Loriol-sur-Drôme

Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

(2020–2026) Claude Aurias^[1]Area28.66 km² (11.07 sq mi)Population6,619 • Density230/km² (600/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal codeElevation81–365 m (266–1,198 ft)
(avg. 108 m or 354 ft)¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Loriol-sur-Drôme (French pronunciation: [lɔʁjɔl syʁ dʁom], literally Loriol on Drôme; Vivaro-Alpine: L’Auriòu de Droma) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.

Loriol is situated in the Rhône valley, between Valence and Montélimar. The neighbouring villages are Livron-sur-Drôme, Mirmande, and Cliousclat.

History

Roman emperor Aurelian is said to have based a camp here. The medieval fortress was destroyed in the wars of religion, leaving only the ramparts.

During World War II, Loriol was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in August 1944.

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 1,839 —     1800 2,392 +3.83% 1806 2,344 −0.34% 1821 2,458 +0.32% 1831 3,048 +2.17% 1836 3,340 +1.85% 1841 3,460 +0.71% 1846 3,530 +0.40% 1851 3,588 +0.33% 1856 3,554 −0.19% 1861 3,524 −0.17% 1866 3,512 −0.07% 1872 3,634 +0.57% 1876 3,686 +0.36% 1881 3,511 −0.97% 1886 3,518 +0.04% 1891 3,506 −0.07% 1896 3,330 −1.02%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 3,108 −1.37% 1906 3,136 +0.18% 1911 3,012 −0.80% 1921 3,112 +0.33% 1926 3,168 +0.36% 1931 3,057 −0.71% 1936 2,800 −1.74% 1946 2,685 −0.42% 1954 2,886 +0.91% 1962 3,583 +2.74% 1968 3,421 −0.77% 1975 3,514 +0.38% 1982 4,635 +4.03% 1990 5,609 +2.41% 1999 5,698 +0.18% 2007 5,722 +0.05% 2012 6,019 +1.02% 2017 6,593 +1.84%
Source: EHESS[3] and INSEE (1968-2017)[4]

See also

• Communes of the Drôme department

References