Housing, shops, leisure: where has Gien, surpassed by Amilly in number of inhabitants, fishing for 30 years?

On December 19, bad news hit Gien. The census numbers are in. They confirmed the loss of 3,036 inhabitants in 32 years. Even the gain of 44 inhabitants since 2021 has not allowed Gien to redress the situation. The commune was therefore overtaken by Amilly, located in the agglomeration of Montargis, for one inhabitant, and fell to ninth place in the department.

These figures confirm the lack of attractiveness compared to its neighbor Montargois, whose curves have crossed. But for what reasons? Attempt at explanations.

Poorly maintained housing

At the end of the Second World War, which had a major impact on Gien, it was time for reconstruction. It is carried out in a “picturesque” style, recalled the researcher from the Centre-Val de Loire region, Florence Cornilleau, during an inventory of the heritage of Gien carried out at the end of 2023. A work which allowed the city of Anne -de-Beaujeu to have an atypical and attractive city center for tourists.

But 80 years later, things have changed. If the buildings in the Montoires and Champs-de-la-Ville districts are rather modern, the homes in the city center, often located above commercial premises, have been little renovated.