Cerizay

Cerizay
Coat of arms of Cerizay Coat of arms
Cerizay
Location within Poitou-Charentes region Cerizay
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department	Deux-Sèvres
Arrondissement	Bressuire
Canton	Ch
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Jean Grellier
Area1	18.55 km2 (7.16 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	4,667
• Density	250/km2 (650/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	79062 / 79140
Elevation	143–217 m (469–712 ft) (avg. 173 m or 568 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Cerizay is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.

History

The name Cerizay probably originated during the closing centuries of the Roman occupation. During the Middle Ages the old town centre was situated beside a feudal castle. The last two towers of the castle, along with its 12th century chapel, were destroyed when the present (rather flamboyant) church was constructed in 1890.

Economy

The automotive coachbuilder firm Heuliez has its main production plant on the outskirts of the town. They have been involved in the production of various niche models for French car manufacturers. The firm currently construct the roof module for the Peugeot 206CC and till 2009 built the Vauxhall/Opel Tigra Twin Top. Between June 2011 and December 2013, the "Mia", an electric car developed in Germany, was built under contract with an annual output of 10,000 units.

People

Famous residents include:

• Philippe de Mornay

Twin towns

• Chipping Ongar, England.

See also

• Communes of the Deux-Sèvres department

References

• INSEE