Ambérieux-en-Dombes (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃beʁjø ɑ̃ dɔ̃b] , literally Ambérieux in Dombes) is a commune in the department of Ain in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France.
As its name suggests, Ambérieux-en-Dombes is a part of the Dombes country in Ain. It is located some 10 km east of Villefranche-sur-Saone and 35 km north of Lyon. There are several access roads to the commune: the D904 comes from Savigneux in the west through the heart of the commune and the town and continues east to Lapeyrouse; the D66 road from Saint-Trivier-sur-Moignans in the north passes through the town and continues south to Saint-Jean-de-Thurigneux; the D660 comes from Rancé in the south-west to the town; and the D82 comes from Monthieux in the south-east and continues to Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne in the north-east. All of these roads intersect in or very near the town.[3]
There is a network of country roads covering the commune which is entirely farmland outside the built-up areas. Apart from the town there is the hamlet of La Jonchay to the north-east of the town.
There are many étangs or ponds in the commune, particularly in the east but almost no waterways.[3]
The village was known as Ambariacum in the 6th century and the land belonged to the castles of the first Burgundian kings.
On 13 July 1922 a train of the Compagnie des Tramways de l'Ain returning pilgrims from Ars-sur-Formans derailed between Ambérieux-en-Dombes and Lapeyrouse leaving one dead and several injured.[4]
List of Successive Mayors of Ambérieux-en-Dombes [6]
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Ambarrois or Ambarroises in French.[7]
is registered as an historical monument.[10] It was built between 1370 and 1376 (dendrochronological study) during the reign of Humbert V of Thoire and Villars. It is located in the centre of the village today and still has four towers - three square towers 19 metres tall and a round tower of small diameter which served as a prison. The dungeon has been completely restored with the installation of a new roof in 2010.[11]
