The town grew up around the BenedictineAbbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 910. The height of Cluniac influence was from the second half of the 10th century through the early 12th. The abbey was sacked by the Huguenots in 1562, and many of its valuable manuscripts were destroyed or removed.
Geography
The river Grosne flows northward through the commune and crosses the town.