:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commune d'Issoudun (36088) |url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/commune/36088-issoudun |access-date=19 September 2024 |website=INSEE}}</ref>
* The [[Communauté de communes du Pays d'Issoudun]].
* The [[Canton of Issoudun]].
* The [[Arrondissement of Issoudun]].
* [[Indre's 2nd constituency]].
Between 1973 and 2015 the commune was also attached to and divided by the two cantons of [[Canton of Issoudun-Nord|Issoudun-Nord]] and [[Canton of Issoudun-Sud|Issoudun-Sud]].
==Population==
{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|17656|Issoudun}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-36088#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |13491
|1800 |10265
|1806 |10719
|1821 |11077
|1831 |11664
|1836 |11654
|1841 |12234
|1846 |12852
|1851 |13346
|1856 |13320
|1861 |14282
|1866 |14261
|1872 |14230
|1876 |13703
|1881 |14928
|1886 |15231
|1891 |13564
|1896 |14116
|1901 |14222
|1906 |13949
|1911 |13709
|1921 |11893
|1926 |11809
|1931 |11684
|1936 |11511
|1946 |12645
|1954 |12945
|1962 |13900
|1968 |15108
|1975 |15956
|1982 |14696
|1990 |13859
|1999 |13685
|2007 |13627
|2012 |12661
|2017 |11905
}}
==Landmarks==
Among the interesting buildings are the church of St Cyr, combining various architectural styles, with a fine porch and window, and the chapel of the Hôtel Dieu of the early 16th century. Of the fortifications with which the town was formerly surrounded, a town-gate of the 16th century and the White Tower, a lofty cylindrical building of the reign of Philip II, survive.
<gallery caption="RFI at Issoudun" widths="200px" heights="200px" perrow="4">
File:05issoudun_alliss_Volga.JPG| Volga ALLISS Module
File:06issoudun alliss Gange.JPG| Ganges ALLISS Module
File:02issoudun_feeders+rideaux.JPG| Former RFI Issoudun Relay station feeders and curtain arrays
File:01issoudun_rideaux_E.JPG| Former RFI Issoudun Relay curtain arrays (1990s)
</gallery>
The International broadcasting center of TDF (Télédiffusion de France) is at Issoudun/Ste Aoustrille.  Issoudun is currently used by [[TDF Group|TDF]] for [[shortwave]] transmissions. The site uses 12 rotary [[ALLISS]] antennas fed by 12 transmitters of 500&nbsp;kW each to transmit shortwave broadcasts by [[Radio France International]] (RFI), along with other broadcast services.
==In popular culture==
Issoudun figures prominently in [[Balzac]]'s novel A Bachelor's Establishment (also known as [[La Rabouilleuse|The Black Sheep]]) which the Guardian has ranked as the 12th greatest novel of all time.
==Culture==
Issoudun is home to the Musée de l'Hospice Saint Roch, that consistently hosts contemporary art exhibitions.
==Twin towns==
Issoudin is twinned with:
*{{flagicon|France}} {{flagicon|Quebec}} [[Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur-d'Issoudun]], Canada, Québec, since 1977
==See also==
* [[Issoudun Aerodrome]]
* [[Communes of the Indre department]]
* [[Arrondissements of the Indre department]]
* [[Anglo-French War (1202-1204)]]
* [[Anglo-French War (1213-1214)]]
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
== Sources ==
{{Refbegin|2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Abbott|first=Paul D.|title=Provinces, pays, and seigneuries of France|year=1981|location=Myrtleford, Australia|isbn=9780959377309 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s80iAQAAIAAJ}}
* {{Cite book|last=Devailly|first=Guy|title=Le Berry du Xe siècle au milieu du XIIIe: Étude politique, religieuse, sociale, et économique|year=1973|location=Paris-La Haye|publisher=Mouton|isbn=9783111631066 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2YpdDwAAQBAJ}}
{{refend}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Issoudun}}
{{wikivoyage|Issoudun}}
* [http://www.issoudun.fr/ Town council website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090205173307/http://nd-sacre-coeur.org/ Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060621223535/http://www.corazonmisionero.addr.com/Issoudun_basilica.jpg Picture of Issoudun Basilica]
* [http://www.usaww1.com/ American Aviation during World War I]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_1iOqxcx5M ALLISS module installation 1992]
{{Indre communes}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Communes of Indre]]
[[Category:Subprefectures in France]]
[[Category:Berry, France]]