Beaune

Beaune

Hospices de Beaune

Coat of arms
Beaune

Coordinates: 47°01′30″N 4°50′23″E / 47.025°N 4.8397°E / 47.025; 4.8397Coordinates: 47°01′30″N 4°50′23″E / 47.025°N 4.8397°E / 47.025; 4.8397
Country France
Region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Department Côte-d'Or
Arrondissement Beaune
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 old market (les Halles), the 15th-century Hospices, the Beffroi (clock tower), and the collegiate church of Notre Dame.

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.

The Town

Historical population
YearPop.±%
179310,114—    
18008,344−17.5%
18069,298+11.4%
18219,947+7.0%
18319,908−0.4%
183610,678+7.8%
184110,585−0.9%
184611,362+7.3%
185110,969−3.5%
185610,453−4.7%
186110,715+2.5%
186610,907+1.8%
187211,176+2.5%
187611,421+2.2%
188112,038+5.4%
188612,146+0.9%
189112,470+2.7%
189613,726+10.1%
190113,887+1.2%
190613,540−2.5%
191113,049−3.6%
192111,661−10.6%
192611,990+2.8%
193111,862−1.1%
193612,161+2.5%
194611,990−1.4%
195413,175+9.9%
196215,367+16.6%
196816,874+9.8%
197519,060+13.0%
198220,207+6.0%
199021,289+5.4%
199921,923+3.0%
200822,218+1.3%
201022,310+0.4%

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.[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.

Origin, Geography and Climate

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.[2]

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.[3]

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 environment for which the Côte d'Or is so readily known.

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

International relations

Beaune is twinned with:

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ville de Beaune, Faire son marché
  2. ↑ "laissez-vous conter Beaune". Villes et Pays d’art et d’histoire. Direction de la promotion de l’architecture et des réseaux (French government). Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  3. ↑ IGN Charte de Randonnée BEAUNE CHAGNY. 107, rue de la Boétie, 75008 Paris: Institut Géographique National. 2005.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beaune.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Beaune.
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