MONTLUON

town, Allier dpartement, Auvergne rgion, central France, northwest of Clermont-Ferrand. It is located on the Cher River a little below the point where it emerges from the gorges of its upper course. The old town, on a hill dominated by a chteau, is surrounded by new districts that have spread to both banks of the Cher. The town expanded rapidly after the construction of the Berry Canal in 1830 and the opening of coal mines in the region, and again, after 1920. The winding streets of the old town have a number of 15th- to 16th-century wooden houses. The town's two old churches are both partly Romanesque. The chteau of the dukes of Bourbon (15th and 16th centuries) now houses a museum; a former Ursuline convent contains the municipal library. Montluon is an industrial, commercial, and administrative centre, with metallurgical works, plastics, tire, electrical, and chemical factories. The Paris-Clermont-Ferrand motorway passes nearby. Pop. (1990) 46,660.