Autry-Issards
Commune
Autry-Issards decorated bicycle
Location of Autry-Issards
Autry-Issards Show map of France Autry-Issards Show map of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Coordinates: 46°32′58″N 3°08′11″E / 46.5494°N 3.1364°E / 46.5494; 3.1364
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Allier
Arrondissement	Moulins
Canton	Souvigny
Intercommunality	CC Bocage Bourbonnais
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	François Regnault[1]
Area 1	19.45 km2 (7.51 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	313
• Density	16/km2 (42/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	03012 /03210
Elevation	227–335 m (745–1,099 ft) (avg. 180 m or 590 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Autry-Issards (French pronunciation: [otʁi isaʁ]) is a commune in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Issardiens or Issardiennes.^[3]

Geography

Autry-Issards is located some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) west of Moulins and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-west of Souvigny. Access to the commune is by the D134 from Bourbon-l'Archambault in the north-west to the village and also the D104 goes to Souvigny in the south-east. The D58 comes from Saint-Menoux in the north-east and passes through the village before continuing south-east to join the D11 east of Gipcy. The D293 comes from Saint-Menoux in the north-east and passes through the north of the commune before turning south to join the D58 west of the commune. The D73 passes through the commune in the south going from Gipcy to Souvigny. Apart from the village itself, there are the hamlets of:

The commune is mostly farmland with a few scattered patches of forest.^[4]

The Ourts river rises in the south of the commune and flows north-east to join the Burge south-east of Couzon. The Rose rises in the south-west of the commune and flows north-east to join the Ours.^[4]

Neighbouring communes and villages

^[4]

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[5]

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 325 inhabitants.^[7]

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

• The Chateau du Plessis (1497).^[9][10] The Chateau has one item that is registered as an historical object:
  • A half-plane relief: pregnant woman (Middle Ages)^[11]
• The Chateau d'Issards (15th century).^[12][13] The chateau has an old part (the tower and attached main staircase) dating from the end of the 15th century and a part built between 1862 and 1870 by the architect Jean Moreau (1828-1899) for Count Louis Gabriel Carré d'Aligny.
• The Rouche Coupée Farm (19th century)^[14]
• A Farmhouse (19th century)^[15]
• The Champ Bouca Farm (18th century)^[16]
• The Amorins Farm (17th century)^[17]
• A House at La Loge (19th century)^[18]
• The Ecalits Farm (15th century)^[19]
• The Jalière Farm (1780)^[20]
• The Vilban Mill (18th century)^[21]
• Houses and Farms (15th - 19th centuries)^[22]
• The Plessis Farm (1497)^[23]
• The Croix Fromenteau Farm (19th century)^[24]
• The Benêts Farm (19th century)^[25]
• The Villard Farm (18th century)^[26]
• The Chateau de La Trolière (15th century).^[27] The Chateau contains one item that is registered as an historical object:
  • A Roof Ornament depicting a pigeon (18th century)^[28]
• Boucheron Manor (15th century)^[29]
• Petit Bigut Manor (15th century)^[30]
• Ardennes Manor (1623)^[31]

Religious heritage

The commune has many religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

• The old Benedictine Priory of Saint-Maurice(13th century).^[32][33] The Priory contains three items that are registered as historical objects:
  • A Sculpture: Bust of Saint-Auréolé (11th century)^[34]
  • 3 decorative plaques: Adam and Eve seated (11th century)^[35]
  • 2 Statues: Virgin and Child and Saint-Cyriaque (disappeared) (12th century)^[36]

• The Church of the Trinity (11th century)^[37][38] The Church of the Holy Trinity is a Romanesque church which dates from the early 12th century which has a magnificent portal and a carved tympanum and bell tower. It is typical of the Middle Ages (a long, low building with repeated use of the tapering lintel) with decorative influences from Cluny Abbey (especially fluted pilasters) combined. The decor of the portal (fluted pilasters and tangled foliage) is strongly reminiscent of some decorative elements of the Abbey at Chezal-Benoît (Cher) which was built in the first half of the 12th century. The steeple topped by its stone spire is one of the highest in the department. The Tympanum has two angels holding a Mandorla which surrounds Christ in glory which is also found in the nearby church of Meillers. This is a very rare instance of the artist signing his work: "Natalis me fecit". They are surrounded by arched ways with hanging lamps.

The church contains many items that are registered as historical monuments:

Gallery of Pictures of the Church of the Trinity

• 
  The Tympanum over the entrance
• 
  A detail of the Tympanum showing St. Michel holding the Mandorla
• 
  Detail of a Capital
• 
  Painting: Deposition of the Cross
• 
  The old path for the Priest
• 
  The Nave
• 
  Detail on a Capital
• 
  Entrance to the church
• 
  The Vault above the nave
• 
  The Chevet of the church

Notable people linked to the commune

• Pierre Lacorne, notary, born in 1940 at Autry-Issards and President of ASF France Aviation Sans Frontières.
• Christian Chalmin, publisher, born in 1947 at Autry-Issards and Mayor of the commune from 1989 to 1995.
• Sanne Spangenberg, French/Dutch born at Moulins in 1993, elected Miss Auvergne 2012 at 19 years old. She participated in Miss France 2013 on 8 December 2012 in live coverage on TF1 TV station.