Beaune
| Beaune | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| ||
  Beaune | ||
|
Location within Burgundy region  Beaune | ||
| Coordinates: 47°01′30″N 4°50′23″E / 47.025°N 4.8397°ECoordinates: 47°01′30″N 4°50′23″E / 47.025°N 4.8397°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Burgundy | |
| Department | Côte-d'Or | |
| Arrondissement | Beaune | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Alain Suguenot | |
| Area | ||
| • Land1 | 31.30 km2 (12.08 sq mi) | |
| Population (2008) | ||
| • Population2 | 22,218 | |
| • Population2 Density | 710/km2 (1,800/sq mi) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 21054 / 21200 | |
| Elevation |
193–407 m (633–1,335 ft) (avg. 219 m or 719 ft) | |
|
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
.svg.png)
Beaune (French pronunciation: [bon]) is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.
Beaune is one of the key wine centres in France and the annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France. The town is surrounded by some of the world's most famous wine villages, while the facilities and cellars of many producers, large and small, are situated in Beaune itself. With a rich historical and architectural heritage, Beaune is considered the "Capital of Burgundy wines".
It is an ancient and historic town on a plain by the hills of the Côte d'Or, with features remaining from the pre-Roman and Roman eras, through the medieval and renaissance periods and up to recent history and modern times.
Beaune is a walled city, with about half of the battlements, ramparts, and the moat, having survived and in good condition, and the central "old town" is extensive. Historically Beaune is intimately connected with the Dukes of Burgundy.
Landmarks in Beaune include the Halles, the Hospices, the Beffroi, and Notre Dame.
There is a comprehensive "traditional" shopping area clustered around the central square with a focus on gourmet food, fashion, and wine, while large supermarkets, business parks, etc., are situated on the outskirts of town.
Beaune is the centre for wine industry services (such as tractors and equipment for vat-rooms) as well as a number of wine-related institutes and education facilities. The train station is served by TGV, through Dijon or Lyon.
Beaune has a major fine food market on Saturdays, where there are a large number of stall holders supplying a broad selection of products and specialties from Burgundy and the surrounding regions. For example, Bresse chickens, Jura cheeses, small goods, spices, produce of every variety as well as seasonal specialties such as truffles.[1] There is a smaller market on Wednesday, and special-event markets and fetes are held throughout the year.
Although Beaune is not primarily a tourist town but one centred on the wine industry, it nevertheless attracts a large amount of tourism. About five traditional smaller hotels are located within the city walls with around five chain hotels on the outskirts.
Technically Beaune is a commune in eastern France, a sub-prefecture of department 21, the Côte-d'Or department, in the Bourgogne region.
Wine
Beaune is one of the wine communes of the Côte de Beaune subregion of the Burgundy wine region, which bears the name of this town. Although Beaune is lacking a Grand Cru vineyard in the commune, it is the hub of the region's wine business, as most of Burgundy's major négociants are here. Beaune is renowned for its annual charity wine auction on behalf of the Hospices de Beaune.
It is on the route des Grands Crus tourist trail among the vineyards. The road runs north from Beaune to Gevrey Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-Georges and south to Nolay, Saisy and Autun.
Climate
Beaune has an oceanic climate with a semi-continental tendency. The oceanic influence is seen with frequent rains in each season (though Autumn has the most and Summer has the least) and many weather changes. On the other hand, one sees the semi-continental influence with one of the greatest seasonal temperature differences, characterized by cold winters with frequent snowfall, and hot summers with violent storms. It is this climate which creates the unique microcosism for which the cote d'or is so readily known.
The city also has an exchange with a grammar school in Bensheim, Germany.
Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1793 | 10,114 | — |
| 1800 | 8,344 | −17.5% |
| 1806 | 9,298 | +11.4% |
| 1821 | 9,947 | +7.0% |
| 1831 | 9,908 | −0.4% |
| 1836 | 10,678 | +7.8% |
| 1841 | 10,585 | −0.9% |
| 1846 | 11,362 | +7.3% |
| 1851 | 10,969 | −3.5% |
| 1856 | 10,453 | −4.7% |
| 1861 | 10,715 | +2.5% |
| 1866 | 10,907 | +1.8% |
| 1872 | 11,176 | +2.5% |
| 1876 | 11,421 | +2.2% |
| 1881 | 12,038 | +5.4% |
| 1886 | 12,146 | +0.9% |
| 1891 | 12,470 | +2.7% |
| 1896 | 13,726 | +10.1% |
| 1901 | 13,887 | +1.2% |
| 1906 | 13,540 | −2.5% |
| 1911 | 13,049 | −3.6% |
| 1921 | 11,661 | −10.6% |
| 1926 | 11,990 | +2.8% |
| 1931 | 11,862 | −1.1% |
| 1936 | 12,161 | +2.5% |
| 1946 | 11,990 | −1.4% |
| 1954 | 13,175 | +9.9% |
| 1962 | 15,367 | +16.6% |
| 1968 | 16,874 | +9.8% |
| 1975 | 19,060 | +13.0% |
| 1982 | 20,207 | +6.0% |
| 1990 | 21,289 | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 21,923 | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 22,218 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 40,143 | +80.7% |
Hospices de Beaune
Founded in 1442 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy, and his wife, the Hospices are a charity running hospitals and other services for the needy. Following from past donations, they own vineyards in Burgundy.
Personalities
- Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941), race car driver, co-founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company, co-founder of the Frontenac Motor Corporation with brothers Gaston and Arthur.
- Arthur Chevrolet (1884–1946), race car driver and co-founder of the Frontenac Motor Corporation with brothers Louis and Gaston.
- Gaston Chevrolet (1892–1920), 1920 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1920 AAA National Champion race car driver, co-founder of the Frontenac Motor Corporation with brothers Louis and Arthur.
- Bruno Latour (born 1947), anthropologist and an influential theorist in the field of science and technology studies.
- Étienne-Jules Marey (1830–1904), scientist and chronophotographer, widely considered to be a pioneer of photography and an influential pioneer of the history of cinema.
- Gaspard Monge (1746–1818), mathematician and inventor of descriptive geometry.
- Félix Ziem (1821–1911), painter in the style of the Barbizon School.
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
Beaune is twinned with:
|
|
.svg.png){kind=small}
Gallery
-
The Last Judgment (Rogier van der Weyden), Hôtel-Dieu, Beaune
-
Nicolas Rolin, founder of the Hôtel-Dieu, Beaune
-
Beaune City Hall
-
Collégiale Notre-Dame de Beaune
See also
- Burgundy wine
- Communes of the Côte-d'Or department
- French wine
- List_of_works_by_Henri_Chapu Sculptor of Beaune memorial 1870
References
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beaune. |
- (French) Official website
- (French) Beaune tourism office
- Châteaux in and around the town of Beaune
- (English) Hospices de Beaune
- Hospices de Beaune Fuller version in French
- Pictures of Beaune Basilica
