Nantes
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| Ville de Nantes | ||
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| Traditional city flag | City coat of arms | |
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Motto: Favet Neptunus eunti |
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| Traditional houses on the Île Feydeau. | ||
| Location | ||
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| Time Zone | CET (GMT +1) | |
| Coordinates | ||
| Administration | ||
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| Country | France | |
| Region | Pays de la Loire | |
| Department | Loire-Atlantique (44) | |
| Mayor | Jean-Marc Ayrault (PS) (2008-2014) |
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| City Statistics | ||
| Land area¹ | 65.19 km² | |
| Population² (2005 estimate) |
280,600 | |
| - Ranking | 6th in France | |
| - Density | 4,304/km² (2005) | |
| Urban Spread | ||
| Urban Area | 476 km² (1999) | |
| - Population | 544,932 (1999) | |
| Metro Area | 2,242.6 km² (1999) | |
| - Population | 711,120 (1999) | |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| INSEE/Postal code | 44109/ 44000, 44100, 44200 and 44300 | |
| Dialling code | 02 | |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | ||
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
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Nantes (Breton: Naoned, Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, 50 km (31 mi) from the Atlantic coast.[1] The city is the sixth largest in France, while its metropolitan area is the eighth with 711,120 inhabitants at the 1999 census, and 804,833 inhabitants at a 2008 estimate.[2]
Nantes is the préfecture of the Pays de la Loire région, as well as the Loire-Atlantique département. It is also the most important city of the historic province of Brittany, and culturally still remains strongly identified with it.[3] The city's name derives from the Nemnètes, a Gallic tribe who had settled there before the Romans conquered Gaul.[4]
In 2004, Time described Nantes as "the most livable city in all of Europe".[5]
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[edit] Etymology
The name Nantes, pronounced [nɑ̃ːt] in French, derives from that of its pre-Roman-era inhabitants, the Gaulish tribe known as the Namnèti. The city was called Portus Namnetus, during Roman occupation. The inhabitants of Nantes are known in French as Nantais ([nɑ̃.tɛ]).
Nantes' most common nickname is as the Venice of the West (French: La Venise de l'Ouest, Breton: Venezia ar C'hornog),[6] a name owing to its position on the river delta of the Loire, the Erdre, and the Sèvre (whose tributaries were infilled in the early 20th century).[7]
[edit] History
Originally founded as a town by the Gallic tribe named Namnèti around 70 BC, Nantes was conquered by Julius Caesar in 56 BC and named Portus Namnetus. Christianised in the 3rd century AD, the city was successively invaded by the Saxons (around 285), the Franks (around 500), the Britons (in the 6th and 7th centuries) and the Normans, who laid it waste in 843: "The city of Nantes remained for many years deserted, devastated and overgrown with briars and thorns." The Chronicle of Nantes continues until the year 946, telling that Alain Barbe-Torte, grandson of Alan the Great, the last king of Brittany who was expelled by the Norse, drove them out and founded the Duchy of Brittany.[8][9]
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 largest 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 known as the War in the Vendée. On 29 June 1793 the town was the site of a Republican victory in this war. The Loire was the site of tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of executions by drowning, including those using the method which came to be known as the Republican marriage, in which a man and a woman were stripped naked, tied together, and thrown into the 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.[citation needed] It was soon imitated in Paris, London and New York. The first railways 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. The city was twice severely bombed by British forces, on 16 and 23 August 1943, before being liberated by the Americans in 1944.[10]
Until the 1970s, Nantes' harbour was located on the Île de Nantes, when it was moved to the very mouth of the Loire river, at Saint-Nazaire. In the subsequent 20 years, many service sector organisations moved into the area, but economic difficulties forced most of these to close. In 2001, a major redevelopment scheme was launched, the goal of which is to revitalise the island as the new city centre.[11]
[edit] Geography
Nantes is located on the banks of the Loire River, at the confluence of the Erdre and the Sèvre Nantaise, 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.
[edit] Politics
- Further information: Urban Community of Nantes and List of mayors of Nantes
Nantes is the préfecture (capital city) of both the Loire-Atlantique département and the Pays de la Loire région.
The Nantes metropolitan area (Nantes Métropole) is the intercommunal structure connecting the city of Nantes with nearby suburbs. It had a 1999 population of 554,478, 48.7% of which comprised the city of Nantes. The current mayor of Nantes is Jean-Marc Ayrault (PS), first elected in 1989 and now serving a fourth term, until 2014.[12]
[edit] Neighbourhoods
Since 1995, Nantes has been divided into 11 neighbourhoods, each resembling an historic city quarter. Each of these neighbourhoods is controlled by a Comité Consultatif (Consultative Committee), comprising directly elected officials and a team of municipal members, similar to a New England board of selectmen. These neighbourhoods are:
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Nine of these neighbourhoods are situated on the right bank of the Loire, one is on the left bank, and one is on the Île de Nantes island.
[edit] Nantes and Brittany
The city of Nantes, and the Loire-Atlantique département, were formerly part of the historic province of Brittany; Nantes was one of its former capitals, along with Rennes.[13]
Historically, the country around Nantes (French: Le Pays Nantais; Breton: Bro Naoned; Gallo: Paeï de Nàntt) was always seen as being part of Brittany. In 1207, the Dukes of Brittany made Nantes their home, building the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany on the banks of the Loire. Most of the dukes and duchesses were buried in either the cathedral or the nearby abbeys.
In 1789, the separation of the historical provinces of France resulted in Brittany being split in five; the lower of the five, Loire-Inférieure (today Loire-Atlantique) was where Nantes was situated. As such, Brittany as an administrative region did not exist during the 19th and early 20th centuries, although it did still exist culturally and informally.[14] When regional regroupments during the 20th century resulted in the reinstatement of the regions, Loire-Atlantique found itself split from the other four départements by the Vichy regime in 1941; a new région had been created centred on Nantes, the Pays de la Loire.
Much debate surrounding this move persists. Those against (sometimes called the Breton militants) maintain that the separation was made by a non-democratically elected government, and that Loire-Atlantique is culturally, historically and geographically united to Brittany; those in favour argue that any reunification would reopen a "quarrel of the capitals" between Nantes and Rennes, and that it would be fatal to the Pays de la Loire région.[15]
The issue of linguistics is also relevant; in the east of Brittany (variously called Bretagne Gallèse or Haute Bretagne) Romance languages especially the local Gallo, as well as French, have long had more influence than Breton. However, in many large cities, including Nantes and Saint-Brieuc, the Breton language has sometimes been spoken more widely by the very urban and bourgeois population there (even though in Le Pays Nantais the opposite was true). In recent years, many bilingual plaques have appeared on tourist attractions in the city, with the help of the Ofis ar brezhoneg (French: Office de la Langue Bretonne; English: Office of the Breton Language).
Most recently, on 15 May 2004, a hastily organised demonstration in Nantes calling for the reunification of Brittany attracted 6,000 participants, while in five surveys on the issue, between 62% and 75% of the population of Loire-Atlantique have come out in favour of reunification.[16]
[edit] Demographics
As of the 1999 census, there were 270,251 inhabitants in the commune of Nantes. The population density was 4260 persons/km². There were 711,120 inhabitants in the metropolitan area.[citation needed]
As of February 2004 estimates, the population of the city of Nantes has reached 285,800 inhabitants.[citation needed]
[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.[17]
[edit] Miscellaneous
In 2003, the French weekly L'Express voted Nantes to be the "greenest city" in France, while in both 2003 and 2004 it was voted the "best place to live" by the weekly Le Point. In August 2004, Time designated Nantes as the "the most livable city in all of Europe".[5][18]
The local football team is FC Nantes Atlantique. During the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, Nantes hosted a number of matches including England against Samoa and Wales against Fiji.
The Celtic band Tri Yann was originally known as Tri Yann an Naoned (the three Johns from Nantes).
On December 31, 2006, some 600 people gathered in Nantes to facetiously protest the arrival of the New Year. They marched and held up banners that read "No to 2007" and "Now is better!" The protesters 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 protesters 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-Élysées avenue in Paris.[19]
[edit] Colleges and universities
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[edit] Transport
The omnibus, the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have originated in Nantes in 1826.[20] The Tramway de Nantes began operation in 1879, but would close in 1958. The system was reopened in 1985, and is now the largest tramway network in France.[21] Transport de l'agglomération nantaise (TAN) operate three tramway lines, one BusWay line, dozens of bus lines, two navibus lines and four suburban train lines.
Current expansion projects on the tram network include the extension of line one and a link between lines one and two on the northern part of the network. One more station is currently under construction on the north side of line three.[citation needed] Line three replaces line two on its south side, which now ends at Neustrie, near Nantes Atlantique Airport. Line two now ends in the borough of Rezé at a new station named Gare de Pont Rousseau, which is connected to a suburban train station of the same name.
Nantes lies on a number of rail lines, including several TGV lines. Nantes is connected via TGV to Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, and Strasbourg. By Corail (classical train), Nantes is connected to Quimper, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Toulouse. Transport express régional (TER, regional transport) links to Saint-Nazaire, Angers, Le Mans, La Roche sur Yon, and many other regional cities.
Nantes Atlantique Airport, located to the south west, serves the city and surrounding areas.
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This article or section contains information about planned or expected future infrastructure. It may contain speculative information and may change upon or during construction. |
The construction of L’Aéroport du Grand Ouest is soon expected to begin at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, just north of Nantes. The €580 million project is expected to come into operational use by 2012, and will become the main airport of western France.[22]
[edit] Leisure and sights
[edit] Castles and churches
- Château des ducs de Bretagne (Castle of the Dukes of Brittany).
- Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.
- Église Notre-Dame de Bon-Port (Basilica of Saint-Louis).
- Église Saint-Nicolas (Church of Saint Nicolas).
- Église Sainte-Croix (Church of the Holy Cross).
[edit] Museums
- Musée d'histoire de Nantes (Nantes History Museum); located inside the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany.
- Musée des Beaux arts de Nantes (Fine Arts Museum of Nantes).
- Musée Thomas Dobrée (Thomas Dobrée archaeological museum).
- Muséum d'histoire naturelle (Natural History museum).
- Musée Jules Verne (Jules Verne museum).
- Musée de l'imprimerie (museum of printing).
- Musée naval Maillé-Brézé (naval museum).
- Musée de la machine à coudre (sewing machine museum).
- Musée des sapeurs pompiers du Pays de la Loire; the firefighting museum of the Pays de la Loire
- Musée des compagnons du devoir, also Manoir de la Hautière; an exhibition of masterpieces crafted by journeymen.
- The Pays de la Loire regional contemporary art collection.
- The Planetarium.
[edit] Historical places
- The Isle of Nantes; a former shipyard turned into a leisure and cultural site, including the Machines of the Isle of Nantes permanent exhibition.
- Passage Pommeraye; 19th century galleria with shopping.
- Brasserie La Cigale; described by Jean-Louis Trintignant as "perhaps the most beautiful brasserie in the world".[23]
- Place du Commerce; the city's main square.
- Place Royale; an historic square located in the heart of the city, recently renewed.
- Place Graslin; an historic place featuring the Theatre of Nantes and famous brasserie La Cigale.
- Crebillon street and Orleans street lined with luxury boutiques linked by the Place Royale.
- The new Palais de Justice (court house); built in 2000 and designed by Jean Nouvel.
- La Tour LU (the LU Tower); a tower standing the entrance of the former Lefèvre-Utile Biscuit Co. factory.
- Beaujoire Stadium; Nantes' largest sports stadium, home of FC Nantes Atlantique soccer club.
- Le Marché de Talensac (Talensac Market); the main and historical public market.
[edit] Parks and gardens
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[edit] Concert halls
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[edit] Cinemas
- Gaumont Nantes; centrally located at the Place du Commerce in the heart of the city.
- Katorza; classified arts cinema, located next to place Graslin on the left side of the theatre.
- Concorde; an historic cinema in central Nantes.
- UGC Atlantis; located in the borough of Saint-Herblain, in the Atlantis commercial zone.
- Pathé Atlantis; also located in the borough of Saint-Herblain, in the Atlantis commercial zone.
- Cineville; Nantes' newest cinema located in the borough of Saint Sébastien.
- Cinématographe; specialises in arthouse movies.
[edit] Media
[edit] Local television channels
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[edit] Radio stations
- Nova 87.8.
- Radio Prun' 92.0.
- Rires Et Chansons 88.4.
- MFM Sud Loire 88.8.
- Alouette 89.5.
- RFM 90.1.
- France-Inter 90.6..
- FIP Nantes 95.7..
- Hit West 100.9.
- Radio France Bleu Loire-Ocean 101.8.
- RTL 104.3.
- Europe 1 104.7.
- France Infos 105.5.
- Cherie FM 106.2.
- Radio Classique 106.7.
- BFM 107.2.
[edit] Newspapers
Newspapers for sale:
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Free newspapers:
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[edit] Famous Nantais
- Anne of Brittany; Duchess of Brittany and Queen of France. Known as the only women to have married two kings of France, Charles VIII and Louis XII.
- Pierre Jacques Etienne Cambronne; commander of the Old Guard at Waterloo.
- Claire Bretécher; cartoonist.
- Aristide Briand; French statesman, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Claude Cahun (born Lucy Schwob); photographer and writer.
- Jean Graton; cartoonist.
- Rene Pauvert; chef.[citation needed]
- Julien de Lallande Poydras; former New Orleans member of the United States House of Representatives.
- Suzanne Malherbe; artist.
- Benoit Regent; actor.
- Jules Verne; writer.
- Eric Tabarly; sailor.
- Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau; French statesman.
- Louis de la Moriciere; commander of the Papal Army.
[edit] Twinnings
Nantes has town twinning agreements with several cities:
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Nantes Hutchinson Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 14 August 2007.
- ^ Population des villes de France au dernier recensement PopulationData.net. Retrieved on 14 August 2007.
- ^ A New Luster in the Ancient Heart of Brittany The New York Times, 5 August 2007. Retrieved on 7 August 2007.
- ^ Nantes Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 14 August 2007.
- ^ a b The Last Best Place In Europe Time Europe, 22 August 2004. Retrieved on 4 August 2007.
- ^ The Venice of the West RugbyWorldCup.com. Retrieved on 07-12-07.
- ^ Blue Nantes FranceGuide.com. Retrieved on 07-12-07.
- ^ David C Douglas, ed. English Historical Documents (Routledge, 1979) "Secular Narrative Sources" pp 345f.
- ^ Chronicle of Nantes English Historical Documents. By David Douglas, Dorothy Whitelock, Andrew Browning. ISBN 0415143667. Retrieved on 30-10-07.
- ^ reception - tourisme/culture - France - Nantes - histoire page
- ^ Revit Metropolitan Development
- ^ Ville de Nantes: Jean-Marc Ayrault
- ^ Presentation of Nantes CRWFlags.com. Published on 28-04-07. Retrieved on 07-12-07.
- ^ Reviews of The Life and Science of Léon Foucault. The Man who Proved the Earth Rotates.
- ^ Loire-Atlantique guide
- ^ Does the Breton language have a future? Breizh.net, May 2004. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
- ^ Climate information for Nantes Retrieved on 08-09-07.
- ^ A recognized quality of life Business in Western France. Retrieved on 4 August 2007.
- ^ French marchers say 'non' to 2007 BBC News, 1 January 2007. Retrieved on 12 February 2007.
- ^ Omnibus, Paris Late 19th century Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Dept. of Economics & Geography, Hofstra University. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
- ^ City tram now a mature network Tramways & Urban Transit, January 2001. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
- ^ http://www.airports.org/aci/aci/file/ADN%20-%20Momberger/ACI-ADN_Dec06.pdf
- ^ My favourite table The Guardian. Published on 09-02-03. Retrieved on 21-03-08.
[edit] External links
- Official website of the city of Nantes (French)
- Nantes Tourist Office Official Website (English)
- (TAN) Nantes public transport official website (French)
- Nantes Atlantique International Airport website (English)
- Official website of Nantes' Castle (English)
- Rugby World Cup 2007 in Nantes (French)
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