hall, with a library, occupies the site of an old Ursuline convent, and two other convents are used as a college and hospital. Overlooking the town is the castle rebuilt by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon, and taken by Henry IV during the French Wars of Religion; it serves as a barracks. Monuments The Dukes of the Bourbon castle in Montluçon, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries Church of Notre-Dame, XVe Church of Saint-Pierre, XIIe Church of Saint-Paul, XIXe Church of Sainte-Thérèse, XXe Church of Saint-Martin, XXe Church of Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc, built in 1966 Temple de l'Église Réformée de France, (1888) Tour des forges (or 'tour fondue'), XIIe siècle Crown, XIIe Maison des Douze apôtres du XIIe Museum of popular musiques Town Hall, XIXe Ancienne chapelle Saint-Louis Passage du doyenné Castle la Louvière Castle de Bien-Assis Canal de Berry: locks, canal bridge Culture Musée des Musiques Populaires Théâtre Municipal Gabrielle Robinne International relations Montluçon is twinned with: Antsirabe, Madagascar Guimarães, Portugal Hagen, Germany Igualada, Spain Leszno, Poland Miscellaneous Administration: Montluçon is a sub-prefecture and has courts, a board of trade arbitration, a chamber of commerce and several schools (general public, private, commercial). Sport: ÉDS Montluçon Personalities Montluçon was the birthplace of: Achille Allier (1807-1836), archaeologist and writer Françoise Bonnet (born 1957), a long-distance runner and Olympic athlete Guy Chauvet (1933–2007), a tenor Jules Cluzel (born 1988), a motorcycle Grand Prix road racer Marx Dormoy (1888–1941), a politician Michael Fitzpatrick (born 1970), American musician, lead singer of Fitz and the Tantrums Jehan (born 1957), a songwriter Jean-Daniel Lafond, spouse of former Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean. Louis Alexis Étienne Bonvin (1886-1946) Governor General of French India between 1938 and 1946 André Messager (1853–1929), a composer (born 1977), a mixed martial arts fighter Gabrielle Robinne (1886-1980), a stage and film actress Florian Vachon (born 1985), a professional road bicycle racer Jean Val Jean (born 1980), an adult film actor Bernadette Vergnaud (born 1950), a French politician and Member of the European Parliament Roger Walkowiak (1927-2017), a cyclist, winner of the 1956 Tour de France See also Communes of the Allier department References External links Communes of Allier Subprefectures in France Bourbonnais