Allauch


Allauch is a French commune situated east of Marseille in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Allaudiens or Allaudiennes.

Geography

Location

Allauch is the capital of the Canton of Bouches-du-Rhône. It is a part of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis.
The commune had inhabitants at the 2010 census.
It is located 12 km north-east of Marseille, 10 km north-east of Aubagne and 35 km south of Aix-en-Provence. Access to the commune is by the D908 road from Marseille in the south-west passing through the commune and continuing north to join the D96 north of La Bouilladisse. Access to the village is by the D48 branching off the D908 and looping back as the D48A. There is also the D4A road from the 11th arrondissement in the south, and the D44G from the 12th arrondissement in the south-west.
As Allauch is located on the edge of the Marseille conurbation there are numerous urban districts located within the commune. These are:

Urbanism

'Allauch Village is located on the north-eastern fringe of the Marseille conurbation with large parts of the west of the commune also forming part of this conurbation joining with Plan-de-Cuques to the west..
Allauch is separated from Mimet by the massif of l'Étoile, resulting in it being necessary to detour to Cadolive in order to go from Allauch to Mimet. Similarly it is separated from the Aubagne urban area by the Garlaban hills to the south-east. Apart from the urban area in the west of the commune, the rest is heavily forested and mountainous.

Housing

;Deficit in social housing
Each year Allauch pays about €200,000 for missing social housing in order to reach the 20% required by the Urban Renewal Law. According to the commune however, available land is limited: of the 5,032 hectares of the commune a total of 4,000 is conservation land, 500 are already urbanized and the balance is sometimes affected by risks. Recent increases in the price of land suitable for building has resulted in increasing difficulties in growing the social housing stock.
The City Council has decided that each construction project should have between 20% and 30% social housing. The first obstacle is that the commune owns little suitable land in built-up areas to build social housing. The value of the land is very high and the commune must sell land to social housing operators at well below the actual value. Furthermore, the municipality must guarantee 50% of the borrowings and contribute financially up to €20,000 per unit. The procedures are slow and it can take 3 or 4 years from the sales agreement and delivery of the first housing.
Another obstacle is that, in 2006, 108 applications for social housing were made by the commune but only 48 were granted by the urban community to which the state has delegated its powers, while the State requires the construction of 64 units per year.
According to the Abbe Pierre Foundation for Disadvantaged Housing, of 319 housing units the commune should have built between 2002 and 2006 it has neither built nor funded any, something that Allaudiens were far from disapproving having re-elected the Povinelli list of candidates by 81.15% in the local elections in 2008.
The commune may have another opportunity to fulfil its obligation by purchasing existing housing through preemption to transform social housing.

Communications and transport

Communal Transport

;RTM Routes
;Buses to the Hills
The Hills buses connect to different urban areas of Allauch at certain times:

Seismicity

The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region has areas at risk of seismic activity, particularly in the Nice and Aix-en-Provence areas, but for Allauch the risks are negligible.

Hydrology

Detailed article: Canal de Marseille.
The Jarret is the main river in Allauch. Together with the Huveaune it was one of the only sources of water for Marseille for a long time. There are also two canals in the commune: the Canal de Provence and the Canal de Marseille, both built to supply many communes, but primarily Marseille, with drinking water and also for irrigation.

Climate

Allauch has a Mediterranean climate: precipitation is mainly in September to May with a peak in October–November and a rather wet and mild winter. The summers are hot and dry.
Weather Data for Allauch

HistoryMost of this section is sourced from the Museum of Allauch

Historical Facts

One of the objects found in the Baume Sourno Cave may have been used as a wedding gift for the young Gyptis. The history of Marseille has a story that Marseille was born from the union of a handsome Greek sailor and the daughter of King Nann, the chief of a Ligurian tribe around the year 600 BC However, historians believe that Allauch was the chief town of a Ligurian tribe called ségobrige. The beautiful Gyptis could have been allaudienne and Marseille girl from Allauch. In Provence and in Allauch in particular people like legends.
A Coat of Arms has been bequeathed to the commune from being the seat for the Saracens: in the 10th century the Moors besieged the village. At the brink of starvation the villagers, to deceive the enemy, sent twenty loaves and their remaining spear points. The Saracens were discouraged, imagining that abundance reigned behind the walls. They broke camp. It was night and the moon was in its last quarter with three stars shone around it. So the arms of Allauch have three stars, a crescent moon, and two silver wings.
Under the auspices of the canons of the Cathedral de la Major Marseille, the castle was built in the 12th century. There remains a postern, some ramparts, and Our Lady of the Castle which was built in 1148. The pride of Allauch, it is still a place of worship and pilgrimage. The canons remained the Spiritual and Temporal Lords for nearly seven centuries until the French Revolution. They attracted a new population seeking land to cultivate. Then began a period of clearing the land and covering it with vineyards, olive groves, and wheat.
On the eve of the Revolution more than three-quarters of Allauch soil belonged to the peasants who worked it, about 20% by the nobles and bourgeois, and only 3% by the clergy. Throughout the 19th century Allauch declined: Agriculture and livestock stagnated as did the production of plaster and chalk extracted using traditional methods.
In contrast to the early 19th century, during the suppression of the free port of Marseille, Allauch was the scene of contraband tobacco. Probably practiced initially by only a few it soon became generalized and became the main industry of Allauch during the century ahead of the stone quarries, the plasterworks, and the bauxite deposits.
The construction of the Canal de Marseille started a recovery: running water arrived in Allauch in 1888. Then an electric tram line connecting Marseille to Plan-de-Cuques came in 1902 followed by a connection to Bourdonnière and Allauch via Pounche in 1908: it was the end of isolation and confirmation of a new prosperity to come.
In the Decree of 25 March 1966 Allauch was classed as an urban commune and today Allauch has become increasingly a residential commune.

Heraldry

Politics and Administration

Municipal Administration

The following table shows the share of seats on the Allauch Municipal Council:

PartyPresidentNo. SeatsStatus
PSRoland Povinelli30majority
Extreme LeftGilles Viallon3opposition

List of Successive Mayorshttp://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=8003 [List of Mayors of France]

FromToNamePartyPosition
17881788Louis Ricard
17881791Jean-Francois Dieude
17911792Honoré-Marie Tratebas
17921794Joseph Michel
17941794Jean-Baptiste Chaillon
17941794Balthazard Daignan
17971800Laurent Guichard
18001829Bernard Bernard
18291829Jean-Baptiste Geofroy
18311844Ange-Marie Cauvin
18441870Louis Blanc
18711871Jean-Baptiste Bremond
18711872François Maillet
18721874Louis Bernard
18741876François Maillet
18761876Balthazard Rouviere
18761879Joseph Camoin
18791881Adrien Lieutard
18811882Vincent Roux
18821888Louis-Marie Tratebas
18881910Joseph Chevillon
19101915Frédéric Chevillon
19151929Alphonse Honnorat
19291940Louis Brunet

;Mayors from 1940
FromToNamePartyPosition
19411941Charles Saeteli
19411944Pierre Goreaud
19441967Louis Brunet
19671971Pierre Audoubert
19711975Jacques Gaillard
19752020Rolland PovinelliPS

Allauch and the quality of life

In the 1960s a study by Agam predicted population figures of 60 to 80,000 in Allauch in 2000. Today the commune has about 20,000 inhabitants. This is the result of political will of the various mayors who have never ceased to protect the hills, to restrict urbanisation, and contained demographic change.
According to the municipality, Allauch is an "art town" of greenery on the outskirts of Marseille with two-thirds of its territory consisting of hills while of the 119 communes in the department Allauch came 22nd highest for the housing tax and 6th highest for the property tax.
The politics of the commune management of land use plan has both limited building areas in order not to distort the landscape and allowed only normal sized housing so that there would be sound economic development respecting the environment and refusing any infrastructure that denaturalises Allauch and saving natural areas and green belts.
There is in place a protection service for the hills with an annual budget of €350,000, clearing obligations, and reforestation.
In the vote on joining the Urban Community of Marseille Provence Métropole, Allauch commune voted against for fear of no longer having a voice regarding the land use plan. The joining of the urban community in 2000 may have reduced the decision-making powers of the commune in urban planning matters, highways, or street cleanliness by moving the decision-making centre but will perhaps achieve the construction of a school ijn Allauch.

Twinning

Allauch has twinning associations with:

Population

Distribution of Age Groups

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Allauch and Bouches-du-Rhône Department in 2009
AllauchAllauchBouches-du-RhôneBouches-du-Rhône
Age RangeMenWomenMenWomen
0 to 14 Years17.715.319.016.7
15 to 29 Years16.914.920.118.5
30 to 44 Years16.017.820.319.7
45 to 59 Years24.024.019.820.0
60 to 74 Years17.116.613.914.4
75 to 89 Years7.810.06.69.7
90 Years+0.51.40.41.1

Sources:
1962-19681968-19751975-19821982-19901990-1999Demographic Evolution 1962-1999
Births9158518681,0721,5255,231
Deaths9231,1451,1541,2121,5645,998
Natural Increase
Net Migration2,65611,146
Total Population Increase10,379'

Since 1962 the death rate has overtaken the birth rate: the population grew by 10,379 people over 37 years with a net migration of 11,146 people offsetting a natural decrease of 767 inhabitants over the period.
Of the 18,943 inhabitants in 1999, 10,060 lived in the same housing as in 1990, 2,304 lived somewhere else within the commune, 5,182 lived elsewhere in the department, 277 elsewhere in the region, 842 elsewhere in France, 34 lived in the DOM-TOM and 144 were abroad.

Education

Each school has a computer site with 10 computers, a printer, a scanner and an internet connection. The school bus is free. Nearly 1,500 meals are prepared daily in the Allauch central kitchen and transported in heated units to the schools. Each student entering Grade 2 undergoes dental screening and receives a dictionary provided by the municipality. Sports instructors and lifeguards are involved in each class so that children can engage in physical activity provided by a professional. A spectacle is offered for all kindergarten children at Christmas and elementary classes benefit from €120 per teacher to complete their library and buy CDs. Prevention sessions and training are provided by the Departmental Educational Committee for Health.
Since 1994 Allauch has had a college attended by 950 students. A laptop with internet connection is paid for by the General Council for each fourth and third level student. A system of online scores for college students allows communication between parents, teachers, and students as well as simplifying administrative work.
The parents of students and the municipality are now fighting for the implementation of a college in the commune.

Security

Allauch is part of the Public Security District of Marseille which has the 13th highest crime rate of the 400 metropolitan districts of public safety. No details of crime in the commune or Allauch town is available.

Cultural events and festivals

Throughout the year there are many events in the commune:
;traditional festivals
;themed fairs and markets
;exhibitions of paintings or photos.
During the night before Christmas there is a Midnight Mass and a Provençal living Nativity runs down the descent of the shepherds to the sound of fifes, tambourines, bells, and bleating.
In Summer in Allauch there is an original and diverse programme accessible to all. These take place in the majestic site of the Bastide de Fontvieille for concerts of classical music, intimate shows, etc., and in the Theatre of Nature for larger events such as ballets, plays, and musicals. They allow the public to discover talented artists and stage directors, known or unknown, local or national.
Two major events are organized by the Tourist Office: The crib in black light by Gilbert Orsini in December and January of each year and the Biennial of Contemporary Art.

Cultural and sporting activities

Allauch has a rare Museum of Sacred Art of France with a permanent collection of international renown and offers a range of temporary exhibitions on the theme of Religion or local culture.
The commune also has five community centres that offer activities close to home such as ballet, modern jazz, hip-hop, gymnastics, martial arts, painting workshops, mosaic and sculpture, theatre, guitar or piano lessons, yoga, sports, and scholastic support courses.
The commune manages and maintains many facilities which are available to twenty sports associations: team sports, gymnastics, swimming, judo, tennis, triathlon, modern pentathlon, Tae Kwon Do, and Kick Boxing.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in July and August from 8pm to 1am, young people aged 14 to 25 years can enjoy free sports facilities supervised by qualified personnel. A minibus service is free. In the days when "Sommer Sport" is on, young people from 12–17 years old can learn new skills in sometimes unusual sports such as tree climbing, netball, or Futsal.
Every year there are: the "La Ronde Allauch" foot race, the Cyclo-Cross, and the Trail of the Green Canton.
Allauch also has a 13-hole golf course.

Health

The Central Hospital of Allauch is a public health unit of 280 beds and places including a 30-bed Alzheimer care unit, a 25-bed nursing home, and 79 places in nursing homes to care for elderly and disabled people.
It has a total budget of 17 million Euros and more than 310 employees. 75% of patients are over 75 years old when they enter the hospital.

Economy

Key figures

As shown in the following table people are on average more affluent, better educated, and more skilled than the national average.
Real estate is relatively expensive with single-family homes more common than collective housing and with the percentage of homeowners being much higher than the national average. The percentage of people living alone is much lower than the national average.
Allauch CommuneFrance
% Principle Residences94.8%83%
% Individual Houses82%56.8%
% Owner Occupied76.1%55.3%
% Households of 1 person17.6%31%
% Households of 3 persons or more51.7%37.9%
% Households without a car9.9%20.9%
% Households with 1 car41.6%48.8%
% Households with 2 cars or more48.5%30.3%
% Over 15 years old without a diploma13.5%20%
% Education at BAC+2 level or higher20.6%17.6%
% Executives17%12.1%
% Intermediate professions29.8%22.1%
% Employees29.7%29.9%
% Workers13.7%27.1%
Unemployment rate 11.3%12.9%
Average income per household €21,537€15,027
% Average price of apartments 3,155.05 €/m²
% Average price of houses 4,179 €/m²

Source: the Internet except as noted for items from the 1999 census

Economy and tourism

In 1999 out of 7,592 Allaudiens who were employed, 1,583 worked in the commune, 5,717 in another commune in the Aix-Marseille agglomeration, and 156 in another commune in the department.
Of the 3,032 jobs in the commune, 1,449 are occupied by workers living outside the commune.
For employees in the commune 19.8% of men and 37.1% of women working full-time worked in the public service in 1999 reflecting more on the lack of private sector employment in the commune rather than excessive creation of staff positions.
The Business Park of Fontvieille established in 1981 is the heart of the economic life of the commune. The criterion for acceptable settlement by the council is based on respect for the living environment by installing activities which do not create a nuisance or pollution.
The main activities fall into two divisions: food and small tech industries.
Near the Business Park the Laphal laboratory, a pharmaceutical company of international renown, provides more than 130 jobs in the commune. It has attracted many companies with complementary activities.
Allauch has over a hundred shops spread over three main urban centres: le Village, Logis Neuf, and Pounche: food, health and hygiene, home furnishings, bars, restaurants, and services. A shopping mall was recently opened in Fontvieille.
Arts and crafts also have a place especially during the Christmas market: ironwork, pottery, glassware, fabric, and figurines.
Allauch has two Gîtes de France, 9 tourist apartments, one 3 star hotel, one 2 star hotel, two 1 star hotels, a guesthouse, and a residential hotel complex. There is no municipal campsite.

Local products

The craftsmen from the commune make black and white nougat, tooth snacks, the suce-miel made as chewing gum has been made for a hundred years.
One family who converted to agriculture produce different goat cheeses and fresh or refined raw milk.
In January during the festival of gastronomy some fifty craftsmen and farmers hold a market: there are honey, olive oil, AOC Côtes de Provence wine, Navettes de Marseille, Tapenade, Gibassier, Calisson, and Eggplant salads and appetizers on sale.
Allauch is also known for its Santons.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
;Other sites of interest
The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
;Other religious sites of interest
;Paintings in the Saint Sebastion Church

Environmental heritage

The Massif of Garlaban, also called the hills of Marcel Pagnol, overlooks the urban area.

Notable People linked to the commune