Narbonne

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Narbonne-Cathedral.jpg Image:Narbonne Cathedral, France.jpg Image:Palais des Archevêques, Narbonne, dusk.jpg

Narbonne (Narbona in Catalan and in Occitan, commonly Narbo especially when referring to the Ancient Rome era) is a town and commune of southwestern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon région. It lies 849 km from Paris in the Aude département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about 15 km from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Highlights
4 Notable people from Narbonne
5 External links

[edit]

Geography

Narbonne is linked to the nearby Canal du Midi and the Aude River by the Canal de la Robine, which runs through the centre of town.

[edit]

History

Modern-day Narbonne was the first Roman colony outside of Italy. It was established in Gaul in 118 BC, as Colonia Narbo Martius. It was located on the Via Domitia, the first Roman road in Gaul, built at the time of the foundation of the colony, and connecting Italy to Spain. Geographically, Narbonne was therefore located at a very important crossroads because it was situated where the Via Domitia connected to the Via Aquitania, which lead toward the Atlantic across Toulouse and Bordeaux. In addition, it was crossed by the Aude River.

Politically, Narbonne gained importance as a competitor to Marseille. Julius Cesar settled veterans from his 10th legion there and attempted to develop its port while Marseille was revolting against Roman control.

Later, the provincia of southern Gaul was named "Gallia Narbonensis", after the city, and Narbonne was made its capital. Seat of a powerful administration, the city enjoyed economic and architectural expansion.

It was subsequently the capital of the Visigoth province of Septimania. It was part of the Emirate of Cordoba until conquered by the Franks after which it part of the Carolingian Viscounty of Narbonne. In the 12th century, the court of Ermengarde of Narbonne (reigned 1134 to 1192) presided over one of the cultural centers where the spirit of courtly love was developed.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, Narbonne was home to an important Jewish exegetical school, which played a pivotal role in the growth and development of the Zarphatic (Judæo-French) and Shuadit (Judæo-Provençal) languages. Jews had settled in Narbonne from about the 5th century, with a community that had risen to approximately 2000 in the 12th century. At this time, Narbonne was frequently mentioned in Talmudic works in connection with its scholars. Once source, Abraham ibn Daud of Toledo, gives them an importance similar to the exilarchs of Babylon[1]. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the community went through a series of ups and downs before settling into extended decline.

Narbonne itself fell into slow decline in the 14th century, for a variety of reasons. The decline was partly due to a change in the course of the Aude River, which already had a long history of overflowing its banks. In addition, changes to the Mediterranean coastline meant that the city lay further inland and could no longer serve directly as a port.

From the 16th century, anxious to maintain a link to the Mediterranean, the people of Narbonne began costly work to the vestiges of the Aude River so that it would remain navigable. Hence, despite its decline from Roman times, Narbonne nevertheless managed to hold on to a more limited importance as a trading route through the centuries. The works finished with the construction of the Canal de la Robine, which was finally linked with the Canal du Midi (then the Royal Canal) in 1787. In the 19th century, the canal system in the south of France came into competition with an expanding rail network but kept some importance due to the flourishing wine trade.

[edit]

Highlights

Saint-Just cathedral dating from 1272
The "Palais des Archevêques" or Archbishop's Palace and its "donjon" with views over Narbonne
The Roman Horreum, a former grain warehouse, built underground as a cryptoporticus
Remains of the via Domitia in the city center
The canal, "Canal de la Robine", running through the centre of the town
The markets operate every day. The busiest times are Sunday and Thursday mornings.
The nearby limestone massif known as "La Clape" and the beach at Narbonne plage.
Narbonne's rugby team, "Racing Club Narbonne Méditerranée"

[edit]