Subprefecture and commune in Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, France
Subprefecture and commune in Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, France
Beaune
(
French pronunciation:
[bon]
ⓘ
) is the wine capital of
Burgundy
in the
Cote d'Or
department
in eastern
France
. It is located between
Lyon
and
Dijon
. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and the center of Burgundy wine production and business. 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,
[
citation needed
]
while the facilities and cellars of many producers, large and small, are situated in the historic center of Beaune itself, as they have been since Roman times. 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 Cote d'Or, with features remaining from the pre-Roman and Roman eras, through the medieval and renaissance periods.
Beaune is a walled city, with about half of the battlements, ramparts, and the moat, having survived in good condition. The central "old town" or "vieille ville" is extensive. Historically Beaune is intimately connected with the
Dukes of Burgundy
.
The 15th-century
Hospices de Beaune
, in the town center, is one of the best preserved renaissance buildings in Europe.
[
citation needed
]
Other landmarks in Beaune include the old market (les Halles), the Beffroi (clock tower), and the
collegiate church
of Notre Dame. Beaune is the main center for the "Burgundian tile" polychrome renaissance roofing style of the region. Because of its historical importance in wine production and the unique system of
terroir
in the region, the town of Beaune was inscribed on the
UNESCO
World Heritage List
in 2015 as part of the
Climats, terroirs of Burgundy
site.
[3]
Wine
[
edit
]
Beaune is one of the wine communes of the
Cote 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
negociants
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
.
The Town
[
edit
]
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
.
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 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.
[4]
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 tourists.
[
citation needed
]
About five traditional smaller hotels are located within the city walls with around five chain hotels on the outskirts.
Beaune is one of a number of towns in Europe asserting a key role in the "invention of film"; a number of murals and other tourist attractions reflect this.
Technically Beaune is a
commune
in eastern France, a
sub-prefecture
of department 21, the
Cote-d'Or
department
, in the
Bourgogne-Franche-Comte
region
.
Population
[
edit
]
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±% p.a.
|
---|
1793
| 10,114
| ?
|
---|
1800
| 8,344
| ?2.71%
|
---|
1806
| 9,298
| +1.82%
|
---|
1821
| 9,947
| +0.45%
|
---|
1831
| 9,908
| ?0.04%
|
---|
1836
| 10,678
| +1.51%
|
---|
1841
| 10,585
| ?0.17%
|
---|
1846
| 11,362
| +1.43%
|
---|
1851
| 10,969
| ?0.70%
|
---|
1856
| 10,453
| ?0.96%
|
---|
1861
| 10,715
| +0.50%
|
---|
1866
| 10,907
| +0.36%
|
---|
1872
| 11,176
| +0.41%
|
---|
1876
| 11,421
| +0.54%
|
---|
1881
| 12,038
| +1.06%
|
---|
1886
| 12,146
| +0.18%
|
---|
1891
| 12,470
| +0.53%
|
---|
1896
| 13,726
| +1.94%
|
---|
| Year
| Pop.
| ±% p.a.
|
---|
1901
| 13,887
| +0.23%
|
---|
1906
| 13,540
| ?0.50%
|
---|
1911
| 13,409
| ?0.19%
|
---|
1921
| 11,661
| ?1.39%
|
---|
1926
| 11,990
| +0.56%
|
---|
1931
| 11,862
| ?0.21%
|
---|
1936
| 12,161
| +0.50%
|
---|
1946
| 11,990
| ?0.14%
|
---|
1954
| 13,175
| +1.19%
|
---|
1962
| 15,367
| +1.94%
|
---|
1968
| 16,874
| +1.57%
|
---|
1975
| 19,060
| +1.76%
|
---|
1982
| 20,207
| +0.84%
|
---|
1990
| 21,289
| +0.65%
|
---|
1999
| 21,923
| +0.33%
|
---|
2007
| 22,012
| +0.05%
|
---|
2012
| 21,806
| ?0.19%
|
---|
2017
| 21,031
| ?0.72%
|
---|
|
|
Source: EHESS
[5]
and INSEE (1968-2017)
[6]
|
Origin, Geography and Climate
[
edit
]
The name "Beaune" derives from the Latinised Gaulish word "Belena", which was the name of a spring around which the settlement was established. That name in turn is derived from "Belen" or "Belenos", a god of fast-flowing water. A Roman fort was built there in the first century A.D. and it was already a prosperous wine-growing region in the 13th century.
[7]
The town is served by a small watercourse, the "Bouzaise" (or "Bouzaize") of which the source is in a public park at the north-east boundary.
[8]
Beaune has a semi-continental climate with an oceanic tendency.
[
citation needed
]
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.
[
citation needed
]
It is this climate which creates the unique environment for which the Cote d'Or is so readily known.
Hospices de Beaune
[
edit
]
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
.
The American Expeditionary Forces University at Beaune
[
edit
]
At the end of WWI the
American Expeditionary Forces University
was established in Beaune, complete with its own chapter of
Phi Beta Kappa
.
[9]
Faculty included
Walter M. Chandler
, a
Progressive Party
member and, later, a
Republican Party
member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from the
State of New York
.
Notable people
[
edit
]
- Nicolas Grozelier
(1692?1778), 18th-century French fabulist
- 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
(1947?2022),
anthropologist
and an influential theorist in the field of
science and technology studies
.
- Etienne-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
.
- Felix Ziem
(1821?1911),
painter
in the style of the
Barbizon School
.
International relations
[
edit
]
Beaune is
twinned
with:
[10]
- Nantucket
,
Massachusetts
,
United States
, since 2006
- Bensheim
,
Hessen
,
Germany
, since 1960
- Malmedy
,
Liege Province
,
Belgium
, since 1962
- Krems an der Donau
,
Lower Austria
,
Austria
, since 1976
- K?sh?
,
Yamanashi
,
Japan
, since 1976
Gallery
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Beaune
.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
Beaune
.
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