Chalon-sur-Saône

Not to be confused with Châlons-en-Champagne, formerly known as Châlons-sur-Marne.

Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône
Location within Burgundy region  Chalon-sur-Saône
Administration
Country	France
Region	Burgundy
Department	Saône-et-Loire
Arrondissement	Chalon-sur-Saône
Intercommunality	Le grand Chalon
Mayor	Christophe Sirugue (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	172–190 m (564–620 ft) (avg. 185 m/607 ft)
Land area1	15.22 km2 (5.88 sq mi)
Population2	48,376  (2006)
- Density	3,178 /km2 (8,230 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	71076/ 71100
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.

Coordinates: 46°46′50″N 4°51′10″E / 46.7806°N 4.8528°E / 46.7806; 4.8528

Chalon-sur-Saône (French pronunciation: [ʃa.lɔ̃.syʁ.son]) is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.

It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the largest city in the department; however, the department capital is the smaller city of Mâcon.

Geography

Chalon-sur-Saône lies in the south of the Burgundy region of France. It is located on the Saône river, and was once a busy port, acting as a distribution point for local wines which were sent up and down the Saône river and the Canal du Centre.

History

In 354 AD the Roman Emperor, Constantius II stationed the Roman 7th Army in Chalon (then called Cabyllona) for an invasion against the brother kings, Gundomad and Vadomar of the Alamanni. However, not having had received supplies, the Roman troops revolted, and were pacified by the grand chamberlain Eusebius with money.

The bishopric of Chalon-sur-Saône, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Lyon since Roman times, was merged into the diocese of Autun shortly after the French Revolution.

Chalon is best known as the birthplace of photography. Its most famous resident, Nicéphore Niépce also has a lycée (secondary school) named after him. There is a museum which contains some early photography relics, located on the Quai des Messageries in the town, containing more than two million photographs and many old artefacts such as cameras and other equipment for old and modern photography. Also on display are Niépce's 1807 Pyréolophore which is probably the world's first internal combustion engine, plus his 1818 implementation of a draisienne for which he coined the word vélocipède.^[1]

Another famous resident is Dominique Vivant Denon (1747–1825) who was involved in the creation of the Louvre museum, converting the former royal palace into a museum after the French Revolution.

Main sights

• St. Vincent's Cathedral on the Place Saint-Vincent, which has some elements dating from the eighth century and a neoclassical nineteenth century façade.
• This city square also has a number of cafés and a busy market on Fridays and Sundays.

Transport

The Gare de Chalon-sur-Saône railway station offers connections with Paris, Dijon, Lyon and several regional destinations.

Events

Chalon-sur-Saône hosts, every year in July, an international street artists festival, called Chalon dans la Rue ("Chalon in the street"). Over four days, artists from across Europe and beyond come to the streets of Chalon to perform, mostly for free, in music, theatre, acrobatics, comedy, etc. A program is made available by the town, so people know of the main groups performing, and several newspapers report what performances are must-see and where and when to find them. Plus, there are always things to discover simply by wandering down the streets.

Twin towns

Chalon-sur-Saône is twinned with:

• St. Helens, United Kingdom. Like Chalon, which has a large Saint-Gobain factory, St. Helens is a prominent centre of glass manufacturing.
• Solingen, Germany
• Novara, Italy
• Næstved, Denmark

See also

• Élan Sportif Chalonnais
• Communes of the Saône-et-Loire department
• Côte Chalonnaise
• Neuilly sa mère !, 2009 film set partially in Chalon-sur-Saône

References

• INSEE
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 
• Westermann, Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte (German)

1. ^ Niepce Museum, Other Inventions

External links

• Official website (French)
• Local web portal www.vivre-a-chalon.com (French)