Auxerre

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Auxerre
Prefecture and commune
Auxerre, Cathedral and Abbey by Yonne riverfront
Auxerre, Cathedral and Abbey by Yonne riverfront
Coat of arms of Auxerre
Coat of arms
Location of Auxerre
Auxerre is located in France
Auxerre
Auxerre
Coordinates: 47°47′55″N 3°34′02″E / 47.7986°N 3.5672°E / 47.7986; 3.5672Coordinates: 47°47′55″N 3°34′02″E / 47.7986°N 3.5672°E / 47.7986; 3.5672
CountryFrance
RegionBourgogne-Franche-Comté
DepartmentYonne
ArrondissementAuxerre
CantonAuxerre-1, Auxerre-2, Auxerre-3, Auxerre-4
Intercommunality
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Crescent Marault[1]
Area
1
49.95 km2 (19.29 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2018)[2]
34,764
 • Density700/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
89024 /89000
Elevation93–217 m (305–712 ft)
(avg. 102 m or 335 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Auxerre (/ˈsɛər/ oh-SAIR,[3] French: [osɛʁ] (About this soundlisten)) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000;[4] the urban area (aire d'attraction) comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants.[5] Residents of Auxerre are referred to as Auxerrois.

Auxerre is a commercial and industrial centre, with industries including food production, woodworking and batteries. It is also noted for its production of Burgundy wine, including world-famous Chablis. In 1995 Auxerre was named "Town of Art and History".[6][circular reference]

History[]

Place Charles Lepère seen from rue du Temple

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[7] 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 Town Hall of its own. 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.

Until the early 20th century, Auxerre was one of the most prosperous cities in the departement. But the local authorities of that period refused the railway that was subsequently set in the village of Migennes, and signed the economic decline of the town.[citation needed]

Population[]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 12,000—    
1800 12,047+0.06%
1806 12,044−0.00%
1821 12,065+0.01%
1831 11,439−0.53%
1836 12,326+1.50%
1841 12,326+0.00%
1846 13,968+2.53%
1851 14,166+0.28%
1856 15,119+1.31%
1861 15,081−0.05%
1866 15,497+0.55%
1872 15,631+0.14%
1876 16,239+0.96%
1881 16,986+0.90%
1886 17,456+0.55%
1891 18,036+0.66%
1896 18,576+0.59%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 18,901+0.35%
1906 20,931+2.06%
1911 21,929+0.94%
1921 21,203−0.34%
1926 21,978+0.72%
1931 22,900+0.83%
1936 24,282+1.18%
1946 24,052−0.10%
1954 26,583+1.26%
1962 31,178+2.01%
1968 35,784+2.32%
1975 38,342+0.99%
1982 38,741+0.15%
1990 38,819+0.03%
1999 37,790−0.30%
2007 37,218−0.19%
2012 35,096−1.17%
2017 34,634−0.26%
Source: EHESS[8] and INSEE (1968-2017)[9]

Climate[]

hideClimate data for Auxerre (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.8
(62.2)
23.0
(73.4)
26.6
(79.9)
29.8
(85.6)
32.1
(89.8)
37.7
(99.9)
39.6
(103.3)
41.1
(106.0)
35.3
(95.5)
31.3
(88.3)
22.8
(73.0)
18.4
(65.1)
41.1
(106.0)
Average high °C (°F) 6.3
(43.3)
7.9
(46.2)
12.2
(54.0)
15.6
(60.1)
19.8
(67.6)
23.0
(73.4)
26.1
(79.0)
25.8
(78.4)
21.5
(70.7)
16.6
(61.9)
10.2
(50.4)
6.7
(44.1)
16.0
(60.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.6
(38.5)
4.4
(39.9)
7.8
(46.0)
10.5
(50.9)
14.5
(58.1)
17.7
(63.9)
20.2
(68.4)
20.0
(68.0)
16.3
(61.3)
12.4
(54.3)
7.1
(44.8)
4.1
(39.4)
11.6
(52.9)
Average low °C (°F) 0.8
(33.4)
0.9
(33.6)
3.3
(37.9)
5.3
(41.5)
9.2
(48.6)
12.3
(54.1)
14.4
(57.9)
14.1
(57.4)
11.0
(51.8)
8.2
(46.8)
4.0
(39.2)
1.6
(34.9)
7.1
(44.8)
Record low °C (°F) −20.2
(−4.4)
−18.8
(−1.8)
−11.6
(11.1)
−5.2
(22.6)
−1.0
(30.2)
3.0
(37.4)
5.8
(42.4)
4.0
(39.2)
0.5
(32.9)
−2.9
(26.8)
−8.8
(16.2)
−15.1
(4.8)
−20.2
(−4.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 56.3
(2.22)
47.7
(1.88)
48.9
(1.93)
56.0
(2.20)
69.5
(2.74)
61.5
(2.42)
53.9
(2.12)
59.3
(2.33)
61.1
(2.41)
70.8
(2.79)
61.1
(2.41)
61.2
(2.41)
707.3
(27.85)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.2 9.6 10.6 9.9 11.3 9.7 7.6 7.8 8.5 10.3 11.0 11.6 119.1
Average relative humidity (%) 87 82 77 72 76 74 71 73 78 85 87 88 79.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 61.7 89.2 135.2 173.9 198.0 213.9 245.2 229.6 177.2 121.2 70.1 53.3 1,768.5
Source 1: Meteo climat[10][11]
Source 2: Infoclimat.fr (humidity, 1961–1990)[12]

Main sights[]

A view of Auxerre's old town with Saint-Germain Abbey in the background.
Church of St. Pierre en Vallée, listed as monument.
  • Cathedral of St. Étienne (11th–16th centuries). In Gothic style, it is renowned for its three doorways with remarkable bas-reliefs. The stained-glass windows in the choir and the apsidal chapel are among the finest in France. The 11th-century crypt houses the remains of the former Romanesque cathedral.
  • Abbey of Saint-Germain, existing from the 9th century. The crypt has some of the most ancient mural paintings in France, and houses the tomb of the bishops of Auxerre. Also interesting are the chapter room (12th century), the cellar (14th century) and the 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[]

  • Germanus of Auxerre (c.378-c.442-448), bishop of Auxerre, missionary to Britain
  • William of Auxerre (d.1231), early High Scholastic theologian from Auxerre
  • Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier, (1768–1830), born in Auxerre, mathematician, experimental physicist, and politician[13]
  • Paul Bert (1833–1886), born in Auxerre, physiologist and politician
  • Théodore Frédéric Gaillardet, (1808–1882), born in Auxerre, journalist, publisher of French-language newspaper Courrier des Etats-Unis in New York City, mayor of Plessis-Bouchard, France[14]
  • Eugène Hatin (1809–1893), historian and bibliographer
  • Saint Helladius (d. 387), bishop of Auxerre
  • Paul Monceaux (1859–1941), born in Auxerre, historian
  • Benoît Mourlon (born 1988), footballer
  • Jean Paul Rappeneau (1932), born in Auxerre, film director.
  • Guy Roux (1938), coach of AJ Auxerre for more than 40 years, holding the French record of 894 games in Ligue 1

Specialties[]

  • Gougère – baked choux pastry made of dough mixed with cheese.
  • Kir – a traditional aperitif mixed drink from Burgundy wine (traditionally Bourgogne Aligoté) and blackcurrant liqueur.
  • Boeuf bourguignon – a typical main dish made of beef and vegetables.
  • Truffe bourguignonne – truffles from Burgundy.

Famous regional wines[]

  • Chablis wine: One of the best white wines in the country, made exclusively of Chardonnay in the Chablis AOC
  • Saint-Bris AOC: The one and only white wine in Burgundy made of Sauvignon grapes, especially Sauvignon blanc and Sauvignon gris
  • Irancy: Perhaps the best red wine from the surrounding area - light and flavourful, made of Pinot noir
  • Bourgogne côte d'Auxerre: Belongs to the Burgundy AOC (wine), it is a light and fruity wine made of Chardonnay for the white wine and Pinot noir for the red.
  • Crémant de Bourgogne: Sparkling wine following the tradition of Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne has a strong production in and around Auxerre.
  • Bourgogne Aligoté: Dry wine. Aligoté is the second most popular grape variety grown in Burgundy after Chardonnay.

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

International relations[]

Twin towns and sister cities[]

Auxerre is twinned with:

  • Italy Greve in Chianti, Italy
  • Poland Płock, Poland
  • United Kingdom Redditch, United Kingdom[15]
  • France Roscoff, France
  • France Saint-Amarin, France
  • Croatia Varaždin, Croatia
  • Germany Worms, Germany

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2018". INSEE. 28 December 2020.
  3. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  4. ^ Dossier complet commune d’Auxerre, INSEE
  5. ^ Comparateur de territoire: Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 d'Auxerre (102), INSEE, 9 December 2020.
  6. ^ fr:Villes et Pays d'art et d'histoire
  7. ^ Councils were held here in 578 and 1147.
  8. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Auxerre, EHESS. (in French)
  9. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  10. ^ "Moyennes 1981/2010: Région Bourgogne" (in French). Météoclimat. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  11. ^ "STATION Auxerre" (in French). Météoclimat. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Normes et records 1961-1990: Auxerre (89) - altitude 207m" (in French). Infoclimat. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  13. ^ Howard Eves (1990). An Introduction to the History of Mathematics (sixth ed.). Saunders College Publishing.
  14. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  15. ^ "British towns twinned with French towns". Archant Community Media Ltd. Retrieved 11 July 2013.

External links[]

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