Auxerre

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:For Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox French commune Auxerre (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell,<ref>Template:Cite LPD</ref> Template:IPA, Burgundian: Auchoirre) is the capital (prefecture) of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Paris. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (aire d'attraction) comprises roughly 111,000 inhabitants.<ref>Comparateur de territoire: Commune d'Auxerre (89024), Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 d'Auxerre (102), INSEE, 8 October 2024.</ref> Residents of Auxerre are referred to as Auxerrois.

Auxerre is a commercial and industrial centre, with industries including food production, woodworking and batteries. Nearby areas are also noted for the production of Burgundy wine, including Chablis. In 1995 Auxerre was named a "Town of Art and History".<ref>Template:In lang "Labellisation Pays d'art et d'histoire : l'Auxerrois prêt pour le grand oral au ministère de la culture", lyonne.fr, 22 November 2019.</ref>

Geography

Auxerre lies on the river Yonne and the Canal du Nivernais, about 150 km southeast of Paris and 120 km northwest of Dijon. The A6 autoroute (Paris–Lyon) passes northeast of the city. Auxerre-Saint-Gervais station has rail connections to Dijon, Paris, Corbigny and Avallon.

History

File:Auxerre - Hotel de ville 2.jpg
The Hôtel de Ville

Auxerre was a flourishing Gallo-Roman centre, then called Autissiodorum, through which passed one of the main roads of the area, the Via Agrippa (1st century AD) which crossed the Yonne (Gallo-Roman Icauna) here. In the third century it became the seat of a bishop<ref>Councils were held here in 578 and 1147.</ref> and a provincial capital of the Roman Empire. In the 5th century it received a cathedral. In the late 11th-early 12th century the existing communities were included inside a new line of walls built by the feudal counts of Auxerre.

Bourgeois activities accompanied the traditional land and wine cultivations starting from the twelfth century, and Auxerre developed into a commune with a Hôtel de Ville (town hall) which was completed, in its original form, in 1452.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The Burgundian city, which became part of France under King Louis XI, suffered during the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. In 1567 it was captured by the Huguenots, and many of the Catholic edifices were damaged. The medieval ramparts were demolished in the 18th century.

In the 19th century numerous heavy infrastructures were built, including a railway station, a psychiatric hospital and the courts, and new quarters were developed on the right bank of the Yonne.

Archaeology

In June 2024, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research announced the discovery of a large Roman cemetery in Place du Maréchal Leclerc, Auxerre, France. The cemetery contains more than 250 burials of infants and stillborn babies. Some remains were buried in ceramic vessels and wooden coffins, while others were wrapped in textiles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2025, a vast Roman villa complex spanning over 4,000 square meters was discovered during excavations by the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap). Known as Sainte-Nitasse, the site, first identified in the late 19th century, is now recognized as one of the largest Roman villas in Gaul. Dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE, the complex features a central garden, perimeter wall, and various rooms including substantial private baths.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

Template:Historical populations

Climate

Template:Weather box

Main sights

File:Auxerre 003.JPG
A view of Auxerre's old town with Saint-Germain Abbey in the background
File:Auxerre - Saint Pierre Church.jpg
Church of St. Pierre en Vallée, listed as monument
  • Cathedral of St. Étienne (11th–16th centuries). In Gothic style, it has three doorways with bas-reliefs. There are stained-glass windows in the choir and the apsidal chapel. The 11th-century crypt houses the remains of the former Romanesque cathedral.
  • Abbey of Saint-Germain, existing from the 6th century. The crypt has some of the oldest mural paintings in France, and houses the tomb of the bishops of Auxerre. There is a chapter room (12th century), a cellar (14th century) and a cloister (17th century).
  • The Clock Tower, in the Old Town
  • The church of St. Pierre en Vallée (17th–18th centuries), established over a 6th-century abbey. In late Gothic style, it has a tower similar to that of the cathedral. Portions of the decorations and inner chapels were financed by local winegrowers.
  • Church of St. Eusèbe, founded in the 7th century. The nave was rebuilt in the 13th century, while the tower is in Romanesque style.

Notable people

Specialties

Regional wines

The whole region of Burgundy produces over 200 million bottles per year.

Twin towns – sister cities

Template:See also Auxerre is twinned with:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category

Template:Préfectures of départements of France Template:Yonne communes

Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Auxerre&oldid=321784"