Autun

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Autun (Script error: No such module "IPA".) is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Roman capital to the Gallic people Aedui, who had Bibracte as their political centre. In Roman times the city may have been home to 30,000 to 100,000 people, according to different estimates.[2] Nowadays, the commune has a population of about 13,000.[3]

Pioneer of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century with the early exploitation of oil shale and fluorine, since the 20th century, Autun has experienced a renewed dynamism which has made it the headquarters of several international companies (Dim, Nexans). It contains one of the six French military high schools (Lycée militaire d'Autun). The city, due to its ancient and medieval past, possesses a rich heritage which makes it one of the most important tourist sites in the heart of Burgundy, just southeast of the Morvan.[4]

History

Early history

File:Autun - Temple de Janus - 3.jpg
Temple of Janus
File:Autun - Théâtre romain - 3.jpg
Roman theatre

Augustodunum was founded during the reign of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, after whom it was named. It was the civitas "tribal capital" of the Aedui, Continental Celts who had been allies and "brothers" (Script error: No such module "Lang".) of Rome since before Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Augustodunum was a planned foundation replacing the original oppidum Bibracte, located some Template:Cvt away. Several elements of Roman architecture such as walls, gates, and a Roman theatre are still visible in the city.

In AD 356, a force of Alemanni brought the siege of Autun. The disrepair of the walls left the city in danger of falling. Autun was saved by the arrival of the Emperor Julian in one of his early military successes. In Late antiquity, Autun became known for its schools of rhetoric. A world map based on the Geography of Ptolemy, famous for its size, was displayed in the portico of one of the schools. It may have survived until early modern times.[5]

In 532, the Merovingian kings Childebert I and Chlothar I in Battle of Autun defeated the Burgundians led by king Godomar and took over the country of Burgundy.[6] In 642 or 643, another battle was fought near Autun between feuding Frankish noblemen.

Leodegar (Léger; born c. 616 – died 678) was bishop of Autun. He was tortured and killed in Lucheux, Somme on the orders of Ebroin, the Mayor of the Palace. Around 670 he had presided over the second council of Autun (after that of 599, which was convened by Bishop Syagre).[7]

In 725, during the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate into Gaul, Muslim forces from al-Andalus under the governor Anbasa ibn Suhaym al-Kalbi launched a major raiding expedition into Burgundy. Advancing up the Rhône and Saône valleys, the army penetrated deep into Frankish territory and captured and sacked the city of Autun.[8]

The raid formed part of a broader Umayyad campaign that struck several towns in Burgundy and demonstrated the reach of Andalusi forces into the interior of Francia before the consolidation of Frankish resistance later in the eighth century.[9][10]

In 880, Count Richard of Autun was made the first Duke of Burgundy.

In 1506, Barthélemy de Chasseneuz made his reputation as an attorney, defending the rats of Autun against the charge of eating the barley crop.[11]

Modern times

File:Autun - Théâtre.jpg
The modern-day theatre
File:Passage Balthus Autun 5.jpg
Passage Balthus in the city centre

In 1788, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord became bishop of Autun. He was elected member of the clergy for the Estates-General of 1789.

The lycée (high school), Lycée Bonaparte, has played an important role in the history of the city since Napoleon gave it its current name, and his brothers Joseph and Lucien studied there. This school continues to operate today. The decorated wrought iron gates were erected in 1772; the subjects taught in the school are indicated by various representations of objects along the top of these grids.

In 1837, a commercial mining of oil shale deposit near Autun marked the beginning of the modern oil-shale industry.[12] In 1852, the uranium mineral autunite was first discovered near Autun, and named for the town.[citation needed]

File:SC 195549 - The first meeting of American troops of General Patton's Third U.S. Army forces with French troops of General Patch's Seventh U.S. Army took place recently (52597158402).jpg
French and American servicemen in front of Autun City Hall on 13 September 1944, three days after the city was liberated from German occupation. Adjutant Émile Lancery (left), of the French troops of General Patch's 7th Army, who came from Toulon, shakes hands with Louis Basil, a sergeant in Patton's 3rd Army, who arrived from the Cotentin. A French flag with a Cross of Lorraine is visible in the background.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the leader of the Army of the Vosges, Giuseppe Garibaldi,[13] chose the city as his headquarters. The fight to liberate Autun from the German occupation at the end of World War II, on 8–9 September 1944, was particularly bloody for the French Resistance, with about 80 of its members killed.[14] In the months prior, the Germans had destroyed a number of villages in the area, particularly in the Morvan, home to a large Resistance movement. The Germans surrendered unconditionally on 10 September 1944,[15] before the Americans reached Autun on 13 September.[16]

Geography

The city rests on the southern edge of a depression called the Permian Autun Basin which includes the Autunian stratotype forming the Autunois. It is surrounded to the north by bocage meadows (bocage with wide mesh), to the west by the Morvan massif, and to the south by deciduous forests (domanial forest of Planoise) covering a sandstone plateau.

The Autunois region is composed of sixty-four communes grouped into seven cantons. In the cantons of Autun-Nord and Autun-Sud are the following municipalities: Antully, Auxy, Curgy, Dracy-Saint-Loup, Monthelon, Saint-Forgeot and Tavernay.

Climate

The commune lies in the northwest of the department.

For the period 1971–2000, the average annual temperature was 10.5 °C, with an annual temperature range of 16.6 °C. The average annual cumulative precipitation was 1,061 mm, with 12.1 days of precipitation in January and 7.6 days in July.[17] For the period 1991–2020, the average annual temperature observed at the meteorological station installed in the municipality was 10.7 °C and the average annual cumulative precipitation was 857.2 mm. The maximum temperature recorded at this station was 40 °C, reached on August 12, 2003; the minimum temperature was −18.3 °C, reached on 20 December 2009.[18]

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Population

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Sights

File:Autun remparts.jpg
Autun remparts (defensive walls from the Roman era)
File:Kathedrale in Autun01.jpg
Tour des Ursulines near Autun Cathedral

The city boasts two ancient Roman gates (Porte Saint-André and Porte d'Arroux) and other ruins dating to the time of Augustus. One of the most impressive remains is that of the ancient theatre, which was one of the largest in the western part of the empire with a 17,000-seat capacity. To the northwest of the city is the so-called Temple of Janus, only two walls (faces) of which remain. To the southeast is the mysterious Pierre de Couhard, a rock pyramid of uncertain function which may date to Roman times.

File:Autun Pyramide de Couhard.jpg
Couhard Pyramid

Autun Cathedral, also known as Saint Lazare Cathedral, dates from the early twelfth century and is a major example of Romanesque architecture. It was formerly the chapel of the Dukes of Burgundy; their palace was the actual episcopal residence. The cathedral was originally built as a pilgrimage church for the veneration of the relic Saint Lazarus, mentioned in the Gospels, and considered the first bishop of Marseille, and who, always according to tradition, arrived in Provence with Mary Magdalen.

File:Autun - Porte Saint-André.jpg
Saint-André Gate
File:Autun - Porte d'Arroux.jpg
Arroux Gate

Autun's 12th-century bishop, Étienne de Bâgé, probably built the church in response to the construction of Ste. Madeleine at nearby Vézelay, home to the French cult of Mary Magdalene. St Lazare was only later elevated to the rank of cathedral, replacing the former cathedral dedicated to St Nazaire.[21]

The Autun Cathedral is famous for its architectural sculpture, particularly the tympanum of The Last Judgment above the west portal, surviving fragments from the lost portal of the north transept, and the capitals in the nave and choir. All of these are traditionally considered the work of Gislebertus, whose name is on the west tympanum. It is uncertain whether Gislebertus is the name of the sculptor or of a patron. If Gislebertus is in fact the artist, he is one of very few medieval artists whose name is known.

Other notable connections

Sport

  • The European Triathlon Championships were also held in the town in 2006.[citation needed]
  • The Fifth Stage of the 2007 Tour de France ended in the town, with the entrance to Autun being a twisting and winding route down from a nearby mountain.

Tourism

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File:Bellerophon riding Pegasus and killing the Chimera, Roman mosaic, the Rolin Museum in Autun, France, 2nd to 3rd century AD.jpg
Bellerophon riding Pegasus and slaying the Chimera, central medallion of a Roman mosaic from Autun, Musée Rolin, 2nd to 3rd century AD

Autun's best-known museum is the Musée Rolin. It houses historical artistic collections.

Near Autun, tourists can also see:

Sister cities

Autun has sister city relationships with the following municipalities.

City Country Year
Ingelheim am Rhein Germany 1963
Stevenage United Kingdom 1975
Kawagoe Japan 2002[22]
Arévalo Spain 2005

See also

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in français). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Xavier de Planhol; Paul Claval (17 March 1994). An Historical Geography of France. Cambridge University Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-521-32208-9.
  3. ^ a b Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Présentation du territoire". www.grandautunoismorvan.fr (in français). Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  5. ^ John Brian Harley, David Woodward, The History of Cartography Vol I p. 290.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Stefánik. Historical Atlas of the World. pp. 92–93. ISBN 9781781866153.
  7. ^ « Les conciles d'Autun », article de Lucien Taupenot paru dans la revue Images de Saône-et-Loire No. 143 de septembre 2005 (p. 14-15).
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Wolf, Kenneth Baxter (1990). Conquerors and Chroniclers of Early Medieval Spain. Liverpool University Press. pp. 111–112.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Collins, Roger (1989). The Arab Conquest of Spain, 710–797. Blackwell. pp. 88–90.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fouracre, Paul (2000). The Age of Charles Martel. Pearson. pp. 45–47.
  11. ^ Edward Payson Evans, The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals (1906), p. 18.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Laherrère, Jean (2005). "Review on oil shale data" (PDF). Hubbert Peak. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-06-17.
  13. ^ Howard, Michael. The Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France, 1870-1871. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1962. p.254
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Autun (Saône-et-Loire) bataille du 8 au 9 septembre" (in français). La bataille pour la libération d'Autun se déroula du 8 au 9 septembre 1944 entre les forces de la Résistance (FTP, AS), le Corps Franc Pommiès (CFP), les unités de l'armée du général de Lattre d'une part et les forces d'Occupation allemande de l'autre. Les résistants eurent environ 80 tués.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."UNIS POUR LA VICTOIRE !" (in français). Centre de documentation «Résistance et Déportation de Saône-et-Loire». Dans l'après-midi du 10 septembre, face à la force de frappe française et après de lourdes pertes, les Allemands capitulent sans condition, 3500 sont faits prisonniers.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."JONCTION DES ARMÉES AMÉRICAINES À AUTUN LE 13 SEPTEMBRE 1944". museedelaresistanceenligne.org (in français).
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Joly, Daniel; Brossard, Thierry; Cardot, Hervé; Cavailhes, Jean; Hilal, Mohamed; Wavresky, Pierre (2010-06-18). "Les types de climats en France, une construction spatiale". Cybergeo: European Journal of Geography (in français). doi:10.4000/cybergeo.23155. ISSN 1278-3366.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Joly, Daniel; Brossard, Thierry; Cardot, Hervé; Cavailhes, Jean; Hilal, Mohamed; Wavresky, Pierre (2010-06-18). "Les types de climats en France, une construction spatiale". Cybergeo: European Journal of Geography (in français). doi:10.4000/cybergeo.23155. ISSN 1278-3366.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Normals and records for Autun (71)" (in français). Meteociel. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  20. ^ Template:Cassini-Ehess
  21. ^ Linda Seidel, Legends in limestone: Lazarus, Gislebertus, and the Cathedral of Autun (University of Chicago Press, 1999), p. 35 online.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.フランス共和国ブルゴーニュ州 オータン市 (in 日本語). Japan: Kawagoe International Center. 2003. Archived from the original on 2008-04-26. Retrieved 29 November 2014.

Further reading

  • Westermann, Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte (in German)

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Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Autun".

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