Beaune

Hospices de Beaune

Coat of arms

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

Burgundy

Government

• Mayor (2008–2014)

Alain Suguenot

Area¹

31.30 km² (12.08 sq mi)

Population (2008)²

22,218

• 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.

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 Burgundy region.

Wine

Main article: Beaune wine

Vineyards on the outskirts of Beaune

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 a semi-continental climate with an oceanic 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 Côte 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	22,310	+0.4%

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.

Beaune, France

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:

Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States - since October 21, 2006 Bensheim, Germany - since June 12, 1960 Malmedy, Belgium - since June 11, 1962	Krems, Austria - since March 23, 1976 Katsunuma, Japan - since September 18, 1976 Berkhamsted, United Kingdom Missoula, Montana