Saint-Chély-d'Apcher

French commune
nomcommune=Saint-Chély-d'Apcher
Square in Saint-Chély-d'Apcher
région=Languedoc-Roussillon
département=Lozère
arrondissement=Mende
canton=Saint-Chély-d'Apcher (chief town)
insee=48140
cp=48200
maire=Pierre Lafont
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=
longitude=3.276
latitude=44.80389
alt moy=993 m
alt mini=935 m
alt maxi=1,126 m
hectares=2,826
km²=28.26
sans=4,316
date-sans=1999
dens=153
date-dens=1999

Saint-Chély-d'Apcher is a commune in France, located in the "départment" of Lozère and the Languedoc-Roussillon région. The town is twinned with Tadcaster in England. Its inhabitants are called Barabans. This name was allotted to the inhabitants of Saint Chély d'Apcher during the Hundred Years' War. In 1363, the town was attacked by the English. The inhabitants defended themselves with bars, and advanced towards the attacking English army to the cry of "barres en avant" ("bars ahead").

Geography

Saint Chély d'Apcher is located at the centre of the Gévaudan area, between Aubrac and Margeride.

Monuments and tourist areas

Remarkable buildings and public places

Saint Chély d'Apcher has a bell tower without a church and a church without a bell tower.

Religious buildings

The bell tower of the town is also the old town keep.

Museums

* Le musée des papillons (Museum of butterflies) contains more than 2700 species of butterfly.

Others

Saint Chély d'Apcher is a popular area for ornithologists, due to wide variety of both rural- and urban-dwelling birds that can be seen.Local dancing involves cartwheels, stamping and clapping, whilst men wear smocks and women wear traditional layered dresses.

Industry

The town has a long-standing iron foundry, owned by the ArcelorMittal group. It comprises production lines for rolling, annealing and scouring, and it also manufactures steel.

Higher education and research

Saint Chély d'Apcher has a college where it is possible to take a course in BTSA management and nature conservation. The college also proposes to offer a course in electronic and mechanical design and manufacture.

Transport

* A75
* RN 9
* RN 106
* SNCF