Nantes

Nantes (Breton: Naoned; Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, near the Atlantic coast, with 711,120 inhabitants in the metropolitan area at the 1999 census. Nantes is the capital of the Pays de la Loire région, as well as the prefecture of the Loire-Atlantique departement. It is also the most important city of historic Brittany, though now a part of the current Pays de la Loire administrative region. Nantes is also known, according to its citizens and a French magazine Le Point^{[citation needed]}, the most pleasurable and peaceful city to live in France, and also as mystic as Paris can be. ^{[neutrality disputed]} ^{[dubious — see talk page]}

[edit] Geography

The city has a total area of 65.19 km² (25.18 mi²). Its coordinates are 47°14' N, 1°35' W.

Nantes is located on the banks of the Loire river, at the confluence of the Erdre and the Sèvre Nantaise, near the river's mouth, 55 km (35 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean. The city was built in a place where many branches of the Loire river created several islands, but most of those branches were filled in at the beginning of the 20th century (and the confluence with the Erdre river diverted and covered) due to the increasing car traffic.

Nantes is divided into 11 neighborhoods, 9 on the right bank of the Loire, 1 on the left bank and 1 on the Ile-de-Nantes island.

Nantes is bordered by the cities of Basse-Goulaine, Bouguenais, Carquefou, La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Coueron, Indre, La Montagne, Orvault, Reze, Saint-Herblain, Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, Saint-Jean de Boiseau, Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire and Vertou.

[edit] History

Originally founded as a town by the Celtic tribe named Namneti around 70 BCE, it was conquered by Julius Caesar in 56 BCE and named Portus Namnetus. Christianised in the 3rd century CE, Nantes was successively invaded by the Saxons (around 285), the Franks (around 500), the Britons (in the 6th and 7th centuries) and the Normans (in 843). In 937, Alain Barbe-Torte, grandson of the last king of Brittany who was expelled by Norris, drove them out and founded the duchy of Brittany.

When the duchy of Brittany was annexed by the kingdom of France in 1532, Nantes kept the parliament of Brittany for a few years, before it was moved to Rennes. In 1598, King Henry IV of France signed the Edict of Nantes here, which granted Protestants rights to their religion.

During the 18th century, prior to abolition of slavery, Nantes was the slave trade capital of France. This kind of trade led Nantes to become the first port in France and a wealthy city. When the French Revolution broke out, Nantes chose to be part of it, although the whole surrounding region soon degenerated into an open civil war against the new republic. The excesses of the revolution led to thousands of summary executions, mainly by drowning in the Loire River. In the 19th century, Nantes became an industrial city. The first public transport anywhere may have been the omnibus service initiated in Nantes in 1826. It was soon imitated in Paris, London and New York. The first railroads were built in 1851 and many industries were created.

In 1940, the city was occupied by German troops. In 1941, the murder of a German officer, Lt. Col.Fritz Hotz, caused the retaliatory execution of 48 civilians. In 1943, the city was bombed twice by British bombers. Nantes was freed by the Americans in 1944. The harbour was moved to the very mouth of the Loire river, in Saint-Nazaire. It was only in the last 15 years of the 20th century that the city was able to move to a more modern economy.

[edit] Main sights

[edit] Castles and churches

Le chateau des Ducs de Bretagne (castle of the Dukes of Brittany)
Cathedrale Saint Pierre (Cathedral Saint-Peter Saint-Paul)
Eglise Saint Nicolas (Saint Nicolas church)
Eglise Sainte Croix (Holy Cross church). Located in the medieval part of the city near the castle.

[edit] Historical places

Passage Pommeraye
Brasserie La Cigale.
Place du Commerce, at the heart of the city and main Square.
Place Royale: historic place located in the heart of the city, recently renewed.
Place Graslin: Historic place, featuring the Theatre of Nantes and opposite to it the city's famous restaurant "La Cigale".
The new Palais de Justice (the new Court House), built in 2000 and designed by Jean Nouvel.
La Tour LU (the LU Tower). A tower guarding the entrance of a former Lefevre-Utile biscuit factory.
Beaujoire Stadium: Nantes largest sports stadium.
Marche Talensac (Talensac market). The main and historical town market.

[edit] Museums

Musee des Beaux arts de Nantes (fine arts museum of Nantes)
Musee Thomas Dobree / Musee archeologique (Dobree museum)
Museum d'histoire naturelle (Natural History museum)
Musee Jules Verne (Jules Verne museum).
Musee de l'imprimerie (museum of printing)
Musee naval Maille Breze (naval museum)
Musee de la machine a coudre
Musee des sapeurs pompiers de Loire-Atlantique (firemen museum)
Musee des compagnons du devoir / Manoir de la Hautiere (exhibition of masterpieces crafted by the journeymen)
FRAC The Pays de la Loire regional contemporary art collection
Planetarium

[edit] Parks and gardens

Jardin des plantes de Nantes (botanical gardens of Nantes).
Ile de Versailles (Versailles island), containing Japanese gardens.
Parc de Proce (Proce park)
Parc du Grand Blottereau (Grand Blottereau park)
Parc de la Chantrerie (Chanterie park)
Parc de la Beaujoire (Beaujoire park)
Parc de la Gaudiniere (Gaudiniere park)
Le cimetiere paysager (the landscape cemetery)
Le jardin des 5 sens (5 senses garden)
Vallee de l'Edre (Erdre valley)
Prairie aux Ducs

[edit] Concert Halls

Nantes Zenith (Concert Hall). It is France's largest and newest Zenith, which can host up to 8,500 people.
Theatre Graslin (Graslin Theatre): Nantes historical theatre.

[edit] Demographics

As of the 1999 census, there were 270,251 inhabitants in the city (commune) of Nantes. The population density was 4260 persons/km². There were 711,120 inhabitants in the metropolitan area (aire urbaine).

As of February 2004 estimates, the population of the city of Nantes reached 276,200 inhabitants.

[edit] Climate

About 50 kilometers away from the coast, Nantes has generally cool winters and mild summers, with rainfalls at least every week, which makes Nantes a temperate city, though winters can be freezy and summers hot, especially during the month of July.^{[citation needed]}

Elevation: 27 meters above sea level Latitude: 47 10N Longitude: 001 36W

Nantes Weather Forecast

[edit] Miscellaneous

The Cathedral of Nantes

Formerly the capital of Brittany, Nantes was separated from the region by the Vichy government in June 1941. Although the city has been part of the Pays de la Loire région since 1971, the feeling that Nantes belongs to Brittany is still solid nowadays. For cultural and political reasons, many people still identify with Brittany.

The local football team is FC Nantes Atlantique. For the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, Nantes will play host to a number of matches including England vs Samoa and Wales vs Fiji.

The Celtic band Tri Yann was originally known as Tri Yann an Naoned (the three Johns from Nantes).

Nantes's primary sister cities are the ports of Jacksonville, Florida; Seattle, Washington and Cardiff, Wales.

On December 31, 2006, some 600 people gathered in Nantes to protest the arrival of the New Year. They marched and held up banners that read "No to 2007" and "Now is better!" The protestors asked several governments and even the UN to declare a moratorium on the future. When the clock ticked past midnight, indicating the arrival of 2007, the protestors happily began to cheer "No to 2008!" The organisers claimed that they would stage the same event at the end of 2007, but this time on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris.^[1]

[edit] Colleges and universities

École Centrale de Nantes
Audencia Nantes - École de Management (former École Supérieure de Commerce Nantes)
École Polytechnique de l'Université de Nantes
École des Mines de Nantes
The Université de Nantes was created in 1460, but moved to Rennes in 1735. It was re-opened in 1962 only.
École d'Architecture de Nantes opened during the 70s
Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs des Techniques des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires
École Supérieure du Bois opened in Nantes since 1993.
L'école de design Nantes Atlantique
École Nationale Vétérinaire de Nantes one of four national schools of veterinary in France.

[edit] Transport

[edit] Public Transport

The omnibus, the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have been originated in Nantes in 1826 with the tramway beginning operation in 1879. This tramway system closed in 1958 until tramways made a comeback. There has been a question about whether to build a tramway or a subway system for Nantes, but it appears that the population opted for a tramway. The first tramway line was opened in 1985, now the largest tramway network in France. Future line extensions are projected.

Nantes public transportation (TAN for transport de l'agglomeration Nantaise in French) has three tramway lines, one busway line, hundreds of bus lines, two navibus lines and four suburbian train lines. The system works efficiently with moderate ticket rates, rare delays, constant informations about the network and clean transports. TAN renewed its fleet of buses as well as the tramways and the brand new busway, in way to help to protect the environment with natural gas buses, and low deck for tramways, busways, buses and navibus for full accessibility to disabled people for the whole network.

Ligne 1 (Tramway)
Ligne 2 (Tramway)
Ligne 3 (Tramway)
Ligne 4 (Busway)
Hundred of bus lines
Two Navibus lines
Four suburbian train lines

Projects on the network:

Extension of the line 1
Extension of the line 3
Connection between the tramway lines 1 and 2

[edit] Suburban Trains

TAN has made an agreement with local trains TER to allow people wishing to go in suburbian areas to use the trains, within the city limits, with a TAN ticket.. There are four lines linking major suburbian areas of the city.

Nantes is the first European city to have created a busway launched in November 2006 : the Ligne 4.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Train

Nantes lies on a number of rail lines, including TGV lines. By train, Nantes is connected via TGV to Paris, Lyon, Marseille, & Lille. In 2007, Nantes will be connected to Strasbourg & the East of France. By Corail (Classical Train), Nantes is connected at Quimper, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse. TER (Regional Transport) links to Saint-Nazaire, Angers, Le Mans, La Roche sur Yon, and many other regional cities.

[edit] Airport

Nantes has an international airport Nantes Atlantique Airport with daily flights linking main French airports as well as several European cities and further destinations. Nantes airport is linked to the city with the combination of the tramway line 2 and a bus shuttle.

The tramway of Nantes

A brand new airport construction will begin within the next years in Notre Dame Des Landes, and will be the main airport of western France, and the second main French airport.

[edit] Famous people born in Nantes

Anne of Brittany - Duchess of Britany, Queen of France wife of Louis XII
Pierre Jacques Étienne Cambronne - Commander of the Old Guard at Waterloo
Claire Bretécher - Cartoonist
Aristide Briand - French statesman, Nobel Peace Prize.
Claude Cahun (born Lucy Schwob) - Photographer and writer
Jean Graton - Cartoonist
René Pauvert - Chef
Julien de Lallande Poydras - Delegate to the United States House of Representatives
Suzanne Malherbe - Artist
Benoît Régent - Film Actor
Jules Verne - Writer
Eric Tabarly - Sailor
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau - French statesman
Louis de la Moricière - Commander of the papal army

[edit] Twinnings

Nantes has concluded town twinning agreements with:

[edit] See also

Land hemisphere

[edit] References

^ French marchers say 'non' to 2007 BBC News, 1 January 2007. Retrieved on 12 February 2007.

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