Châteldon

Châteldon
Commune
A general view of Châteldon
Coat of arms
Location of Châteldon
Châteldon Show map of France Châteldon Show map of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Coordinates: 45°58′39″N 3°31′16″E / 45.9775°N 3.5211°E / 45.9775; 3.5211
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Puy-de-Dôme
Arrondissement	Thiers
Canton	Maringues
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Tony Bernard[1]
Area 1	28.43 km2 (10.98 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	764
• Density	27/km2 (70/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	63102 /63290
Elevation	285–862 m (935–2,828 ft) (avg. 300 m or 980 ft)
Website	chateldon.com
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Châteldon (French pronunciation: [ʃatɛldɔ̃]; Occitan: Chasteladon) is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France.^[3]

Châteldon is a medieval village in the northern part of Auvergne. It dates from the early Middle Ages, with many of its buildings dating back to the 14th century. The town's fortifications are still in evidence.

The village lies on the western edge of the Montagne Bourbonnaise and the northern edge of the Livradois-Forez Regional Natural Park, the largest nature park in Europe. To the west lies the Limagne, where the Allier and Dore rivers converge. Nineteen kilometres to the north is the City of Vichy.

Château de Châteldon was purchased by Pierre Laval, who went on to serve as the French Prime Minister from 1942 to 1944, in September 1931.^[4] Laval purchased it from Léon Sénèque.^[4] As of 2014, the castle belonged to the Josée and René de Chambrun Foundation.^[5]

• Lachaux, Puy-Guillaume and Ris.

Châteldon is known for its naturally carbonated mineral water. It was the first mineral water exploited in France and transported by bottles to the Court of Louis XIV in Versailles. This water is used for its diuretic and digestive properties. It is also rich in potassium, sodium and fluorine. In France, one finds the water of Châteldon in the large hotels and restaurants, and in delicatessens. In 1650, the first doctor of the king, Guy-Crescent Fagon, praised the virtues of Châteldon to Louis XIV.

Châteldon was the birthplace of Pierre Laval (1883–1945), French politician and his wife Marguerite Laval (1888–1959), born Claussat, the daughter of the mayor of Chateldon Joseph Claussat.

• Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme department

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Châteldon.

• Official site of Châteldon