iccn

Brief News of Members

imgGannat, France



The oldest traces of life discovered in Gannat dates back some twenty-three million years. Gannat is a very important place for paleontology, especially of the Oligocene and Miocene. Scientists discovered multitudes of fossilized bones. There are fish, reptiles, turtles or crocodiles, Galliformes birds, mammals, marsupials, insectivores, rodents and carnivores. The site is particularly rich in fossil rhinoceros. To date, the most complete skeleton of a rhinoceros was discovered in 1993 when significant fossils were uncovered by paleontologist François Escuillié. He was also responsible for creating the Rhinopolis Association in 1994 and founder of Eldonia, including company specialized in the renovation of fossils and whose activities were originally linked to Rhinopolis. Rhinopolis The association is still active on the Gannat career and since the 1990’s many rhinoceros bones were discovered.

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Festival de Gannat

Gannat de festival "Les Cultures du Monde" (Allier) is an internationally recognized festival dedicated to folklores around the world. It takes place every year in July and is managed by l'association nationale Cultures & Traditions (ANCT).

The festival was created in 1974 by Jean Roche, also creator of the folk group of the city of Gannat "La Bourrée Gannatoise"in1965. Since 1983, the headquarters of the association, the House of folklore, is housed in a former malt house in Gannat (route de Saint-Priest-d'Andelot).

Tangible Cultural Heritage

Château de Gannat (Castle of Gannat): Built in the twelfth century, Château de Gannat has the form of a south France castle. It lies on a square plan flanked with four machicolated towers, connected by high crenellated walls. In the past, the château was outside the town walls and encompassed by moats. But it is now the town center. The Château was considerably dismantled in the fifteenth century by English troops and was no longer inhabitable. There are traces of a fireplace and two bays left in the present château.
It was utilized as a jail from early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. The property of Château de Gannatwas recorded in 1926 by the French Ministry of Culture as a historic monument. Now transformed as the Museum Yves Machelon, Château de Gannat exhibits fourteenth to eighteenth century parchments, seventeenth century ivory crucifix, twelfth century wrought iron.

Croix des Rameaux (Cross of Bough): The cross is located in the Rue des Rameaux, which starts opposite the Château and goes up to the Saint Etienne church. In former times, the faithful used to come here with the priest to bless boxwood branches. This is why it is also called the “Croix Hosannière” (Hosanna Cross).

Cabane Et monument des fusillés de 1944 (Hunt and Shoot Monument of 1944)
After the fall of the Chatelard and VeuceMaquis, six resistance fighters from the Chambonnet group took refuge in a vineyard hut. There, they were ambushed by German soldiers who had been sent after them. Four of them were killed on the spot and a pillar has been placed there in remembrance of them. This monument was restored in July 2009 by a group of international young people Concordia.

L’Eglise Saint-Etienne (Saint-Etienne Church)
After the fall of the Chatelard and VeuceMaquis, six resistance fighters from the Chambonnet group took refuge in a vineyard hut. There, they were ambushed by German soldiers who had been sent after them. Four of them were killed on the spot and a pillar has been placed there in remembrance of them. This monument was restored in July 2009 by a group of international young people Concordia.

Un Jardin Dans la Ville (A Garden in the City)
A hundred years old seqoïais situated in the entrance of the public garden. A bandstand, the detached house Delarue, the place of temporary exhibitions, and Gabriel Delarue’sstatue decorate the garden. Recognized as a benefactor for the city, Delaruebequeathed all his fortune to the city in his death on December 27, 1905. His house, garden and all its properties returned to the municipality under certain conditions. The detached house Delarue and the bandstand was built after his death in 1909.




img