Autun
Encyclopedia : A : AU : AUT : Autun
| Autun | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Région | Bourgogne |
| Départment | Saône-et-Loire |
| Arrondissement | Autun |
| Canton | Autun |
| INSEE | 710014 |
| Postal Code | 71400 |
| Mayor Current Term | Rémi Rebeyrotte |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de communes de l'Autunois |
| Longitude | 4°17'E |
| Latitude | 46°57'N |
| Altitudes | average : minimum : maximum : 306m |
| Area | 61.52 km² |
| Population without double-counting | 16,419 inhab. (1999) |
| Population Density | 267 inhab./km² |
Autun is a town in the Saône-et-Loire département in Burgundy, France, and has a history which dates back to Roman times.
Contents
History
Autun was founded during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus (Autun derives from its Latin name Augustodunum), and was famous for having schools of rhetoric. Several elements of Roman architecture such as walls, gates, and a Roman theatre are still visible in the town. The area also lies in the area of Burgundy, and in the middle ages, it was a Count of Autun who became the first Duke of Burgundy.
Sights
The city boasts ancient Roman gates and other ruins dating to the time of Augustus (Augustodonum).Autun has a major Romanesque cathedral dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, which was formerly the chapel of the Dukes of Burgundy; their palace was the actual episcopal residence. [Cathedral:[link],[link]]
Other notable connections
- Honorius of Autun (died c. 1151)
- Nivelon I (d. 768) was known as Count of Autun
- In the late 8th century, Charles Martel's daughter (name listed as Auda, Alane, or Aldana) married Thierry IV (also called Theoderich or Theoderic), Count of Autun and Toulouse. According to the controversial book Holy Blood Holy Grail (which may merely be repeating local legend), Theoderic was declared a King by the Carolingians, and his son was Saint William of Gellone. (For more details on this topic, see Septimania#References in popular culture.)
- In the late 9th century, the countship was vacant after the death of Robert the Strong, but was returned to Bernard Plantilosa, son of Bernard of Septimania, and then later to Bernat of Gothia, Count of Barcelona after Bernard fell out of favor.
- In 878, King Louis the Younger took the countship away and gave it to his chamberlain, Theodoric.
- Richard of Autun (c.867-921), also Count of Autun, was also the first Duke of Burgundy, whose ducal principality amalagmated several countships including Autun
Sister Cities
Autun has sister city relationships with:See also
Sources and external links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
[Special]
- [Visiting Autun (tourist map and photos)]
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
- Westermann, Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte (in German)
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.