Besançon (French: Besançon, pronounced /(bəz.ã.'sɔ̃)/; German: Bisanz), known as the greenest city in France, is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté région of northeastern France, with approximately 220,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 1999. Located close to the border with Switzerland, it is the préfecture (capital) of the Doubs département. Image File history File links Flag_of_Besançon. ... Image File history File links Blason_ville_fr_Besançon_(Doubs). ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 550 KB) Description  Citadelle de Besançon. ... This article is about a type of fortification. ... Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban (May 15, 1633 - March 30, 1707), commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and in breaking through them. ... Image File history File links Paris_plan_pointer_b_jms. ... Image File history File links France_jms. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including independent states (both those that are internationally recognised and generally unrecognised), inhabited dependent territories and areas of special sovereignty. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Capital Besançon Land area¹ 16,202 km² Regional President Raymond Forni (PS) (since 2004) Population  - Jan. ... Departments (French: départements) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ... Doubs is a département in eastern France named after the Doubs River. ... The commune is an administrative division of France. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... The Socialist Party (French: Parti Socialiste or PS) is one of largest political parties in France and the first political force for the local representatives. ... To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, we list here areas between 10 km² (1000 hectares) and 100 km² (10,000 hectares). ... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... In France an unité urbaine (literally: urban unit) is a statistical area defined by INSEE, the French national statistics office, for the measurement of contiguously built-up areas. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... In France an unité urbaine (literally: urban unit) is a statistical area defined by INSEE, the French national statistics office, for the measurement of contiguously built-up areas. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... This page lists English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations, such as and . ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Not to be confused with the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Capital Besançon Land area¹ 16,202 km² Regional President Raymond Forni (PS) (since 2004) Population  - Jan. ... is divided into 26 régions, further subdivided into départements. ... In France an aire urbaine (literally: urban area) is roughly the equivalent of a US Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a département. ... Doubs is a département in eastern France named after the Doubs River. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ...

History

For the ecclesiastical history, see Archbishopric of Besançon

The Archbishopric of Besançon was a tiny ecclesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. ...

Ancient history

As recorded in the journals of Julius Caesar about his conquests of Gaul, the Latin name of the city that was surrounded by a wooden picket was Vesontio. The name permutated over time to become Besantio, Besontion, Bisanz in Middle High German and gradually arrived at the modern French Besançon. The locals retain their ancient heritage referring to themselves as Bisontins (feminine: Bisontine). Gaius Julius Caesar [1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC or 102 BC – March 15, 44 BC), was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in classical antiquity. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Middle High German (MHG, German Mittelhochdeutsch) is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. ...

Middle Ages

As part of the Holy Roman Empire since 1034, the city becomes the Archbishopric of Besançon, and is granted the status of Free Imperial City with autonomy in 1184. In 1157, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa held an Imperial Diet (Reichstag) in Bisanz. There, cardinal Orlando Bandinelli (future pope Alexander III, then adviser of Pope Adrian IV), who openly asserted before Emperor Frederick Barbarossa that the imperial dignity was a papal beneficium (in the more general sense of favour, not the strict feudal sense of fief), which incurred the wrath of the German princes. He would have fallen on the spot under the battle-axe of his life-long foe, Otto of Wittelsbach, had Frederick not intervened; the Imperial chancellor Rainald of Dassel then inaugurated a German policy which insisted upon the rights and the power of the German kings, the strengthening of the Church in the German Empire, the lordship of Italy and the humiliation of the papacy. The archbishops were elevated to prince of the Holy Roman Empire in 1288. The close connection to the Empire is reflected by the city's coat of arms. The extent of the Holy Roman Empire in c. ... The Archbishopric of Besançon was a tiny ecclesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. ... In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city (in German: freie Reichsstadt) was a city formally responsible to the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which belonged to a territory and were thus governed by one of the many princes (Fürsten) of... Frederick in a 13th century Chronicle Frederick I (German: Friedrich I. von Hohenstaufen)(1122 – June 10, 1190), also known as Friedrich Barbarossa (Frederick Redbeard) was elected king of Germany on March 4, 1152 and crowned Holy Roman Emperor on June 18, 1155. ... The Reichstag (German for Imperial Diet) was the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German Confederation, and of Germany until 1945. ... Alexander III, né Orlando Bandinelli (d. ... Pope Adrian IV (c. ... Frederick in a 13th century Chronicle Frederick I (German: Friedrich I. von Hohenstaufen)(1122 – June 10, 1190), also known as Friedrich Barbarossa (Frederick Redbeard) was elected king of Germany on March 4, 1152 and crowned Holy Roman Emperor on June 18, 1155. ... Originally a benefice was a gift of land (precaria) for life as a reward for services rendered. ... Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud or fee, consisted of heritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord in return for a vassal knights service (usually fealty, military service, and security). ... Duke Otto I of Bavaria (1117, Kelheim – 11 July 1183, Pfullendorf, (German: Otto I Wittelsbach , Herzog von Bayern), since 1180 Duke of Bavaria. ... Rainald of Dassel (c. ... The Archbishopric of Besançon was a tiny ecclesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Renaissance

In the 15th century, Besançon came under the influence of the dukes of Burgundy. After the marriage of Mary of Burgundy to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, the city was in effect a Habsburg fief, which took it from Austrian to Spanish influence. In 1526 the city obtained the right to mint coins. It continued to strike coins until 1673. Nevertheless, all coins are in the name of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The Spaniards originally built the main defense complex, "la Citadelle" from 1668, following a design by the French military architect Vauban. In 1674 French troops took the city and Vauban himself got to upgrade its fortifications, which took some 30 years. At the Treaty of Nijmegen the city was awarded to France. région of Bourgogne, see Bourgogne. ... Portrait by Albrecht Dürer, 1519 (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). ... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy; also used as the flag of the Austrian Empire until the Ausgleich of 1867. ... Charles V (24 February 1500 - 21 September 1558) was ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily (1516-1554), Archduke of Austria (1519-1521), King of the Romans (or German King), (1519-1556 but did not formally abdicate until 1558) and... Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban (May 15, 1633 - March 30, 1707), commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and in breaking through them. ... The Treaty of Nijmegen (1678) was signed in Nijmegen, and ended the Dutch War. ...

Surrounding the central city are walls built in that era, and between the train station and the central city is a complex moat system through which traffic has been directed. All of these fortifications are built with Vauban's classic star points. Surrounding the city a large number of fortifications were built at the time of Vauban, including the Fort de Trois Châtels, Fort Chaudanne, Fort du Petit Chaudanne, Fort Griffon, Fort des Justices, Fort Beauregard and Fort de Brégille, but the crown jewel of these is la Citadelle.

Built upon a mountaintop, bounded by sheer cliffs on one side, the Doubs river on the others, and the Boucle or Shield, the city centre surrounded by the Doubs, giving it a fantastic defensive stance. Upon this hilltop, Vauban built the largest of his structures in the region. The Citadelle has a dual dry moat, with an outer and inner court. In the evenings, the Citadelle is illuminated and stands above the city as a landmark and a crowning achievement to Vauban's ingenuity. The Doubs is a 430 km long river in eastern France and western Switzerland, left tributary of the Saône. ...

Modern Europe

The Citadelle was used by the Nazis during World War II. Nevertheless, action was limited to a bombing of the railway complex in 1943 and four days of ultimately futile German resistance to US attacks in 1944. National Socialism redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Across the Doubs sits the Forts Brégille and Beauregard. The Brégille Heights were reached by a funicular built in 1913. It passed from private ownership during its usage to the SNCF until 1987 when it was finally shut down. To this day the tracks, stations and even roadsigns of the funicular remain in place. Angels Flight, Los Angeles, California with gantlet track configuration Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with full length parallel tracks The Gütschbahn in Lucerne, Switzerland – from an 1893 guidebook A funicular, also called funicular railway, inclined railway, inclined plane, or, in the United Kingdom, a cliff railway, is a system of... An SNCF multiple unit. ...

Geography and climate

Site of Besançon (Landsat 7)

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 455 pixel Image in higher resolution (1438 × 818 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 455 pixel Image in higher resolution (1438 × 818 pixel, file size: 2. ...

Geography

Old City of Besançon in a meander of the Doubs River

Besançon is located in the north-east quarter of France on the Doubs River. It is about 325 km (215 miles) far from the national capital Paris and 100 km (60 miles) far from Dijon in Burgundy, Lausanne in Switzerland or Belfort in the Franche-Comté région. It's situated at the feet of the Jura mountains' first folds. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 579 pixel Image in higher resolution (1366 × 988 pixel, file size: 405 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Vue aérienne de Besancon, de la Boucle du Doubs et de la Citadelle de Besancon Photo JP TUPIN - Ville de Besançon... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 579 pixel Image in higher resolution (1366 × 988 pixel, file size: 405 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Vue aérienne de Besancon, de la Boucle du Doubs et de la Citadelle de Besancon Photo JP TUPIN - Ville de Besançon... Meanders in a river A meander is a bend in a river, also known as an oxbow loop. ... The Doubs is a 430 km long river in eastern France and western Switzerland, left tributary of the Saône. ... The Doubs is a 430 km long river in eastern France and western Switzerland, left tributary of the Saône. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Street in the center of Dijon Arc de triomphe known as the Porte Guillaume, on Place Darcy in the center of Dijon Dijon and suburbs Cathédrale St Bénigne - Dijon Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dijon Dijon ( ) is a city in eastern France, the préfecture (administrative capital... région of Bourgogne, see Bourgogne. ... Lausanne (pronounced ) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north. ... Belfort is a town and commune of northeastern France, préfecture (capital) of the Territoire de Belfort département in the Franche-Comté région. ... Capital Besançon Land area¹ 16,202 km² Regional President Raymond Forni (PS) (since 2004) Population  - Jan. ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... Looking towards Lelex from near to Crêt de la Neige The Jura folds are located north of the main Alpine orogenic front and are being continually deformed, accommodating the northwards compression from Alpine folding. ...

The natural site in which the city has developed is particularly interesting: a perfect natural meander (or oxbow loop) of the Doubs River with a diameter of almost 1 km (3,281 ft), formed by the (Doubs river). The inner loop, a flat area, has an elevation of about 250 m (820 ft) and is closed by a hill, called Mont Saint-Étienne, which maximum height is 371 m (1,217ft). The city is surrounded by six other hills which elevations are between 400 m (1,312 ft) and 500 m (1,640 ft). Meanders in a river A meander is a bend in a river, also known as an oxbow loop. ... The Doubs is a 430 km long river in eastern France and western Switzerland, left tributary of the Saône. ... The Doubs is a 430 km long river in eastern France and western Switzerland, left tributary of the Saône. ...

Climate

Besançon is under the influence of both an oceanic climate (notable precipitations in quantity as much as in frequency) and a continental climate with hard winters (snow, frost) and warm and dry summers. The year-round average is 10.2°C (50°F). The warmest month is July (18.9°C or 66°F) and the coldest is January (1.6°C or 35°F). Besançon receives about 1108 mm (44 inches) of precipitation a year. The wettest month is May (111.4 mm or 4.4 in); the driest is July (80.5 mm or 3.2 in). An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of all the worlds continents, and in southeastern Australia; similar climates are also found at coastal tropical highlands and tropical coasts on leeward sides... A continental climate is the climate typical of the middle-latitude interiors of the large continents of the Northern Hemisphere in the zone of westerly winds; similar climates exist along the east coasts and southwest coasts of the same continents, and also at higher elevations in certain other parts of... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ...

The highest temperature ever, recorded on 31 July 1983, was 38.8 °C (101.8 °F), and the lowest was a −20.7 °C (−5.3 °F) temperature reached on 1 January 1985.
July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Demographics

As of the French Census of 1999, the population of the City of Besançon was 117,733, lower than the historical peak of 120,315 in 1975. As of February 2004 estimates, the population of the city proper was 114,900. From the mid-17th until the beginning of the 20th century, French censuses became increasingly more frequent and organized. ...

The Besançon agglomeration or urban area (unité urbaine) covers 122 km², 11 municipalities (communes) and has a population of 134,376. Urbanized area (or urban area) is a term used to define an area where there is an increased density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... In France an unité urbaine (literally: urban unit) is a statistical area defined by INSEE, the French national statistics office, for the measurement of contiguously built-up areas. ... A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly referring to a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. ... Map of the 36,568 communes of metropolitan France. ...

The metropolitan area (aire urbaine) covers 1,652 km², 234 municipalities (communes) and has 222,381 inhabitants. It's the 37^th of France. It increased by 11.4% between 1990 and 1999. Metropolitan area in Western Tokyo as seen from Tokyo Tower A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large city and its adjacent zone of influence, or of several neighboring cities or towns and adjoining areas, with one or more large cities serving as its hub or... In France an aire urbaine (literally: urban area) is roughly the equivalent of a US Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly referring to a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. ... Map of the 36,568 communes of metropolitan France. ...

// ON MAY 5 1853 MR.FADER HAD SEX WITH A MAN NAME MR WIEN THEN THEY HAD SON NAMEDMRS COTURE AND MR MANOOGIAN WENT INTO MRS HASKELLS OFFICE NAKED AND DANCED AROUND AND MASTERBATED ON HER CHEST AND SHE LICKED IT OFF THEN THEY HAD ORAL SEEX WITH NAPLOEAN OF... Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar) // January 1 - Benito Juárez captures Mexico City January 2 - Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia dies and is succeeded by... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Government and Politics

Besançon is the capital of the Franche-Comté région of France, a région including the four départements of Doubs, Haute-Saône, Jura and Territoire de Belfort. As such, it is the seat of the Franche-Comté regional council, and the regional préfecture (government offices). Capital Besançon Land area¹ 16,202 km² Regional President Raymond Forni (PS) (since 2004) Population  - Jan. ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... Haute-Saône is a French département, named after the Saône River. ... Jura is a department in the east of France named after the Jura mountains (not be confused with the Swiss canton of Jura). ... The Territoire de Belfort is a département in the Franche-Comté région of eastern France. ...

Mayor of the City of Besançon is Jean-Louis Fousseret.

Economy

The city is famous for its microtechnology and watch industries. It is host of the biannual Micronora trade fair, one of Europe's major events in the field of microtechnologies. The city has a little-known speciality, automatic ticketing machines for car parking, airports, date stamping etc. Microtechnology is technology with features near one micrometre (one millionth of a metre, or 10-6 metre, or 1μm). ... A wrist watch Pocket watch with chain TIMEX Ironman Triathlon A watch is a timepiece or clock that displays the time and sometimes the day, date, month and year. ...

The watch industry, for which Besançon remains the French capital, endured a major crisis in the 1970s when the advent of far-eastern quartz watches knocked out the traditional watch industry in the space of just a few years. This industrial crisis was epitomised by the famous "Lip" affair, by the name of one of Besançon's most prestigious brands of watches. Refusing to be beaten, the workers of Lip took over their factory and set it up as a worker's cooperative. The event branded Besançon as a city of the radical left, and though it produced a lot of notoriety and sympathy for the workers, it did little to help revive the watch industry, the cooperative going out of business after a short period. The city took a long time to recover from the collapse of the watch industry and its other major industry of the industrial age, artificial textiles. A wrist watch Pocket watch with chain TIMEX Ironman Triathlon A watch is a timepiece or clock that displays the time and sometimes the day, date, month and year. ... LIP. Call for the march on Besançon. ...

Since the 1980s, Besançon's watch industry has clawed its way back on the basis of its historic reputation and quartz watches, establishing itself in a number of niche markets including customized watches, high quality watches, and fashion articles. Since the 1990s, the town has developed a reputation as one of France's leading centres technology in all fields, including telecommunications and biotechnology.

Education

Besançon is the seat of the Université de Franche-Comté. As of 2006, there were approximately 20,000 students enrolled at the university, including around 3,000 foreign students. The city is also home of the École Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et des Microtechniques (ENSMM), a technological school with a strong reputation in the fields of microtechnology and mechanics and the worldwide famous Centre for Applied Linguistics which teaches ten languages to non-native speakers (French, Arabic, Chinese, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish) and any other known language on request and which welcomes more than 3000 students every year from all over the world. The École Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et des Microtechniques (ENSMM) is one of the French Grandes Écoles of Engineering (Equivalent Institute of Technology). ... Microtechnology is technology with features near one micrometre (one millionth of a metre, or 10-6 metre, or 1μm). ... Mechanics (Greek ) is the branch of physics concerned with the behaviour of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effect of the bodies on their environment. ...

Culture

Sites of interest

Interior of St. Jean Cathedral in Besançon.

The city has one of the most beautiful historic centres of any major town in France. The old town, "la Boucle", is enclosed in a broad horse-shoe of the river Doubs, which is blocked off at the neck by Vauban's imposing Citadelle. The historic centre presents a remarkable ensemble of classic stone buildings, some dating back to the Middle Ages. Among the most visited historic monuments are: Image File history File links StJeanCathedral_Besancon. ... Image File history File links StJeanCathedral_Besancon. ... The Doubs is a 430 km long river in eastern France and western Switzerland, left tributary of the Saône. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

• the 16th century Palais Granvelle, built by Cardinal Granvelle, chancellor to the Habsburg emperor Charles V [Palais:[1],[2]
• Vauban's citadel and remarkable riverside frontage
• the St. Jean cathedral, dating largely from the 12th century [3]
• several Roman remains, notably the Porte Noire, a triumphal arch and the Square Castan.

Besançon also has one of the finest city art galleries in France outside Paris. The Musée des Beaux Arts has a collection built up since 1694, and expanded over time by a remarkable series of bequests. The building itself was totally rebuilt in the 1960s by the architect Miquel, a pupil of Le Corbusier, its interior taking the form of a gently rising concrete walkway that takes visitors up from classical antiquity to the modern age. Among its treasures are a fine collection of classical antiquities and ancient Egyptian artefacts, as well as a very rich collection of paintings including works by Bellini, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Titian, Rubens, Jordaens, Ruysdael, Cranach, Zurbaran, Goya, Philippe de Champaigne, Fragonard, Boucher, David, Ingres, Géricault, Courbet, Constable, Bonnard, Matisse, Picasso and many others. Granvelle, portrait by Antonio Moro (1549) Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (August 20, 1517 - September 21, 1586) was one of the most influential of the church leaders during the time which immediately followed the appearance of Protestantism in Europe. ... Charles V (24 February 1500 - 21 September 1558) was ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily (1516-1554), Archduke of Austria (1519-1521), King of the Romans (or German King), (1519-1556 but did not formally abdicate until 1558) and... A cathedral is a religious building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican and some Lutheran churches, which serves as a bishops seat, and thus as the central church of a diocese. ... Arc de Triomphe, Paris A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental archway, usually built to celebrate a victory in war. ... Square Castan The square Castan is a set of archeological remains from the antique Gallo-Roman city of Vesontio, present french city of Besançon. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier (October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965), was a French Swiss-born architect and writer, who is famous for his contributions to what now is called modernism, or the International Style. ... Giovanni Bellini painted his first female nude when he was about 85 years old. ... Andrea Doria as Neptune Agnolo di Cosimo ( 1503, Firenze – 1572, Firenze) (also known as Agnolo Bronzino and Agnolo Tori). ... Tintoretto (real name Jacopo Comin) September 29, 1518 - May 31, 1594) was one of the greatest painters of the Venetian school and probably the last great painter of the Italian Renaissance. ... Titians self-portrait, 1566. ... Rubens and Isabella Brant in the Honeysuckle Bower Alte Pinakothek Peter Paul Rubens (June 28, 1577 – May 30, 1640) was the most popular and prolific Flemish and European painter of the 17th century. ... Self-Portrait with Parents, Brothers, and Sisters by Jacob Jordaens (c. ... Bentheim Castle (1653) Jacob Izaaksoon van Ruysdael (or Ruisdaal) (c. ... A self portrait Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472 – October 16, 1553) was a German painter. ... Francisco Zurbarán (November 7, 1598 – August 27, 1664), was a Spanish painter, born at Fuente de Cantos in Extremadura. ... This article is about Francisco Goya, a Spanish painter. ... Ex Voto (1662) by Philippe de Champaigne Philippe de Champaigne (26 May 1602 - 12 August 1674) was a Baroque era painter of the French school. ... Jean-Honoré Fragonard (April 5, 1732 – August 22, 1806) was a French painter. ... Jacques-Louis David (August 30, 1748 – December 29, 1825) was a highly influential French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the prominent painter of the era. ... Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (pronounced (Ang, rhymes with bang, with a hint of the r, but the final es is not pronounced) (August 29, 1780 - January 14, 1867) was a French Romantic painter. ... Théodore Géricaults Insane Théodore Géricault (September 26, 1791 in Rouen, Normandy - January 26, 1824) was a famous French painter, known for The Raft of the Medusa and other paintings. ... Gustave Courbet (portrait by Nadar) Gustave Courbet (June 10, 1819 - December 31, 1877) was a French painter. ... A self portrait by John Constable John Constable (June 11, 1776 – March 31, 1837) was a British Romantic artist. ... The Dining Room in the Country Pierre Bonnard (October 3, 1867 – January 23, 1947) was a French painter and printmaker. ... Self-Portrait in a Striped T-shirt (1906). ... A young Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso, formally Pablo Ruiz Picasso, (October 25, 1881 - April 8, 1973) was one of the recognized masters of 20th century art. ...

Perhaps the most remarkable of the city's masterpieces is the massive Virgin and saints altarpiece in the St. Jean cathedral, by the Italian Renaissance painter Fra Bartolomeo. The Annunciation Triptych is an altarpiece, ca. ... The Vision of St. ...

Museums, aquariums, and zoos

Museum of Fine Arts and Archeology

• Museum of Fine Arts and Archeology
• Museum of Time
• Museum of French Resistance and Deportation
• Museum of Franche-Comté traditions
• Museum of Natural history: zoo, aquarium, insectarium, noctarium, climatology

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 389 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Musée des Beaux Arts de Besancon File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 389 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Musée des Beaux Arts de Besancon File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... Fine art is a term used to refer to fields traditionally considered to be artistic. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... A pocket watch, a device used to tell time Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Deportation is the expelling of someone from a country. ... Capital Besançon Land area¹ 16,202 km² Regional President Raymond Forni (PS) (since 2004) Population  - Jan. ... Table of natural history, 1728 Cyclopaedia Natural history is an umbrella term for what are now often viewed as several distinct scientific disciplines of integrative organismal biology. ... For other uses, see Aquarium (disambiguation). ... Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time,[1] and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences. ...

Parks and squares

• Parc Micaud
• Parc de la Gare d'Eau
• Parc de la Citadelle
• Promenade Granvelle
• Promenade Chamars
• Place de la Révolution
• Place du Huit Septembre

Performing arts centers

• Opéra Théâtre: construit par Ledoux de 1778 à 1784
• Grand Kursaal
• Nouveau Théâtre - Centre Dramatique National

Nouveau Théâtre

• Cirque Plume
• Théâtre Bacchus
• Théâtre de la Bouloie
• Théâtre de l'Espace

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 612 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Besançon Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 612 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Besançon Metadata...

Annual cultural events and fairs

Several major events occur annually in Besançon. One of the best-known is the Besançon Franche-Comté Music Festival, taking place in september, one of the oldest and most prestigious Classical music festivals. Besançon hosts other music festivals such has the Musiques de Rues Festival (street music) in october, the Franch Country Festival (country music) in august, the Jazz en Franche-Comté Festival in june or the Herbe en Zik Festival (french rock and variety) in may. The Besançon International Music Festival (French: Festival de musique de Besançon Franche-Comté) is one of the oldest and most prestigious festival of classical music that takes place in the city of Besançon, northeastern France, over two weeks from around the middle of September. ... The Musiques de Rues Festival (French: Musiques de Rues: Nouveau Territoire des Arts Sonores) is a festival of street music taking place in the city of Besançon, France, over four days around the first weekend of October. ...

Sports

The major sports in Besançon are handball and basketball. Soccer is important also but the city's club, called Besançon Racing Club, plays only in the fourth national division. Handball is the name of several different sports: Team handball, or Olympic/European Handball is a game somewhat similar to association football, but the ball is played with the hand, not the foot. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Besançon Racing Club (Besançon RC) is a French football club based in Besançon. ...

Besançon Racing Club (Besançon RC) is a French football club based in Besançon. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... The Championnat de France Amateurs is a French football competition; the equivalent of the fourth division, below the Championnat National. ... Handball player leaps towards the goal prior to throwing the ball, while the goalkeeper extends himself trying to stop it. ... Handball player leaps towards the goal prior to throwing the ball, while the goalkeeper extends himself trying to stop it. ... Division 1 was the second level in the league system of Swedish football between 1987 and 1999. ... Palais des Sports is an indoor sporting arena located in Besançon, France. ... Besançon Basket Comté Doubs is a basketball club based in Besançon, France that plays in the Ligue Nationale de Basketball. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... The LNB (Ligue Nationale de Basketball) is the French professional basketball league. ... Palais des Sports is an indoor sporting arena located in Besançon, France. ...

Transportation

Besançon is situated at the crossing of two major lines of communication, the NE-SW route, following the valley of the river Doubs, and linking Germany and North Europe with Lyon and southwest Europe, and the N-S route linking northern France and the Low Countries with Switzerland. City flag City coat of arms Motto: (Franco-Provençal: Forward, forward, Lyon the best) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Rhône-Alpes Department Rhône (69) Subdivisions 9 arrondissements Intercommunality Urban Community of Lyon Mayor Gérard Collomb  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics... The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ...

A key staging post on the Strasbourg-Lyon (Germany-Spain) route, it also has direct high-speed train (TGV) links with Paris, Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and Lille. Unusually for a town of its size, it does not have a commercial airport, though two international airports, EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg and Lyon Saint-Exupéry International Airport, can be reached in about 2 hours. For the group of heart conditions referred to as TGV, see transposition of the great vessels. ... The new logo of Aéroports de Paris used since 6 June 2005 Charles de Gaulle International Airport (IATA: CDG, ICAO: LFPG) (French: ), also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French), in Paris, is one of Europes principal aviation centres, as well as Frances main international... New city flag Traditional coat of arms Motto: – Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Nord-Pas de Calais Department Nord (59) Intercommunality Urban Community of Lille Métropole Mayor Martine Aubry  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area¹ 39. ... EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (IATA: BSL, EAP, MLH, ICAO: LFSB) is an international airport near Basel (Switzerland), Mulhouse (France), and Freiburg (Germany). ... Saint-Exupéry International Airport (French: ) (IATA: LYS, ICAO: LFLL), formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport, is an airport located near Lyon, France. ...

Miscellaneous

As well as being famed as one of France's finest "villes d'art" (art cities), Besançon is the seat of one of France's older universities, of France's National School of Mechanics and Micromechanics, and one of the best known French language schools in France, the CLA. The École Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et des Microtechniques (ENSMM) is one of the French Grandes Écoles of Engineering (Equivalent Institute of Technology). ...

It is also reputed to be France's most environmentally-friendly city, with a public transport network that has often been cited as a model. On account of the topography, the historic city centre lies at the edge of the modern city, and hiking tracks lead straight from the centre and up into the surrounding hills.

The city council has been in the hands of the Socialists and parties of the left since the second world war.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is also Dame of Besançon. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (born as Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard van Oranje-Nassau, Prinses der Nederlanden, Prinses van Oranje-Nassau, Prinses van Lippe-Biesterfeld) (born January 31, 1938) has been the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since April 30, 1980. ...

Births

Besançon was the birthplace of:

• Claude Goudimel (1510-1572) - Musician, Teacher of Palestrina. Composer of the music for Protestant hymns
• Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (1517-1586) - Cardinal, statesman and humanist. Counsellor of Charles V, Viceroy of Naples
• Jean Mairet (1604-1686) - Dramatist
• Charles Fourier (1772-1837) - Inventor of socialist "phalansteries" (vast communal buildings surrounded by a highly cultivated agricultural area)
• Charles Nodier (1780-1844) - Writer. Leader of the Romantic movement
• Jean Claude Eugène Péclet (1793-1857) - physicist, gave his name to the Péclet number
• Victor Hugo (1802-1885) - Writer and poet
• Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865)- Journalist (Le Peuple) and author of world-renowned socialist theories
• Hilaire de Chardonnet (1838-1924) - Inventor of artificial silk
• Louis-Jean Résal (1854-1920) - Engineer who built the Pont Mirabeau and the Pont Alexandre III in Paris
• Auguste and Louis Lumière, (1862-1954) and (1864-1948) - Inventors of cinematography
• Tristan Bernard (1866-1947) - Journalist and Humorist
• Jean de Gribaldy (1922-1987) - Professional racing cyclist and directeur sportif
• Morrade Hakkar (1972- ) - Boxer

Claude Goudimel was a French composer and music theorist of the Renaissance. ... Granvelle, portrait by Antonio Moro (1549) Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (August 20, 1517 _ September 21, 1586) was one of the most influential of the church leaders during the time which immediately followed the appearance of Protestantism in Europe. ... Jean (de) Mairet (bap. ... This article is about the French utopian socialist philosopher. ... Charles Nodier (April 29, 1780 - January 27, 1844), was a French author. ... Jean Claude Eugène Péclet (February 10, 1793 - December 6, 1857) was a French physicist. ... ... In physics, the Péclet number is a dimensionless number relating the forced convection of a system to its heat conduction. ... Victor-Marie Hugo (pronounced in French) (26 February 1802 — 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights campaigner, and perhaps the most influential exponent of the Romantic movement in France. ... Pierre Joseph Proudhon. ... Pont Alexandre III in Paris, the eiffel tower can be seen in the background Pont Alexandre III is an arch bridge that spans the Seine, connecting the Champs-Élysées quarter and the Invalides and Eiffel Tower Quarter, regarded by many as one of the prettiest in Paris. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Auguste (left) and Louis Lumière. ... Tristan Bernard (September 7, 1866 - December 7, 1947) was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer. ... Jean de GRIBALDY (July 18, 1922, January 2 1987) with Sean Kelly, 1986 Born in Besançon, former professional racing cyclist from 1946 to 1954, Jean de Gribaldy began in the middle of the sixties a successful cyclist directeur sportif. ... A directeur sportif is a person who is responsible for the operation of a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event. ... Morrade Hakkar (born January 19, 1972) in Besancon, France is a middleweight boxer who has held a number of regional championship belts during his 11-year professional career. ...

Popular culture

In Stendhal's novel Le rouge et le noir, Julien Sorel, the main character, studies for a while at the catholic seminary from Besançon. Stendhal. ... Le Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black) is a novel by Stendhal, published in 1831. ... A seminary or theological college is a specialized and often live-in higher education institution for the purpose of instructing students (seminarians) in philosophy, theology, spirituality and the religious life, usually in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ...

Besançon is where the Touché! series, an Australian series of books that teaches people French, is set. The series is about an Australian boy called Nick, who moves to a street in Besançon called rue Cézanne after his parents are separated. He befriends a French girl called Marianne, who introduces him to other residents of rue Cézanne, such as Ahmed, Annick, François Petitpain, Émile Mesquin, Monsieur Fric, Madame Boulin and Mademoiselle Moh. The first two books of the series take place in Besançon, whilst in the third, Nick visits his uncle in New Caledonia. In the fourth, Nick stays in Quebec, Canada. After the fourth book, Nick returns to Besançon. Monsieur means My Lord in French, and is now generally used as an honorific for all men, the equivalent to the English Mister. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Miss is a title, typically used for an unmarried woman. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ...

Julian Barnes' novel A History of the World in 10½ Chapters features as chapter 3: "Wars of Religion"--a fictional manuscript reportedly from the Archives Municipales de Besancon.

Relative Cities

Since the pronunciation of "Besançon" sounds like "Busan-son", the city has been deemed the "Son of Busan". Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan, is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ...

• Father City: Busan (South Korea)

Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan, is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ...

Twin Cities

• Tver (Russia)
• Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany)
• Kuopio (Finland)
• Huddersfield - Kirklees (England)
• Bielsko-Biala (Poland)
• Neuchâtel (Switzerland)
• Bistriţa (Romania)
• Pavia (Italy)
• Hadera (Israel)
• Douroula (Burkina Faso)
• Man (Côte d'Ivoire)
• Charlottesville - Virginia (United States)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Tvers coat of arms depicts grand ducal crown placed on a throne. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Freiburg city from Schlossberg Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in the Breisgau region, on the western edge of the southern Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald) with about 214,000 inhabitants. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland. ... Kuopio is a Finnish city located in the province of Eastern Finland and the region of Northern Savonia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Huddersfield is a large town in England near the confluence of the River Colne and the River Holme. ... ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... Motto: none Voivodship Silesian Municipal government Rada Miejska w Bielsku-Białej Mayor Jacek Krywult Area 125 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 190 780 - 1526/km² Founded City rights - - Latitude Longitude 49°50 N 19°04 E Area code +48 33 Car plates SB Twin towns Acco, Baia Mare... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Location within Switzerland Neuchâtel 47. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Romania. ... County BistriÅ£a-Năsăud County Status County capital Mayor Moldovan Vasile, Democratic Party, since 2000 Population (2002) 81,467 Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Church San Michele in Pavia The Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio) on the Ticino river is a symbol of Pavia Pavìa (the ancient Ticinum) (population 71,000) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... Haderas Great Synagogue Hadera (Hebrew: חדרה) is a city in the Haifa District between Tel Aviv and Haifa in Israel. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Burkina_Faso. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cote_d'Ivoire. ... Man is a town and department (département) in the west of central Côte dIvoire. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Charlottesville is an independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the state of Virginia. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ...

See also

• Archbishopric of Besançon

The Archbishopric of Besançon was a tiny ecclesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. ...

Notes

1. ^ Sources: INSEE; Cassini

External links

• City council website (in French)
• All events in Besançon, real city guide (in French - Soon English version available)
• Besac.com: Online média for Besançon: events, classified, online shops (in French)
• Unofficial Funicular website (bilingual, French/English)
• Official Funicular website (French only)
• Webpage about the fortifications
• Besancon City Guide (in French)
• Besançon's Weblog (in French)
• Besançon Hymn Hymn tune "Besançon" from Christian hymnody.
• CHARLOTTESVILLE-BESANÇON.COM JUMELAGE- The Real Deal!