The old town, close to the river, forms a nucleus around which a newer and more extensive quarter, bordered by boulevards, has grown up. The suburbs of St. Christophe andDéols lie on the right bank of theIndre. The castle from which the city takes its name was built in the latter part of the 10th century by Raoul, prince of Déols.[3]
From 920 to 1008, theNorman raids forced the monks of the abbey ofSaint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, founded inBrittany bySaint Gildas, to bring hisrelics to the abbey of Saint-Gildas of Châteauroux that they founded under the protection of the prince Ebbes of Déols, father of Raoul. During the Middle Ages, it was the seat of a seigniory. It was passed to theChauvigny from 1207 to 1473. It was raised to the rank of countship in 1497 forJean V d'Aumont.[3]
La Berrichonne de Châteauroux is the town's football club based in Châteauroux, founded in 1883. The team currently plays in National, the third division of French football, and played only one season inLigue 1 in 1997–98. Châteauroux reached the final of the2003–04 Coupe de France, where they were defeated 1–0 byParis Saint-Germain, qualifying for the following season'sUEFA Cup. The team plays its home fixtures at the 17,173-capacityStade Gaston Petit.
As Chateauroux was an Air Force base from 1952 until 1967, American football was played in Chateauroux by a team called Sabres. "Sabres" was one of the best European military teams, playing against other French and German teams. Local French people created a football club in the French American football championship. The name chosen is "Sabres", to celebrate the pioneers, to pay homage to the Americans who were the first.
Châteauroux has been host to theTour de France multiple times. The most successful cyclist at Châteauroux isMark Cavendish with three stage wins, leading up to the final straight being labeled "Avenue Cavendish".[12]
Direct services fromChâteauroux railway station connect Paris, Orléans, Limoges, Toulouse, and several other regional destinations. TheA20 motorway connects Châteauroux with Vierzon, Brive-la-Gaillarde, and Toulouse.
The city is served byChâteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport, which is in the commune ofDéols to the North. The airport is used mainly for cargo, maintenance, training, and light aviation but also serves seasonal charter services. However, there are no schedule passenger flights to and from the airport. The nearest airport isClermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport, located 204 km (127 mi) south east of Châteauroux.
Jack Claude Nezat [fr] (born 1943), author, City Councilor ofLésigny (France), initiator of Lésigny-Leingarten twinning, founder and first President ofRencontres Franco Allemandes, Annecy (Annecy-Bayreuth twinning)
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