Belley
Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
title: "Belley" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-of-ain", "subprefectures-in-france", "bugey"] description: "Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France" topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belley" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox French commune"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Belley |
| native name | frp |
| commune status | Subprefecture and commune |
| image coat of arms | Blason ville fr Belley (Ain).svg |
| image | Palais Épiscopal - Belley (FR01) - 2022-06-12 - 4.jpg |
| caption | Palais épiscopal de Belley |
| coordinates | |
| arrondissement | Belley |
| canton | Belley |
| intercommunality | Bugey Sud |
| mayor | Dimitri Lahuerta |
| term | 2020–2026 |
| elevation m | 306 |
| elevation min m | 220 |
| elevation max m | 392 |
| area km2 | 22.42 |
| demonym | Belleysans |
| population | |
| population date | |
| population footnotes | |
| INSEE | 01034 |
| postal code | 01300 |
| website | |
| :: |
|name = Belley |native name = frp |commune status = Subprefecture and commune |image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Belley (Ain).svg |image = Palais Épiscopal - Belley (FR01) - 2022-06-12 - 4.jpg |caption = Palais épiscopal de Belley |coordinates = |arrondissement = Belley |canton = Belley |intercommunality = Bugey Sud |mayor = Dimitri Lahuerta |term = 2020–2026 |elevation m = 306 |elevation min m = 220 |elevation max m = 392 |area km2 = 22.42 |demonym = Belleysans |population = |population date = |population footnotes = |INSEE = 01034 |postal code = 01300 |website = |image flag=}}
Belley (; Arpitan: Bèlê) is a subprefecture of the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France. It is the capital of the historical region of Bugey, although not its largest city, which is Oyonnax, to the north.
History
Belley is of Roman origin; in the 5th century it became an episcopal see. It was the capital of the province of Bugey, which was a dependency of Savoy till 1601, when it was ceded to France. In 1385 the town was almost entirely destroyed by an act of arson, but was sequentially rebuilt by the dukes of Savoy, who surrounded it with ramparts of which little is left.
Belley was the birthplace of the epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
Ecclesiastical history
Belley was the seat of the Bishop of Belley and is the location of Belley Cathedral. Belley is the home region of St Peter Chanel, the famous 19th-century Marist missionary martyr and protomartyr of Oceania.
Demographics
|source = INSEE |percentages = pagr |align = none |1968 |7049 |1975 |7583 |1982 |7981 |1990 |7807 |1999 |8004 |2007 |8665 |2012 |8870 |2017 |9103 |2023 |9388
Climate
Belley features an oceanic climate (Cfb) but with strong continental influences due to its far inland position and its proximity to the Jura mountains under the Köppen system. Both temperatures above 30 C and air frosts are common.
|location = Belley (1991−2020 normals, extremes 2001−present) |single line = Y |metric first = Y |collapsed= Y |Jan record high C = 18.8 |Feb record high C = 21.0 |Mar record high C = 24.5 |Apr record high C = 29.2 |May record high C = 32.6 |Jun record high C = 37.3 |Jul record high C = 38.6 |Aug record high C = 40.1 |Sep record high C = 32.8 |Oct record high C = 26.6 |Nov record high C = 22.6 |Dec record high C = 17.2 |Jan record low C = -11.3 |Feb record low C = -13.4 |Mar record low C = -11.0 |Apr record low C = -2.3 |May record low C = 0.9 |Jun record low C = 4.0 |Jul record low C = 7.7 |Aug record low C = 7.6 |Sep record low C = 2.6 |Oct record low C = -2.2 |Nov record low C = -6.6 |Dec record low C = -12.5 |Jan high C = 5.7 |Feb high C = 8.0 |Mar high C = 13.1 |Apr high C = 17.9 |May high C = 21.0 |Jun high C = 25.9 |Jul high C = 28.1 |Aug high C = 27.2 |Sep high C = 22.9 |Oct high C = 17.3 |Nov high C = 10.5 |Dec high C = 6.2 |year high C = 17.0 |Jan mean C = 2.7 |Feb mean C = 4.1 |Mar mean C = 8.2 |Apr mean C = 12.3 |May mean C = 15.5 |Jun mean C = 19.9 |Jul mean C = 21.6 |Aug mean C = 21.0 |Sep mean C = 17.3 |Oct mean C = 12.8 |Nov mean C = 7.1 |Dec mean C = 3.2 |year mean C = 12.1 |Jan low C = -0.3 |Feb low C = 0.1 |Mar low C = 3.2 |Apr low C = 6.6 |May low C = 9.9 |Jun low C = 13.8 |Jul low C = 15.2 |Aug low C = 14.7 |Sep low C = 11.6 |Oct low C = 8.3 |Nov low C = 3.8 |Dec low C = 0.3 |year low C = 7.3 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 103.6 |Feb precipitation mm = 76.5 |Mar precipitation mm = 89.6 |Apr precipitation mm = 76.0 |May precipitation mm = 100.7 |Jun precipitation mm = 86.5 |Jul precipitation mm = 79.4 |Aug precipitation mm = 93.4 |Sep precipitation mm = 63.3 |Oct precipitation mm = 118.3 |Nov precipitation mm = 111.2 |Dec precipitation mm = 101.3 |year precipitation mm = 1099.8 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 10.9 |Feb precipitation days = 8.6 |Mar precipitation days = 10.6 |Apr precipitation days = 8.3 |May precipitation days = 12.1 |Jun precipitation days = 9.0 |Jul precipitation days = 7.8 |Aug precipitation days = 9.0 |Sep precipitation days = 7.2 |Oct precipitation days = 10.2 |Nov precipitation days = 10.3 |Dec precipitation days = 11.0 |year precipitation days = 114.8 |source 1 = Météo-France{{cite web | url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_01034004.pdf | title = Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records | publisher = Météo-France | access-date = August 21, 2022 | archive-date = 21 August 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220821000932/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_01034004.pdf | url-status = live
Economy
The town is famed for its cheese, la Tome de Belley, also known as Chevret or still "Le pavé d'Affinois". It is also at the centre of the Bugey wine region. It is also home to a sizeable Volvo production unit producing compact excavators, Comatel and Ciat.
Personalities
- Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas lived at Bilignin near Belley through much of WW2. Stein wrote 'Wars I have seen' as a diaristic account of that time. See also Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice, Janet Malcolm, c. 2007.
- French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was born and lived in Belley and served as its mayor for some time.
- French writer Andrée Martinerie (1917–1997) writer winner of the 1961 Prix des Libraires was born in Belley.
References
References
- (13 September 2022). "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises.
- "Municipales Belley : ambiance de QG".
- "Municipales Ain : Belley reste à droite".
- "Belley (01) : inauguration du Collège Sabine Zlatin, fondatrice de la colonie des enfants d'Izieu".
- [https://www.auvergnerhonealpes-ee.fr/carte-interactive/territoire/cc-bugey-sud CC Bugey Sud] {{Webarchive. link. (25 December 2023 , www.auvergnerhonealpes-ee.fr (in French).)
- {{EB1911
- [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8643952?geo=COM-01034#tableau-POPREF_G1 Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023], INSEE
- "Life and Letters: Gertrude Stein's War: The New Yorker".
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