Editing Vichy

{{about|the city|the puppet state during World War II|Vichy France|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2009}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Vichy
|native name        = {{native name|oc|Vichèi}}
|commune status     = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image coat of arms = Blason fr Vichy.svg
|image              = Vichy aujourd hui.jpg
|caption            = Aerial view of Vichy
|arrondissement     = Vichy
|canton             = [[Canton of Vichy-1|Vichy-1]] and [[Canton of Vichy-2|Vichy-2]]
|INSEE              = 03310
|postal code        = 03200
|mayor              = Frédéric Aguilera<ref name=mayor2020>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = CA [[Vichy Communauté]]
|coordinates        = {{coord|46.1278|3.4267|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 263
|elevation min m    = 243
|elevation max m    = 317
|area km2           = 5.85
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
|website            = [https://www.ville-vichy.fr ville-vichy.fr]
|map                = Vichy OSM 01.png
| footnotes = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
   | child = yes
   | WHS = Vichy
   | Part_of = [[The Great Spa Towns of Europe]]
   | Criteria = {{UNESCO WHS type|(ii)(iii)}}(ii)(iii)
   | ID = 1613
   | Year = 2021
   }}
}}
'''Vichy''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|ɪ|ʃ|i|,_|ˈ|v|iː|ʃ|i}}, {{IPA|fr|viʃi|lang|Fr-Paris--Vichy.ogg}}; {{langx|oc|Vichèi}} {{IPA|oc|viˈtʃɛj|}}) is a city in the central French department of [[Allier]]. Located on the [[Allier (river)|Allier river]], it is a major [[Spa town|spa]] and resort town and during [[World War II]] was the  capital of [[Vichy France]]. As of 2021, Vichy has a population of 25,789.

Known for its [[mineral spring]]s since the Roman times, Vichy had become a major destination for the French nobility and the wealthy by the late 18th century. The town developed further under the patronage of [[Napoleon III]]. Following the [[Armistice of 22 June 1940|1940 armistice]], the pro-German [[Vichy France|collaborationist government]] headed by [[Philippe Pétain]] was set up at Vichy, which remained the de facto capital of the French rump state for the next four years. After the war, the city experienced a period of great prosperity but went into decline from the 1960s.

In 2021, the town became part of the transnational [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] under the name "[[Great Spa Towns of Europe]]" because of its famous baths and its architectural testimony to the popularity of spa towns in Europe from the 18th through 20th centuries.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dpa-international.com/topic/great-spas-europe-awarded-unesco-world-heritage-status-urn%3Anewsml%3Adpa.com%3A20090101%3A210724-99-511232|title='Great Spas of Europe' awarded UNESCO World Heritage status|first=Andreas|last=Landwehr|work=Deutsche Presse-Agentur|date=24 July 2021|access-date=25 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="whs">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1613|title=The Great Spa Towns of Europe|publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |access-date=25 July 2021}}</ref>

{{anchor|Etymology|Toponymy|Names}}

==Name==
Vichy is the French form of the [[Occitan language|Occitan]] name of the town, ''{{lang|oc|Vichèi}}'', of uncertain [[etymology]]. [[Albert Dauzat|Dauzat]] & al. have proposed that it derived from an unattested [[Latin]] name (''{{lang|la|Vippiacus}}'') referencing the most important regional landowner (presumably a "Vippius") during the time of the Roman emperor [[Diocletian]]'s administrative reorganizations and land surveys at the end of the 3rd century AD.<ref>{{citation |last1=Dauzat |first1=Albert |display-authors=1 |last2=Rostaing |first2=Charles |author-link1=Albert Dauzat |author-link2=Charles Rostaing |title=Dictionnaire Étymologique des Noms de Lieux en France |trans-title=Etymological Dictionary of Names of Locations in France |date=1963 |publisher=Guénégaud |location=Paris |language=fr }}.</ref>

The name Vichy may be pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|ɪ|ʃ|i}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|iː|ʃ|i}} in either [[American English|American]] or [[British English]];<ref>{{citation |contribution=Vichy, ''n''. |title=Oxford English Dictionary |contribution-url=https://oed.com/view/Entry/223168 |url=https://oed.com |date=1917 |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press }}.</ref><ref>{{citation |contribution=Vichy |title=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |contribution-url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Vichy |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com |publisher=Merriam-Webster |location=[[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] |date=2019 }}.</ref> its usual French pronunciation is {{IPA|fr|viʃi|}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vichy {{!}} Definition|url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/vichy|access-date=20 November 2020|website=Dictionary.com}}</ref> The pronunciation of the Occitan name ''{{lang|oc|Vichèi}}'' is {{IPA|oc|viˈʃe|}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

In French, the present-day [[demonym]] for a female resident or native of Vichy is ''{{lang|fr|Vichyssoise}}, f sg'' (''Vichyssoises, f pl'') and ''{{lang|fr|Vichyssois}}, m sg'' for a male, and ''Vichyssois m pl'' for a mixed group of both sexes. Until the 18th century, it was also common to use ''{{lang|fr|Vichois}}''(''e''), which derived from the Occitan name of the town. The cold soup [[vichyssoise]] is also named after the town.

== Geography and geology ==
Vichy lies on the banks of the river [[Allier (river)|Allier]]. The source of the Allier is in the nearby [[Massif Central]] plateau which lies only a few miles to the south, near the region's capital, [[Clermont-Ferrand]].

The historical existence of [[Volcanism|volcanic activity]] in the Massif Central is somewhat visually evident. Volcanic eruptions have happened for at least 150,000 years, but all volcanoes there have been dormant for at least 112 years.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Volcanic activity in the area is the direct cause of the many thermal springs that exist in and around Vichy.

The famous [[Mineral spring|mineral springs]] in Vichy are rich in trace elements such as [[lithium]] and [[fluorine]], and high in [[sodium bicarbonate]].<ref name = "nominate">{{cite report |title = Nomination of the Great Spas of Europe for inclusion on the World Heritage List | publisher = United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |url = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1613/documents/ |access-date = 21 August 2021}}</ref> The temperatures of the spring range from 73 degrees C at Antoine Spring to 14 degrees C at Lafayette Spring.<ref name = "nominate"/> In total, about 289 springs have been charted in Vichy and its surroundings. These springs are derived from infiltration through [[Oligocene]]-period sedimentary rocks, part of the Limagne Graben collapse basin.<ref name = "nominate"/>

===Climate===
Vichy enjoys an [[oceanic climate]] (''Cfb''). Heavy snows in the Massif Central often make roads impassable, but Vichy is low enough—about {{convert|249|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level—that the climate is more continental than mountain. Rainfall is moderate around Vichy, averaging about {{convert|779.5|mm|in|1}} annually.

{{Clear}}
{{Meteo France
|Town=Vichy
|Sunshine= 1,862
|Rain=779.5
|Snow=17.5
|Storm=25.9
|Fog=34.6<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lameteo.org/index.php/12-climatologie/1665-normales-climatiques-1981-2010-vichy|title=Normales climatiques 1981-2010 : Vichy|website=www.lameteo.org|access-date=8 April 2022}}</ref>
}}
<br>

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = Y
|location =  Vichy (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–present)
|Jan record high C = 19.2
|Feb record high C = 25.7
|Mar record high C = 27.0
|Apr record high C = 30.8
|May record high C = 33.5
|Jun record high C = 39.7
|Jul record high C = 41.2
|Aug record high C = 40.6
|Sep record high C = 36.4
|Oct record high C = 31.1
|Nov record high C = 26.2
|Dec record high C = 21.7
|Jan record low C = -26.9
|Feb record low C = -24.0
|Mar record low C = -13.3
|Apr record low C = -7.3
|May record low C = -4.2
|Jun record low C = -0.2
|Jul record low C = 3.7
|Aug record low C = 1.7
|Sep record low C = -2.0
|Oct record low C = -9.0
|Nov record low C = -11.3
|Dec record low C = -18.5
|Jan high C = 7.9
|Feb high C = 9.3
|Mar high C = 13.6
|Apr high C = 16.7
|May high C = 20.6
|Jun high C = 24.5
|Jul high C = 26.8
|Aug high C = 26.9
|Sep high C = 22.5
|Oct high C = 17.8
|Nov high C = 11.9
|Dec high C = 8.3
| year high C = 17.2
|Jan mean C = 4.0
|Feb mean C = 4.6
|Mar mean C = 7.8
|Apr mean C = 10.5
|May mean C = 14.4
|Jun mean C = 18.1
|Jul mean C = 20.2
|Aug mean C = 20.1
|Sep mean C = 16.2
|Oct mean C = 12.6
|Nov mean C = 7.5
|Dec mean C = 4.6
| year mean C = 11.7
|Jan low C = 0.1
|Feb low C = -1.1
|Mar low C = 2.0
|Apr low C = 4.2
|May low C = 8.2
|Jun low C = 11.8
|Jul low C = 13.6
|Aug low C = 13.4
|Sep low C = 9.8
|Oct low C = 7.4
|Nov low C = 3.2
|Dec low C = 0.8
| year low C = 6.2
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 48.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 37.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 43.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 68.5
|May precipitation mm = 88.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 72.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 75.7
|Aug precipitation mm = 76.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 68.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 70.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 70.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 50.0
|year precipitation mm = 769.1
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 9.9
| Feb precipitation days = 8.7
| Mar precipitation days = 8.8
| Apr precipitation days = 10.3
| May precipitation days = 11.6
| Jun precipitation days = 9.0
| Jul precipitation days = 8.4
| Aug precipitation days = 8.6
| Sep precipitation days = 8.5
| Oct precipitation days = 10.3
| Nov precipitation days = 10.6
| Dec precipitation days = 9.9
| year precipitation days =114.6
|Jan humidity = 84
|Feb humidity = 80
|Mar humidity = 75
|Apr humidity = 74
|May humidity = 77
|Jun humidity = 76
|Jul humidity = 73
|Aug humidity = 75
|Sep humidity = 78
|Oct humidity = 83
|Nov humidity = 84
|Dec humidity = 85
|year humidity = 78.7
|Jan sun = 71.5
|Feb sun = 96.6
|Mar sun = 156.1
|Apr sun = 180.8
|May sun = 204.4
|Jun sun = 224.5
|Jul sun = 254.2
|Aug sun = 244.8
|Sep sun = 189.9
|Oct sun = 127.5
|Nov sun = 80.2
|Dec sun = 61.2
|year sun = 1891.6
|source 1 = Meteociel<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=3060001
|title=Normales et records pour Vichy-Charmeil (03)
|publisher=Meteociel
|access-date=14 December 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (humidity, 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07374-vichy-charmeil.html
| title = Normes et records 1961–1990: Vichy-Charmeil (03) – altitude 249m
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = 30 December 2015}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

== History ==

=== Roman era ===
The first known settlement at Vichy was established by [[Roman legion]]aries in 52{{nbsp}}BC. Returning south from their defeat at the [[Battle of Gergovia]] by the [[Gauls]] under [[Vercingetorix]], they found the [[hot springs|hot]] [[mineral springs]] beside the ''{{lang|la|Flumen Elaver}}'' ("River Allier") and established the township of Aquae Calidae (Latin for "Hot Waters"). During the first two centuries AD, Vichy became fairly prosperous because of the supposed medicinal value of the thermal springs.

=== Middle Ages ===
On 2 September 1344, [[John II of France]] ceded the noble fiefdom of Vichy to [[Peter I, Duke of Bourbon]]. On 6 December 1374, the last part of Vichy was acquired by [[Louis II, Duke of Bourbon]]. At that point Vichy was incorporated into the [[House of Bourbon]]. In 1410, a [[Celestinian]] monastery was founded with twelve monks. A building located above the Celestinian Spring is still visible.

In 1527, the House of Bourbon was incorporated into the French Kingdom. By the end of the 16th century, the mineral baths had obtained a reputation for having quasi-miraculous curing powers and attracted patients from the noble and wealthy classes. Government officials, such as Fouet and Chomel, began to classify the curing properties of the mineral baths.

=== Vichy's thermal baths ===
[[Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné]] was a patient in 1676 and 1677 and would popularize Vichy's Thermal Baths through the written descriptions in her letters. The Vichy waters were said to have cured the paralysis in her hands, thus enabling her to take up letter-writing. In 1761 and 1762, [[Marie Adélaïde, Madame Quatrième|Adélaïde]] and [[Victoire of France]], the daughters of [[Louis XV of France|Louis XV]], came to Vichy for the first time and returned in 1785. The bath facilities seemed extremely uncomfortable to them because of the muddy surroundings and insufficient access. When they returned to [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]], they asked their nephew [[Louis XVI]] to build roomier and more luxurious thermal baths, which were subsequently completed in 1787.

In 1799, [[Letizia Ramolino|Laetitia Bonaparte]], mother of [[Napoleon]], came to be cured with her son [[Louis Bonaparte|Louis]]. Under the Empire, ''Le Parc des Sources'', was created on the Emperor's orders (Decree of Gumbinen of 1812).

Under Charles X, the great increase in patients wishing to be healed at the springs led to an expansion of the [[Hydrotherapy|hydrotherapeutic]] facilities. [[Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France|Princess Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte]] expanded the ''Janson'' buildings under the plan of ''Rose – Beauvais'' (work completed in 1830). From 1844 to 1853, theatrical and poetry recitals were performed for the wealthy in the comfort of their own homes by {{ill|Isaac Strauss|fr|Isaac Strauss}}.

=== 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.

=== World War II – Seat of the pro-German collaborationist government ===
{{Main|Vichy France}}
[[File:Palais des Congrès-Opéra de Vichy 2016-07-09.JPG|thumbnail|alt=The Opera in Vichy|The Opera in Vichy. In this building, parliamentarians of the [[French Third Republic]] granted full powers to Marshal [[Philippe Pétain]] on 10 July 1940.]]
Following the stunning [[Battle of France|defeat of Allied forces]] in just four weeks, on 10 June 1940 the French government fled Paris for [[Bordeaux]]. On 22 June France signed an [[Armistice of 22 June 1940|armistice]], which stipulated German occupation of the north and west of the country, including Paris and all of the Atlantic coast. The remaining two-fifths of France became the unoccupied Free Zone (''Zone Libre''). On 29 June the government and its parliamentarians moved to [[Clermont-Ferrand]].  Finding that city too cramped, on 1 July it moved on to Vichy. 

German forces had taken the city unopposed on 19 June, but departed with the Armistice. Vichy had the country's second largest hotel capacity, and a modern telephone exchange and post office built for its international visitors. The city was in the unoccupied zone 45 km south of the [[Demarcation line (France)|Demarcation Line]], relatively close to [[Paris]] (4.5 hours by train), and surrounded by productive agricultural lands. [[Pierre Laval]], soon to be Prime Minister, hailed from [[Châteldon]], a village 20 km south of Vichy. The city was, in any case, expected to be only a temporary seat of government until signature of the peace treaty.<ref>Nazi Germany was never to sign a peace treaty with any of its defeated opponents, but this was not foreseen in 1940-41. The armistice arrangements with France perfectly satisfied its military, economic, and administrative requirements. </ref>

On 9–10 July, 670 of the 846 members of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies met in the Vichy Opera House, where they overwhelmingly voted full powers to [[Philippe Pétain]] and authorized him to revise the constitution. The new regime called itself simply the French State (''État Français''), but it quickly came to be known as [[Vichy France]]. While Paris remained the official capital and much of the bureaucracy stayed there, Vichy was the ''de facto'' capital. It was home to Pétain's cabinet, top civil servants, the diplomatic corps, and the neutered parliamentarians. As the volume of individuals engaged in government activity adversely affected locals and the spa business, a system of residence permits was established that permitted only five days' maximum stay between 1 June and 30 September.<ref name=":0">"[https://vichymonamour.com/discover/visit/our-tours/circuit-vichy-1939-1945/ Circuit Vichy 1939-1945]," ''Vichy Mon Amour'' [Vichy tourist office website]</ref>

Following the Anglo-American [[Operation Torch|invasion of North Africa]] in November 1942, Germany occupied the Free Zone, including Vichy. The Pétain government remained, albeit with an even smaller range of effective action. The city became a center for [[Gestapo]] and the Vichy ''[[milice]]''. After the Allied breakout from Normandy in August 1944, the Germans took Pétain and his entourage to [[Sigmaringen enclave|exile in Germany]]. The Swiss Ambassador, Walter Stucki, arranged for the peaceful withdrawal of local German forces and the ''milice''. The [[French Forces of the Interior|FFI]] liberated the city on 26 August without bloodshed.<ref name=":0" />

The term "Vichyste", which designates partisans of the Pétain regime, should not be confused with "Vichyssois" which designates the inhabitants of the city. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

=== ''Reine des villes d'eaux'' ===
The 1950s and 1960s would become the most ostentatious period for Vichy, complete with parading personalities, visits from crowned heads ([[Thami El Glaoui]], the Pasha of Marrakech; Prince [[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco|Rainier III]] of [[Principality of Monaco|Monaco]]) and profits from a massive influx of North African French clients who holidayed in Vichy, spending lavishly. There were thirteen cinemas (which sometimes showed special previews), eight dance halls and three theatres. It was at this period that the station would take the title of "''Reine des villes d'eaux''" (Queen of the Spa Towns).

From June to September, so many French-Algerian tourists were arriving that it almost seemed like there was an airlift set up between Vichy-Charmeil and the airports of Algeria. Mayor {{ill|Pierre Coulon|fr}} (1950–1967) decided to create Lake Allier (10 June 1963) and Omnisports Park (1963–68), giving the city its current look.

=== Decline of Vichy ===
The [[Algerian War of Independence|war in Algeria]] (1950s–60s), which led to decolonization, marked once again a halt in the prosperity of Vichy, which from then on had to deal with much less favorable conditions. The need to continue to pay the debts incurred by the considerable investments that had been made in more prosperous times obligated the new mayor, {{ill|Jacques Lacarin|fr}} (1967–1989), the successor of Pierre Coulon, to adopt a much more careful policy of management.

=== Modern revival ===
[[Claude Malhuret]], former Minister of Human Rights, born in [[Strasbourg]] in 1950, was mayor from 1989 to 2017. He and [[Bernard Kouchner]] are the co-founders of [[Médecins Sans Frontières|Doctors Without Borders]] (''Médecins Sans Frontières''). The city and its economic partners have concluded an important program of restoration and modernization. These projects include:
* creation of a vast [[pedestrian zone]] in the city center
* a program of modernization
* upgrading of hotels to the sector standards
* rebuilding and restoration of the thermal baths
* organization of a [[balneotherapy]] center dedicated to well-being
* development of the architectural heritage
* construction of a congress center within the old Casino, and
* restoration of the Opera
* rebuilding of the covered market, called "Grand Marché" (2006)
* restoration of the train station and surroundings (2009)
* restoration of the "Rue de Paris", a main street in the city centre (2010)

== Administration ==
[[File:Hôtel de ville Vichy - Allier.JPG|thumbnail|alt=Town hall|Town hall in 2014.]]
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+| List of successive Mayors<ref>{{cite web|title=List of mayors of Vichy|url=http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=13823|website=Francegenweb.org|access-date=1 November 2014|language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Carteret|first1=Alain|title=Ils ont fait Vichy [They made Vichy]|url=http://carteret.pagesperso-orange.fr/Noms.htm#Maires_Vichy|access-date=1 November 2014|language=fr}}</ref>
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
! Period !! Identity !! Party !! Profession
|-
|align=right|October 2017|| Frédéric Aguilera<ref name="mayor-2017-10-06">{{cite web|title=Frédéric Aguilera (LR) est le nouveau maire de Vichy|trans-title=Frédéric Aguilera (The Republicans) is the new mayor of Vichy|url=http://www.lamontagne.fr/vichy/politique/allier/2017/10/06/frederic-aguilera-lr-est-le-nouveau-maire-de-vichy_12579934.html|website=La Montagne|language=fr|date=6 October 2017}}</ref><ref name=mayor2020/> || align="center" | [[The Republicans (France)|LR]]|| 
|-
|align=right|March 1989 to September 2017|| [[Claude Malhuret]] ||align="center"| [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]]|| Physician
|-
|-
|align=right|September 1967 to March 1989|| Jacques Lacarin ||align="center"| || Physician
|-
|-
|align=right|August 1950 to August 1967|| Pierre Coulon ||align="center"| || Industrialist
|-
|-
|align=right|April 1949 to July 1950|| Pierre-Victor Léger ||align="center"| || Pharmacist
|-
|-
|align=right|May 1945 to April 1949|| Louis Moinard ||align="center"| || Trader
|-
|-
|align=right|August 1944 to May 1945|| Jean Barbier ||align="center"| || Director of College
|-
|-
|align=right|May 1929 to August 1944|| Pierre-Victor Léger ||align="center"| || Pharmacist
|-
|-
|align=right|December 1919 to May 1929|| Louis Lasteyras ||align="center"| || Journalist
|-
|-
|align=right|May 1912 to November 1919|| Armand Bernard ||align="center"| || Shareholder
|-
|-
|align=right|May 1900 to May 1912|| Louis Lasteyras ||align="center"| || Journalist
|-
|align=right|21 May 1893 to 20 May 1900|| Ferdinand Debrest ||align="center"| || Pharmacist
|-
|align=right|15 May 1892 to 21 May 1893 || Gabriel Nicolas ||align="center"| || Lawyer
|-
|align=right|June 1879 to May 1892 || Georges Durin ||align="center"| || Lawyer
|-
|align=right|January to September 1878 || Alfred Bulot ||align="center"| || Lawyer
|-
|align=right|1876 to 1878 || Antoine Jardet ||align="center"| || Physician
|-
|align=right|1874 to 1876 || Ernest Jaurand ||align="center"| || Physician
|-
|align=right|1870 to 1874 || Antoine Jardet ||align="center"| || Physician
|-
|align=right| 15 September 1865 to 9 September 1870 || Joseph Bousquet ||align="center"| || Lawyer
|-
|align=right| 7 May 1860 to 15 September 1865 || Norbert Leroy ||align="center"| || Notary
|-
|align=right| 7 May 1857 to 7 May 1860 || Antoine Guillermen ||align="center"| || Hotel owner
|-
|align=right| 20 August 1853 to 7 May 1860 || Victor Noyer ||align="center"| || Surgeon
|-
|align=right| August 1848 to 1853 || Victor Prunelle ||align="center"| || Physician and Waters inspector
|-
|align=right| 1843 to 1848 || Claude Ramin-Prêtre ||align="center"| || Hotel owner
|-
|align=right| 1833 to 1842 || Christophe Bulot ||align="center"| || Shareholder
|-
|align=right| 1831 to 1832 || Louis Chaloin ||align="center"| || Hotel master
|-
|align=right| 1822 to 1831 || Baron Lucas ||align="center"| || Physician and Waters inspector
|-
|align=right| 26 October 1815 to 1822 || Antoine Fouet ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| 21 May 1815 to 26 October 1815 || Jean-Joseph Gravier ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| 17 March 1814 to 21 May 1815 || Antoine Fouet ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| 1809 to 10 March 1814 || Godefroy de Bardon ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| 29 March 1805 to 1809 || Gilbert Chocheprat ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| November 1802 to 29 March 1805 || Godefroy de Bardon ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| 13 July 1800 to November 1802 || Louis-Antoine Sauret ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| 1798 to 1800 || Jean-Joseph Gravier Du Monceau ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| 1791 to 1795 || Jean-Joseph Gravier Du Monceau ||align="center"| ||
|-
|align=right| 2 February 1790 to 13 November 1791 || François-Claude Chocheprat ||align="center"| ||
|-
|}

==Population==

{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|39750|Vichy}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-03310#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |1763
|1800 |839
|1806 |1000
|1821 |776
|1831 |985
|1836 |1148
|1841 |1361
|1846 |1601
|1851 |1696
|1856 |2910
|1861 |3740
|1866 |5666
|1872 |6028
|1876 |6428
|1881 |8486
|1886 |10344
|1891 |10870
|1896 |12330
|1901 |14254
|1906 |15315
|1911 |16502
|1921 |17501
|1926 |19507
|1931 |22207
|1936 |25074
|1946 |29370
|1954 |30403
|1962 |30614
|1968 |33506
|1975 |32117
|1982 |30527
|1990 |27714
|1999 |26528
|2007 |25467
|2012 |25315
|2017 |24166
}}

== Economy ==
[[File:Soc. Nouvelle des Eaux Minérales Naturelles de Vichy 1900.jpg|thumb|Share of the New Society of Natural Mineral Waters of Vichy, issued 19 February 1900]]
The city was first noted for its thermal cures in Roman times. Its waters come from springs such as the Vichy Celestins and Vichy Saint-Yorre.

[[File:Pastilles de Vichy - Moinet.jpg|thumb|A tin of Vichy Pastilles]]
[[Vichy Pastilles]] (made in Vichy) are octagon-shaped candies made from soda contained in the spring waters.

The health and beauty business, with the laboratories of the [[L'Oréal]] company, also make it possible to publicize the city's name to a worldwide audience under the Vichy brand.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2002 |title=Saga Vichy |url=https://la-revue-des-marques.fr/sagas_marques/vichy/vichy.php |access-date=30 June 2006 |website=La Revue des marques}}</ref>

Unlike the neighbouring communes on the Allier such as industrial [[Montluçon]] and administrative seat [[Moulins, Allier|Moulins]], Vichy's economy is centred on the tertiary sector, with companies like the [[Compagnie de Vichy]] developing the health and well-being sector to mitigate the decline of medical [[hydrotherapy]]. The local market, open on Sundays, attracts shoppers from tens of kilometres around.

The closing of two important local employers, the Manurhin company and the Sediver company, has reduced employment in the Vichy basin. Job creation by developing companies such as the NSE [[electronics]] company or the Satel call center company may not completely compensate for the removal of jobs, despite the internet tour operator Karavel's establishment of a new call center in May 2005.

Nevertheless, the two most important employers of the city belong to the public sector: the hospital (1,120 employees), and the town hall (500<ref>{{cite web|title=MAIRIE DE VICHY|url=http://www.vichy-economie.com/annuaire-economique-vichy/detail?en=3177|website=Vichy-economie.com|publisher=Vichy Val d'Allier Développement|access-date=21 September 2016|language=fr}}</ref>).

Since 1989, Vichy has been one of the seven sites of the European Total Quality Institute (''Institut Européen de la Qualité Totale'').<ref>{{cite web|title=European Total Quality Institute|url=http://www.ieqt.org/index.php?id=193|access-date=1 November 2014|website=Ieqt.org|language=fr}}</ref>

The ''Pôle Universitaire de Vichy'' (previously called Pôle Universitaire et Technologique Lardy), born from a project of thermal waste land rehabilitation and launched during the mid-1990s, is an economic priority. This {{convert|9000|m2|acre|abbr=on}} campus accommodates 600 students in the downtown area, in ten areas of study including the fields of biotechnology, international trade, multi-media and languages.

The CAVILAM – Alliance Française<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cavilam.com/en/the-school/|title=The school|website=CAVILAM - Alliance Française|access-date=13 February 2020}}</ref> (Centre of Live Approaches to Languages and the Media), receives students from diverse countries who want to learn French. Created in 1964, under the impulse of the Universities of Clermont-Ferrand and the city of Vichy, CAVILAM – Alliance Française joined the international network of the [[Alliance française|Alliance Française]] in 2012. After the Covid lockdown, the center developed online courses for FLE teachers,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Online courses|url=https://mooc.cavilam.com/|access-date=30 January 2022|website=MOOC Cavilam}}</ref> FLE ressources pages,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Le plaisir d'apprendre|url=https://www.leplaisirdapprendre.com/|access-date=30 January 2020|website=Le plaisir d'apprendre}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=La Fabrique CAVILAM|url=https://lafabrique.cavilam.com/|access-date=30 January 2022|website=La Fabrique Cavilam}}</ref> and foreign language courses<ref>{{Cite web|title=Foreign languages for locals|url=https://langues.cavilam.com/|access-date=30 January 2022|website=DLE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Le Journal de l'Eco|url=https://lejournaldeleco.fr/le-cavilam-cest-aussi-la-formation-aux-langues-etrangeres/#close-ep|access-date=30 January 2022}}</ref> for locals.

The Palace of the Congresses is a venue primarily for the conferences of trade associations and learned societies. The structure is {{convert|1800|m2|sqft|abbr=on|adj=on}} in area, including two plenary rooms and fifteen multi-use rooms. With 25,000 visitors yearly, the conferences must carry the economic role once held by the hydrotherapy industry, which today counts only 12,000 patients each year. The hydrotherapy business will now have to reorganise itself to take a less strict therapeutic-only role, and adapt to patients' stays shorter than the traditional three weeks.

=== Building projects ===
{{Update|section|date=September 2016}}
Under the authority of the local communities, much work is being done on building sites and projects, which will deeply modify Vichy in the years to come. The construction by the Hotel of the Community of Agglomeration in September 2005 on the old site of the "Commercial City" may precede the total restoration of the market hall "''Le Grand Marché''" (which would cost €5.9 million) which would be delivered in September 2006. Other projects include the creation of a {{convert|12000|m2|sqft|abbr=on|adj=on}} mother-child centre in the hospital complex, the restoration of the spa façade (removal of the metal boarding to uncover the original style of 1862), the transformation of the spa into a multi-use center, creation of parks with fountains in place of parking lots, the demolition and the transformation of the buildings in a congested area to create an enterprise center intended to create 800 jobs (opened in early 2008), the construction of a new aquatic stadium including five basins (open since 2008), and motorway connection (opened in early 2015).

==Notable people==
* [[Valery Larbaud]] (1881–1957), writer
* [[Albert Londres]] (1884–1932), journalist
* [[Guy Ligier]] (1930–2015), racing driver and founder of [[Équipe Ligier]]
* [[Raël]] (born 1946), religious leader and founder of the [[Raëlism|Raëlian Religious Movement]]
* [[Wilfried Moimbe]] (born 1988), footballer

== Religion ==
A wide variety of faiths are practiced. Various [[Christianity|Christian denominations]] such as diverse [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]], [[Catholic]], and [[Protestant]] churches are found throughout the area along with adherents of [[Judaism]], [[Islam]], [[Buddhism]], and others.
* [[Catholicism]]: [[:fr:Église Saint-Louis de Vichy|Presbytère Saint-Louis Saint-Blaise de Vichy]] {{in lang|fr}} at 33 Rue Sainte-Cécile and Presbytère Sainte Jeanne d'Arc at 2 Rue Jeanne d'Arc
* [[Russian Orthodox Church]]: the nearby Château de Saint-Hubert in [[Chavenon]]
* [[Calvinism]]: Église reformée<ref>{{cite web|url=http://erfvichy.free.fr/dotclear/index.php/|title=Site de l'église protestante réformée de Vichy|website=Erfvichy.free.fr}}</ref> located at 9 Rue de l'Intendance
* [[Lutheranism]]: [[:fr:Église Saint-Blaise de Vichy|Église Saint-Blaise de Vichy]] {{in lang|fr}} located on the Rue de l'Église 
* [[Judaism]]: the Synagogue of Vichy<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.consistoiredefrance.fr/synagogue/1511.vichy|title=Consistoire -|website=Consistoiredefrance.fr}}</ref> located at 2 Bis Rue Maréchal Foch
* [[Islam]]: the Mosquée al-Rahma<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.masjid-al-rahma.fr/ |title=Mosquée al-Rahma - Accueil |access-date=24 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225121654/http://www.masjid-al-rahma.fr/ |archive-date=25 December 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> located at 51 Allée des Ailes
* [[Buddhism]]: the nearby [[Pagode Phap Vuong]] in [[Noyant-d'Allier]]

==Transport==

===Highway access===
Vichy is accessible from departmental road 2209, former {{ill|Route nationale 209|lt=''route nationale'' 209|fr}} (from the towns of [[Gannat]] or [[Varennes-sur-Allier]]), the {{ill|Route nationale 106|lt=D906e, former D906|fr|Route nationale 106 (France)}} from [[Thiers, Puy-de-Dôme|Thiers]], the {{ill|Route nationale 493|lt=D1093|fr}} from [[Randan, Puy-de-Dôme|Randan]] or the [[:fr:Route départementale 6 (Allier)|D6]] from [[Charmeil]].

The city is situated {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the {{ill|A719 autoroute|fr|Autoroute A719 (France)}} and {{convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the [[A89 autoroute]].

The A719 autoroute, connecting Vichy to the [[A71 autoroute|A71]] to Clermont-Ferrand, opened in January 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lamontagne.fr/auvergne/2014/12/22/l-a-719-vichy-gannat-ouvrira-le-12-janvier-a-midi_11269358.html |title=L'A719 Vichy-Gannat ouvrira le 12 janvier à midi |website=La Montagne |date=22 December 2014 |access-date=1 March 2020 |language=fr |trans-title=A719 from Vichy to Gannat will open 12 January at noon}}</ref>

In 2014, only regional two-lane highways (''routes départementales'') pass through the urban ring of Vichy. The D2209 is the principal axis of circulation for heavily loaded trucks, from the west (via [[Gannat]]) or the north (via [[Varennes-sur-Allier]] or [[Saint-Germain-des-Fossés]]) ; other important routes are the following (listed in the clockwise order):
* the D906e, former D906, from the south ([[Abrest]], [[Saint-Yorre]], [[Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme)|Thiers]], [[Ambert]], [[Livradois]] and [[Le Puy-en-Velay]]) ;
* the D1093, from the southwest (Forest of [[Randan, Puy-de-Dôme|Randan]], Grande Limagne, [[Maringues]], [[Riom]], [[Clermont-Ferrand]]);
* the D984, from the west-southwest ([[Bellerive-sur-Allier]], [[Effiat]], Aigueperse);
* the D6, from the northwest ([[Charmeil]], [[Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule]]).

The D67 is a loop to the north of the city created to limit traffic jams (access to [[Creuzier-le-Neuf]], afterwards by the D907, [[Lapalisse]] and the [[Route nationale 7|N7]]).

<gallery>
Entrée de Vichy et sortie d'Abrest par la route en provenance de Thiers (trottoir de droite) 2022-12-25.JPG|alt=Entrance of Vichy from Thiers|Entrance by departmental road 906e from Thiers
Fin du pont de l'Europe côté Vichy 2014-07-16.JPG|alt=Entrance after Pont de l'Europe|Entrance by the ''Pont de l'Europe''
Entrée Vichy par D 2209 depuis le pont 2020-01-01.JPG|alt=Entrance after Bellerive's bridge|Entrance by Bellerive's bridge (Jacques-Chirac bridge)
Rue de l'Hôtel des Postes depuis la place Charles de Gaulle (Vichy) 2021-10-24.JPG|alt=Rue de l'Hôtel des Postes, a pedestrian way|Rue de l'Hôtel des Postes, a pedestrian way
</gallery>

===Rail transport===
[[File:Gare de Vichy.JPG|thumbnail|alt=Railway station|[[Gare de Vichy|Railway station]] in 2015.]]
Vichy is served by the following train lines:
* ''[[Intercités]]'' (national trains, booking mandatory) to [[Paris]] ([[Gare de Paris Bercy|Bercy]]) and [[Clermont-Ferrand station|Clermont-Ferrand]];
* [[Transport express régional|TER]] trains: [[Moulins-sur-Allier station|Moulins]], [[Lyon]] ([[Lyon-Part-Dieu station|Part-Dieu]] and [[Lyon-Perrache station|Perrache]]), Clermont-Ferrand, [[Vic-le-Comte]], [[Issoire]], and [[Brioude]].

===Public transport===
[[MobiVie]] is the network of urban transport for six communes of Vichy Communauté intercommunality. This network is composed of eight lines {{As of|2022|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Réseau et itinéraires de bus à Vichy |trans-title=Network and route buses in Vichy |url=https://www.ville-vichy.fr/transport/bus |access-date=31 January 2022 |language=French}}</ref>

"Mobival" is an on-call transportation service for Vichy and its neighborhood. This service offers the local communes a reliable transportation service for areas that are not served by the MobiVie network. Created in October 2004, it has ten lines.

===Air transport===
Vichy is {{convert|5|km|spell=in}} from [[Vichy — Charmeil Airport]], and {{convert|55|km}} from the larger [[Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|title=En avion|trans-title=By avion|url=https://www.ville-vichy.fr/transport/avion|access-date=31 January 2022|language=fr}}</ref>

==Cultural Events==
Vichy hosted the 2024 Europe Triathlon Championships on 21–22 September, attracting top athletes from across Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Europe Triathlon Championships Vichy |url= https://triathlon.org/events/2024-europe-triathlon-championships-vichy |access-date=26 December 2024 |website= World Triathlon |location= Lausanne}}</ref> Known for its picturesque setting and rich sporting history, Vichy has previously welcomed major events like Challenge and Ironman. The championships further cemented its status as a premier triathlon destination.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
[[File:Panneau d'indication des villes jumelées avec Vichy 2014-07-16.JPG|thumb|Signs showing German twin towns]]
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}
Vichy is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Jumelage|url=https://www.ville-vichy.fr/jumelage|website=ville-vichy.fr|publisher=Vichy|language=fr|access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Bad Tölz]], Germany
*{{flagicon|SCO}} [[Dunfermline]], Scotland, United Kingdom
<!--Logroño - not twinning/twinning ended-->
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rhein-Neckar-Kreis|Rhein-Neckar (district)]], Germany
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[San Giuliano Terme]], Italy
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Wilhelmshaven]], Germany

== See also ==
* [[Communes of the Allier department]]
* [[Incident at Vichy]]
* [[List of spa towns in France]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Vichy}}
* {{Official website|https://www.ville-vichy.fr/}} (in French)
* Travel Info |https://visitvichy.com/
* {{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Vichy|short=x}}
* {{cite EB9 |wstitle = Vichy |volume= XXIV | page=210 |short=1 }}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Vichy|volume=28|page=21|short=x}}
* [http://bibliotheque-virtuelle.clermont-universite.fr/collections/show/22 Online books on balneology and the city of Vichy] (BU Clermont Auvergne)
* [https://cremasacidohialuronico.com/mineral-89-vichy-acido-hialuronico/ Vichy Minéral 89 - Análisis 2018] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730021334/https://cremasacidohialuronico.com/mineral-89-vichy-acido-hialuronico/ |date=30 July 2018 }}

{{Allier communes}}
{{The Great Spa Towns of Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Vichy| ]]
[[Category:Communes of Allier]]
[[Category:Spa towns in France]]
[[Category:Subprefectures in France]]
[[Category:Capitals of former nations]]
[[Category:Bourbonnais]]