Graçay
Graçay | |
|---|---|
 Town hall | |
.svg.png) Coat of arms | |
Location of Graçay | |
  Graçay Location within France  Graçay Location within Centre-Val de Loire | |
| Coordinates: 47°08′37″N 1°50′51″E / 47.1436°N 1.8475°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Centre-Val de Loire |
| Department | Cher |
| Arrondissement | Vierzon |
| Canton | Vierzon-2 |
| Intercommunality | CC Vierzon-Sologne-Berry |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2022–2026) | Michel Archambault[1] |
Area 1 | 31.82 km2 (12.29 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 1,234 |
| • Density | 38.78/km2 (100.4/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 18103 /18310 |
| Elevation | 97–164 m (318–538 ft) (avg. 111 m or 364 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Graçay (French pronunciation: [ɡʁasɛ]) is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France.
Geography
It is a farming area comprising the small town and several hamlets, on the right bank of the river Fouzon, situated some 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Vierzon at the junction of the D68, D19, D83 and D922 roads. Junction 9 of the A20 autoroute lies within the territory of the commune.
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 2,043 | — |
| 1975 | 2,019 | −0.17% |
| 1982 | 1,844 | −1.29% |
| 1990 | 1,559 | −2.08% |
| 1999 | 1,562 | +0.02% |
| 2007 | 1,532 | −0.24% |
| 2012 | 1,456 | −1.01% |
| 2017 | 1,447 | −0.12% |
| 2023 | 1,234 | −2.62% |
| Source: INSEE[3] | ||
Sights
In popular culture
In C.S. Forester’s novel Flying Colours, the then Captain Horatio Hornblower is washed up on grounds of the fictional home of the Count of Graçay, where he hides out for the winter. Forester places the chateau on the river Loire near Nevers, whereas Graçay, which had been an important feudal castle and on the royal road to Limoges, Toulouse and the centre of France, is a bridge on two unimportant rivers that debouch into the Cher, a tributary of the Loire. The description of the castle makes it possible that Forester’s inspiration was the Chateau du Four de Vaux in Varennes-Vauzelles.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 4 May 2022.
- ↑ "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
- ↑ Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
- ↑ "Reflections The Magazine of the C S FORESTER SOCIETY ISSN 2042-1389 Number 18 – March 2011" (PDF).
External links
- Official town website (in French)
