Autun

Currency

Roma celtica, soror and aemula Romae

Geography

The city leans on the southern edge of a named depression basin of Autun leant with the Autunois. It is encircled in the North of meadows of the woodlands (Bocage with broad mesh), and in the South of forests of leafy trees covering a sandy plate. The area of Autunois is made up of 64 communes gathered in 7 cantons. Among the canton of Autun, there is Antully, Auxy, That in Morvan, Curgy, Dracy-Saint-Wolf, Monthelon, the Small Canopy, Saint-Forgeot, Saint-Pantaléon, Tavernay.

The Arroux, affluent of the Loire, crosses part of the agglomeration.

The climate of the city is characterized by southernmost influences more marked than in the remainder of the Morvan, in particular because of altitude lower than 400 Mr. the Pluviométrie is moderate (lower than 900 mm/an over 30 years).

History

Autun is a big city of history, it indeed preserved many ancient or medieval traces.

Antiquity: Autun, sister and follower of Rome

It was during the reign of the Roman Emperor Auguste (27 before J. - C./14 after J. - C.) that was born Autun: its ancient name is Augustodunum which means fortress of Auguste . It is intended to replace Bibracte, capital of the Eduens in order to thank the latter for their ancestral alliance. Auguste had the will to create a large city as a Gaulle who would show the Roman power. Augustodunum was thus equipped with splendid monuments which make today still its fame. One can thus admire in Autun:

a Pregnant honorary, long of approximately 6 km, comprising many turns. It with the form of a Rhombus and surrounds a surface of approximately 200 hectares. It was bored of four doors (of which three remain) at the ends of the two main streets which were cut to right angle ( Cardo maximus and Decumanus maximus ).
a Roman Theater which can contain to 20.000 people, largest in capacity of the Western part of the Roman Empire.

a Amphitheater today disappeared, located beside the theater.
a channel builds to convey wood of Morvan and to feed the arênes of Autun for the Naumachie S
the doors of Saint Andre and Arroux who constituted two of the four entries which made it possible to cross the walls of the city.
the temple known as “of Janus”, outside the ramparts. This temple was wrongly allotted to the Roman divinity Janus, in truth the archeologists are unaware of which divinity was venerated in this place. Indeed, one can read on an explanatory plate close to the temple of Janus: “In the North-West of the ancient city, on Right Bank of Arroux, a district developed whose only visible vestige, the temple known as “of Janus” underlines the pertaining to worship vocation. The particular shape of this temple, known as fanum is of Gallic tradition though its technique of construction, datable of the 1st century of our era is Roman. The name of Janus was associated to him wrongly with the XVI E century by the Pierre historian with Saint-Julien who will interpret the name of the sector thus where it rises: Genetoye. This term indicates in fact a place where brooms push. The divinity venerated here, remains completely unknown. ”

astonishing stone of Couhard which is drawn up in the middle of old a Nécropole.
a short portion of Cardo Maximus, crossing the city according to a north-eastern, south-western axis.

The creation of Autun attracted the surrounding populations and in particular the inhabitants of Bibracte, the Oppidum Eduen, which fell little by little into the lapse of memory.

Autun was famous for its school of Rhétorique.

Taken by Julius Sacrovir in the year 21, it was the hearth of the revolt of this Gallic (which committed suicide with the surroundings). At the 3rd century, it was besieged for seven months, catch and was destroyed by the usurper Victorinus in 270; rebuilt in the next century by Constantin.

Autun is one of the five red cities of France.

The Middle Ages

Saint-Leger (towards 616 - deceased in 678), was bishop of Autun. He was tortured on the order of the mayor of the palate Ébroïn, which then made it assassinate.

Was the city ransacked by the Sarrasins of the general Ambiza the August 22nd 725, and following this disaster, a few years later in 833, Charles Martel entrusts it to Théodoric Ier (708 - 755?), small son of Bernarius, founder of the line of Thierry counts d' Autun, whose Thierry II of Autun (748-804) is brother of famous the Guillaume de Gellone (751 - May 28th 812).

It is again ransacked by the Normands in 888. It was since the 10th century the chief town of a county depend on the duchy of Burgundy. With the the Middle Ages, the city becomes an important place of pilgrimage, and is seen equipped with a new cathedral (the first, the Saint-Nazaire cathedral, having been destroyed). One came to venerate the supposed relics of Lazare saint there, not those of Lazare, that of the Bible, but those D `a bishop of Marseilles of the 5th century; this last had taken part in the evangelization of Provence and had been decapitated under the reign of Domitien, in year 94. The worship of Lazare saint in Autun at the 12th century answered certainly that of Marie-madeleine present at Vézelay. The cathedral Saint-Lazare (1120), church Romance E of the type clunisien, is famous, thanks to its tympanum carved with many details representing the Jugement last and signed of the artist Gislebert. This masterly gate owes to the canons of Autun his exceptional safeguarding.

Old Mode

The college of the 18th century holds an important place in the history of the city and even of France since Napoleon Bonaparte and its brother Joseph, who gave him his current name, there made their studies. This College continues to function nowadays. One can admire there wrought iron grids remarkable (1772), long of more than 30m length and decorated school instruments, quadrants and maps of the world inter alia.

In 1788, Talleyrand became bishop of Autun. He was elected appointed clergy for the general states of 1789. He celebrated a vibrating speech in 1789 to make known itself having come only once before.

Administration

Demography

Economy

The basement rich in coal and especially in mineral oil is not foreign with the rise of the city. Second is extracted since the Roman epoch from the oil shales autuniens. Their industrial exploitation started in 1824, provided as of 1837 a " oil schiste" intended for lighting. The extraction continued after a fashion until in 1957 in spite of the increasing competition of the Pétrole. Only both Spoil heap S of Télots and some buildings in ruins testify to this mining past.

The historical heritage of Autun east its greater richness and the city tries, by tourism, to ensure its development.

The town of Autun also benefits from the presence of three production sites DIM (manufacture of footwear with meshs, centers logistic) which represent 1 379 employment. Autun became the cradle of the Dim mark in 1956. The company the Cable of Lyon, which became Nexans thereafter, is also an economic strong point for the city. Near to the Morvan, Autun profits from employment related to the die wood. In 2004, Autun created its first Shopping mall in the zone of activitée of Bellevue. The city has also an office of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Saône-et-Loire.

Famous characters

Nicolas Rolin
Talleyrand bishop of Autun in 1788
the general Changarnier
Jules Miot, member of the Council of the Common of Paris, born in Autun in 1809
Ernest Plonk, Minister of Interior Department (1867-1868), born in Autun in 1822
Romano, organizer of the emissions " Radio free " and " the morning " on Skyrock and citizen of honor of Autun

Culture

Autun is classified Ville of Art and History. In 1973, Autun accommodates the fifth edition of the Festival Europa Cantat

Tourist monuments and places

Autun, deadened a little, with the variation of the road and railway main roads kept a certain charm and has many monuments.

the cathedral St-Lazare, of Romance style , known by its sculptures, in particular, of the tympanum;
the tower of the Ursulines is an octagonal tower located on the heights of the city. The tower, surrounded of the Roman ramparts, is surmounted by a statue of the Holy-Virgin, dating from the 19th century, also classified. ;
the place of the Champ de Mars, which is the heart of the city where the two malls are grafted (street with the Rope-makers and street St Saulge). The Town hall and the Theater of the City. The market is held Wednesday and Friday to with it;
the Roman theater, where the spectacle of Augustodunum is interpreted every summer;
Roman doors: St Andre, of Arroux;
the temple known as " of Janus " ;
stone of Couhard;
the ramparts which girdle the old city.
the military college, with the beautiful glazed tiles. Old great seminar built at the 18th century, it now includes/understands since 1884 a preparatory military academy, then a college and finally, since 1981, a military college. It accommodates pupils originating in all the French areas, whose parents are with the service of the State. The two districts shelter the pupils of 6th with the preparatory classes. The construction of new buildings recently allowed the discovery of important Roman vestiges.
the old cellular prison, which was, at the end of the 19th century, one of the first French prisons to adopt the mode of cellular detention. Closed down since 1955, it is now protected by the historic buildings and is in particular remarkable for its circular plan.
picturesque Cascade of Brisecou

Museums

Museum of natural history (Zoology, Mineralogy, Paleontology);
Museum Rolin (Archéologie, art of the Moyen-âge, history and Art schools) which includes/understands the concise museum Saint Nicolas's Day (Archéologie);
the museum of the former children reared by the army, installed in the enclosure of the military college of Autun.

Cultural events

Festival Music in Morvan (Official site)

Large Spectacle Gallo-Roman AUGUSTODUNUM, the Voyage of Murcie (http://www.autun.com/distrair_spect_murcie.php/ Official site)

The Fair of the Piece of furniture (at the end of August/at the beginning of September)

The Fair of March 1st and of September 1st, where all the center town becomes pedestrian precinct with full with stands. And a fun fair settles during 15 days

Sport

the team of Basketball SCUMS which is in Main road 2 and which plays in the room SCUMS street of the Arquebus;
Autun is one of the stages of the Tour de France | site of the Tour de France by the town of Autun

Twinnings

, to see
, to see

References

See too

Anecdote

in 1996, Christian Vadim (wire of Catherine Deneuve) 33 years old Marie with Caroline Bufalini, a 24 year old designer, with the Cathédrale Saint-Lazare of Autun

Internal bonds

Cathedral Saint-Lazare
List of the bishops of Autun
List of the counts d' Autun

External bonds

Site of the French-speaking city
Site

Site of the community of communes of Autunois
Romanes.com Photographs of the cathedral
Tourist office of Autun
the temple of Janus to Autun, visits 3D
Autun on the site of the national geographical Institute
Histoire and archeology in Autun and in the neighborhoods
Autun on the site of INSEE
Autun on the site of Quid
Localization of Autun on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plan on Autun on Mapquest

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