Editing Vichy (section)

=== Vichy in style ===
By the 19th century, Vichy was a ''station à la mode'', attended by many celebrities. However, it was the stays of [[Napoleon III]] between 1861 and 1866 that were to cause the most profound transformation of the city: [[Levee|dikes]] were built along the Allier, {{convert|13|ha|acre|abbr=off}} of landscaped gardens replaced the old marshes and, along the newly laid-out boulevards and streets, chalets and pavilions were built for the emperor and his court. [[Recreation|Recreational]] pursuits were not spared: in view of the park, a large [[casino]] was built by the architect Badger in 1865. The Emperor would be the catalyst of the development of a small rail station, which increased the number of inhabitants and visitors tenfold in fifty years.

After the [[Second French Empire]], the [[Belle Époque]] marked the second large construction campaign in Vichy. In 1903, the [[Opéra de Vichy|Opera House]] (l'Opéra), the Hall of Springs and a large bath designed in the eastern style were inaugurated. In 1900, the ''Parc des Sources'' was enclosed by a metal gallery which came from the [[World's Fair|World Fair]] of 1889. {{convert|700|m|ft|abbr=off}} long, it is decorated by a ''frise de chardons'' and was completed by the ironworker Emile Robert. Many private mansions with varied architectural styles were erected during the first half of the 20th century.

Vichy welcomed 40,000 ''curistes'' in 1900, and that figure had risen to nearly 100,000 just before the onset of the [[First World War]]. ''La vie thermale'' had its heyday in the 1930s. The success in treating ailments that was attributed to the Vichy Baths led ''la Compagnie Fermière'' to enlarge the Baths again by creating the Callou and Lardy Baths. The [[Art Nouveau]]-style Opéra, inaugurated in 1903, accommodated all the great names on the international scene. Vichy became the summertime music capital of France, but the war of 1914 would put a brutal end to that development.