Auxerre (/oʊˈsɛər/ oh-SAIR,French: [osɛʁ] , Burgundian: Auchoirre) is the capital (prefecture) of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Paris. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (aire d'attraction) comprises roughly 111,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are referred to as Auxerrois.
Auxerre | |
|---|---|
Prefecture and commune | |
 Auxerre, Cathedral and Abbey by Yonne riverfront | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Auxerre  | |
  Auxerre  Auxerre | |
| Coordinates: 47°47′55″N 3°34′02″E / 47.7986°N 3.5672°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté |
| Department | Yonne |
| Arrondissement | Auxerre |
| Canton | Auxerre-1, Auxerre-2, Auxerre-3, Auxerre-4 |
| Intercommunality | CA Auxerrois |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Crescent Marault (LR) |
Area 1 | 49.95 km2 (19.29 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 35,236 |
| • Density | 710/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 89024 /89000 |
| Elevation | 93–217 m (305–712 ft) (avg. 102 m or 335 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Auxerre is a commercial and industrial centre, with industries including food production, woodworking and batteries. Nearby areas are also noted for the production of Burgundy wine, including Chablis. In 1995 Auxerre was named a "Town of Art and History".
Geography
Auxerre lies on the river Yonne and the Canal du Nivernais, about 150 km southeast of Paris and 120 km northwest of Dijon. The A6 autoroute (Paris–Lyon) passes northeast of the city. Auxerre-Saint-Gervais station has rail connections to Dijon, Paris, Corbigny and Avallon.
History
Auxerre was a flourishing Gallo-Roman centre, then called Autissiodorum, through which passed one of the main roads of the area, the Via Agrippa (1st century AD) which crossed the Yonne (Gallo-Roman Icauna) here. In the third century it became the seat of a bishop and a provincial capital of the Roman Empire. In the 5th century it received a cathedral. In the late 11th-early 12th century the existing communities were included inside a new line of walls built by the feudal counts of Auxerre.
Bourgeois activities accompanied the traditional land and wine cultivations starting from the twelfth century, and Auxerre developed into a commune with a Town Hall of its own. The Burgundian city, which became part of France under King Louis XI, suffered during the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. In 1567 it was captured by the Huguenots, and many of the Catholic edifices were damaged. The medieval ramparts were demolished in the 18th century.
In the 19th century numerous heavy infrastructures were built, including a railway station, a psychiatric hospital and the courts, and new quarters were developed on the right bank of the Yonne.
Until the early 20th century, Auxerre was one of the most prosperous cities in the department. But the local authorities of that period refused the railway that was subsequently set in the village of Migennes, and signed the economic decline of the town. [citation needed]
Archaeology
In June 2024, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research announced the discovery of a large Roman cemetery in Place du Maréchal Leclerc, Auxerre, France. The cemetery contains more than 250 burials of infants and stillborn babies. Some remains were buried in ceramic vessels and wooden coffins, while others were wrapped in textiles.
Demographics
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| Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968–2017) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Climate
| Climate data for Auxerre (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1951–2013) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.8 (62.2) | 23.0 (73.4) | 26.6 (79.9) | 29.8 (85.6) | 32.1 (89.8) | 37.7 (99.9) | 39.6 (103.3) | 41.1 (106.0) | 35.3 (95.5) | 31.3 (88.3) | 22.8 (73.0) | 18.4 (65.1) | 41.1 (106.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) | 7.9 (46.2) | 12.1 (53.8) | 15.6 (60.1) | 19.8 (67.6) | 23.0 (73.4) | 26.0 (78.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 21.4 (70.5) | 16.6 (61.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 6.7 (44.1) | 16.0 (60.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) | 4.4 (39.9) | 7.7 (45.9) | 10.5 (50.9) | 14.5 (58.1) | 17.6 (63.7) | 20.2 (68.4) | 19.9 (67.8) | 16.2 (61.2) | 12.4 (54.3) | 7.1 (44.8) | 4.1 (39.4) | 11.5 (52.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.8 (33.4) | 0.9 (33.6) | 3.3 (37.9) | 5.3 (41.5) | 9.2 (48.6) | 12.3 (54.1) | 14.4 (57.9) | 14.1 (57.4) | 11.0 (51.8) | 8.2 (46.8) | 4.0 (39.2) | 1.6 (34.9) | 7.1 (44.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −20.2 (−4.4) | −18.8 (−1.8) | −11.6 (11.1) | −5.2 (22.6) | −1.0 (30.2) | 3.0 (37.4) | 5.8 (42.4) | 4.0 (39.2) | 0.5 (32.9) | −2.9 (26.8) | −8.8 (16.2) | −15.1 (4.8) | −20.2 (−4.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 56.4 (2.22) | 47.7 (1.88) | 49.1 (1.93) | 55.9 (2.20) | 69.8 (2.75) | 61.4 (2.42) | 53.9 (2.12) | 59.4 (2.34) | 61.2 (2.41) | 70.8 (2.79) | 61.1 (2.41) | 61.2 (2.41) | 707.9 (27.87) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 11.2 | 9.6 | 10.6 | 9.9 | 11.4 | 9.7 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 10.3 | 11.0 | 11.6 | 119.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 87 | 82 | 77 | 72 | 76 | 74 | 71 | 73 | 78 | 85 | 87 | 88 | 79.2 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 64.4 | 85.6 | 139.7 | 175.3 | 200.1 | 215.9 | 233.2 | 224.2 | 176.4 | 118.4 | 64.2 | 51.4 | 1,748.6 |
| Source 1: Meteociel | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Infoclimat.fr (humidity, 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
Main sights
- Cathedral of St. Étienne (11th–16th centuries). In Gothic style, it has three doorways with bas-reliefs. There are stained-glass windows in the choir and the apsidal chapel. The 11th-century crypt houses the remains of the former Romanesque cathedral.
- Abbey of Saint-Germain, existing from the 6th century. The crypt has some of the oldest mural paintings in France, and houses the tomb of the bishops of Auxerre. There is a chapter room (12th century), a cellar (14th century) and a cloister (17th century).
- The Clock Tower, in the Old Town
- The church of St. Pierre en Vallée (17th–18th centuries), established over a 6th-century abbey. In late Gothic style, it has a tower similar to that of the cathedral. Portions of the decorations and inner chapels were financed by local winegrowers.
- Church of St. Eusèbe, founded in the 7th century. The nave was rebuilt in the 13th century, while the tower is in Romanesque style.
Notable people
- Germanus of Auxerre (c. 378 – c. 442–448), bishop of Auxerre, missionary to Britain
- William of Auxerre (died 1231), early High Scholastic theologian from Auxerre
- Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (1768–1830), mathematician, experimental physicist and politician, born in Auxerre
- Paul Bert (1833–1886), physiologist and politician, born in Auxerre
- Louis Amable Crapelet (1822–1867), water-colour painter, born in Auxerre
- Théodore Frédéric Gaillardet, (1808–1882), journalist, publisher of French-language newspaper Courrier des États-Unis in New York City and mayor of Plessis-Bouchard, France, born in Auxerre
- Eugène Hatin (1809–1893), historian and bibliographer
- Saint Helladius (died 387), bishop of Auxerre
- Paul Monceaux (1859–1941), historian, born in Auxerre
- Marie Noël (1883-1967), Poet, born in Auxerre
- Benoît Mourlon (born 1988), footballer
- Jean-Paul Rappeneau (1932), film director, born in Auxerre
- Guy Roux (1938), coach of AJ Auxerre for more than 40 years, holding the French record of 894 games in Ligue 1
Specialties
- Gougère – baked choux pastry made of dough mixed with cheese.
- Kir – a traditional aperitif mixed drink from Burgundy wine (traditionally Bourgogne Aligoté) and blackcurrant liqueur.
- Bœuf bourguignon – a typical main dish made of beef and vegetables.
- Truffe bourguignonne – truffles from Burgundy.
Regional wines
- Chablis wine: a white wine made exclusively of Chardonnay in the Chablis AOC
- Saint-Bris AOC: the only white wine in Burgundy made of Sauvignon grapes, especially Sauvignon blanc and Sauvignon gris
- Irancy: a red wine from the surrounding area made of Pinot noir
- Bourgogne côte d'Auxerre: belonging to the Burgundy AOC (wine), it is made of Chardonnay for the white wine and Pinot noir for the red.
- Crémant de Bourgogne: sparkling wine following the tradition of Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne has a strong production in and around Auxerre.
- Bourgogne Aligoté: dry wine. Aligoté is the second most popular grape variety grown in Burgundy after Chardonnay.
The whole region of Burgundy produces over 200 million bottles per year.
Twin towns – sister cities
Auxerre is twinned with:
Greve in Chianti, Italy
Płock, Poland
Redditch, England, United Kingdom
Roscoff, France
Saint-Amarin, France
Worms, Germany
See also
- County of Auxerre
- Bishopric of Auxerre
- Cathédrale Saint-Étienne d'Auxerre
- Lady of Auxerre
- Saint Germanus of Auxerre
- Remigius of Auxerre
- William of Auxerre
- Communes of the Yonne department
- AJ Auxerre, the local football club
References
- "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
- "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
- Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
- Comparateur de territoire: Commune d'Auxerre (89024), Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 d'Auxerre (102), INSEE, 8 October 2024.
- (in French) "Labellisation Pays d'art et d'histoire : l'Auxerrois prêt pour le grand oral au ministère de la culture", lyonne.fr, 22 November 2019.
- Councils were held here in 578 and 1147.
- Saraceni, Jessica Esther (19 June 2024). "News - Roman-Era Necropolis for Infants Uncovered in France". Archaeology Magazine. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- Science, Aristos Georgiou; Reporter, Health (15 June 2024). "Archaeologists uncover Roman babies' necropolis under modern town square". Newsweek. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Auxerre, EHESS (in French).
- Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
- "Normales et records pour Auxerre (89)". Meteociel. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- "Normes et records 1961-1990: Auxerre (89) - altitude 207m" (in French). Infoclimat. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- Howard Eves (1990). An Introduction to the History of Mathematics (sixth ed.). Saunders College Publishing.
- Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
- "Villes jumelées" (in French). Auxerre. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
External links
- Goyau, Georges (1913). . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- Auxerre Town Hall (in French)
- / Visit Auxerre Tourist Info (in English)
- . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 50.
Auxerre oʊ ˈ s ɛer oh SAIR French osɛʁ Burgundian Auchoirre is the capital prefecture of the Yonne department and the fourth largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Paris Auxerre s population today is about 35 000 the urban area aire d attraction comprises roughly 111 000 inhabitants Residents of Auxerre are referred to as Auxerrois AuxerrePrefecture and communeAuxerre Cathedral and Abbey by Yonne riverfrontCoat of armsLocation of AuxerreAuxerreShow map of FranceAuxerreShow map of Bourgogne Franche ComteCoordinates 47 47 55 N 3 34 02 E 47 7986 N 3 5672 E 47 7986 3 5672CountryFranceRegionBourgogne Franche ComteDepartmentYonneArrondissementAuxerreCantonAuxerre 1 Auxerre 2 Auxerre 3 Auxerre 4IntercommunalityCA AuxerroisGovernment Mayor 2020 2026 Crescent Marault LR Area149 95 km2 19 29 sq mi Population 2022 35 236 Density710 km2 1 800 sq mi Time zoneUTC 01 00 CET Summer DST UTC 02 00 CEST INSEE Postal code89024 89000Elevation93 217 m 305 712 ft avg 102 m or 335 ft 1 French Land Register data which excludes lakes ponds glaciers gt 1 km2 0 386 sq mi or 247 acres and river estuaries Auxerre is a commercial and industrial centre with industries including food production woodworking and batteries Nearby areas are also noted for the production of Burgundy wine including Chablis In 1995 Auxerre was named a Town of Art and History GeographyAuxerre lies on the river Yonne and the Canal du Nivernais about 150 km southeast of Paris and 120 km northwest of Dijon The A6 autoroute Paris Lyon passes northeast of the city Auxerre Saint Gervais station has rail connections to Dijon Paris Corbigny and Avallon HistoryPlace Charles Lepere seen from rue du Temple Auxerre was a flourishing Gallo Roman centre then called Autissiodorum through which passed one of the main roads of the area the Via Agrippa 1st century AD which crossed the Yonne Gallo Roman Icauna here In the third century it became the seat of a bishop and a provincial capital of the Roman Empire In the 5th century it received a cathedral In the late 11th early 12th century the existing communities were included inside a new line of walls built by the feudal counts of Auxerre Bourgeois activities accompanied the traditional land and wine cultivations starting from the twelfth century and Auxerre developed into a commune with a Town Hall of its own The Burgundian city which became part of France under King Louis XI suffered during the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion In 1567 it was captured by the Huguenots and many of the Catholic edifices were damaged The medieval ramparts were demolished in the 18th century In the 19th century numerous heavy infrastructures were built including a railway station a psychiatric hospital and the courts and new quarters were developed on the right bank of the Yonne Until the early 20th century Auxerre was one of the most prosperous cities in the department But the local authorities of that period refused the railway that was subsequently set in the village of Migennes and signed the economic decline of the town citation needed ArchaeologyIn June 2024 the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research announced the discovery of a large Roman cemetery in Place du Marechal Leclerc Auxerre France The cemetery contains more than 250 burials of infants and stillborn babies Some remains were buried in ceramic vessels and wooden coffins while others were wrapped in textiles DemographicsHistorical populationYearPop p a 179312 000 180012 047 0 06 180612 044 0 00 182112 065 0 01 183111 439 0 53 183612 326 1 50 184112 326 0 00 184613 968 2 53 185114 166 0 28 185615 119 1 31 186115 081 0 05 186615 497 0 55 187215 631 0 14 187616 239 0 96 188116 986 0 90 188617 456 0 55 189118 036 0 66 189618 576 0 59 YearPop p a 190118 901 0 35 190620 931 2 06 191121 929 0 94 192121 203 0 34 192621 978 0 72 193122 900 0 83 193624 282 1 18 194624 052 0 10 195426 583 1 26 196231 178 2 01 196835 784 2 32 197538 342 0 99 198238 741 0 15 199038 819 0 03 199937 790 0 30 200737 218 0 19 201235 096 1 17 201734 634 0 26 Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension which will be known as the Chart extension can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki org Source EHESS and INSEE 1968 2017 ClimateClimate data for Auxerre 1981 2010 normals extremes 1951 2013 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 16 8 62 2 23 0 73 4 26 6 79 9 29 8 85 6 32 1 89 8 37 7 99 9 39 6 103 3 41 1 106 0 35 3 95 5 31 3 88 3 22 8 73 0 18 4 65 1 41 1 106 0 Mean daily maximum C F 6 3 43 3 7 9 46 2 12 1 53 8 15 6 60 1 19 8 67 6 23 0 73 4 26 0 78 8 25 8 78 4 21 4 70 5 16 6 61 9 10 2 50 4 6 7 44 1 16 0 60 8 Daily mean C F 3 5 38 3 4 4 39 9 7 7 45 9 10 5 50 9 14 5 58 1 17 6 63 7 20 2 68 4 19 9 67 8 16 2 61 2 12 4 54 3 7 1 44 8 4 1 39 4 11 5 52 7 Mean daily minimum C F 0 8 33 4 0 9 33 6 3 3 37 9 5 3 41 5 9 2 48 6 12 3 54 1 14 4 57 9 14 1 57 4 11 0 51 8 8 2 46 8 4 0 39 2 1 6 34 9 7 1 44 8 Record low C F 20 2 4 4 18 8 1 8 11 6 11 1 5 2 22 6 1 0 30 2 3 0 37 4 5 8 42 4 4 0 39 2 0 5 32 9 2 9 26 8 8 8 16 2 15 1 4 8 20 2 4 4 Average precipitation mm inches 56 4 2 22 47 7 1 88 49 1 1 93 55 9 2 20 69 8 2 75 61 4 2 42 53 9 2 12 59 4 2 34 61 2 2 41 70 8 2 79 61 1 2 41 61 2 2 41 707 9 27 87 Average precipitation days 1 0 mm 11 2 9 6 10 6 9 9 11 4 9 7 7 6 7 8 8 5 10 3 11 0 11 6 119 2Average relative humidity 87 82 77 72 76 74 71 73 78 85 87 88 79 2Mean monthly sunshine hours 64 4 85 6 139 7 175 3 200 1 215 9 233 2 224 2 176 4 118 4 64 2 51 4 1 748 6Source 1 MeteocielSource 2 Infoclimat fr humidity 1961 1990 Main sightsA view of Auxerre s old town with Saint Germain Abbey in the backgroundChurch of St Pierre en Vallee listed as monumentCathedral of St Etienne 11th 16th centuries In Gothic style it has three doorways with bas reliefs There are stained glass windows in the choir and the apsidal chapel The 11th century crypt houses the remains of the former Romanesque cathedral Abbey of Saint Germain existing from the 6th century The crypt has some of the oldest mural paintings in France and houses the tomb of the bishops of Auxerre There is a chapter room 12th century a cellar 14th century and a cloister 17th century The Clock Tower in the Old Town The church of St Pierre en Vallee 17th 18th centuries established over a 6th century abbey In late Gothic style it has a tower similar to that of the cathedral Portions of the decorations and inner chapels were financed by local winegrowers Church of St Eusebe founded in the 7th century The nave was rebuilt in the 13th century while the tower is in Romanesque style Notable peopleGermanus of Auxerre c 378 c 442 448 bishop of Auxerre missionary to Britain William of Auxerre died 1231 early High Scholastic theologian from Auxerre Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier 1768 1830 mathematician experimental physicist and politician born in Auxerre Paul Bert 1833 1886 physiologist and politician born in Auxerre Louis Amable Crapelet 1822 1867 water colour painter born in Auxerre Theodore Frederic Gaillardet 1808 1882 journalist publisher of French language newspaper Courrier des Etats Unis in New York City and mayor of Plessis Bouchard France born in Auxerre Eugene Hatin 1809 1893 historian and bibliographer Saint Helladius died 387 bishop of Auxerre Paul Monceaux 1859 1941 historian born in Auxerre Marie Noel 1883 1967 Poet born in Auxerre Benoit Mourlon born 1988 footballer Jean Paul Rappeneau 1932 film director born in Auxerre Guy Roux 1938 coach of AJ Auxerre for more than 40 years holding the French record of 894 games in Ligue 1SpecialtiesGougere baked choux pastry made of dough mixed with cheese Kir a traditional aperitif mixed drink from Burgundy wine traditionally Bourgogne Aligote and blackcurrant liqueur Bœuf bourguignon a typical main dish made of beef and vegetables Truffe bourguignonne truffles from Burgundy Regional winesChablis wine a white wine made exclusively of Chardonnay in the Chablis AOC Saint Bris AOC the only white wine in Burgundy made of Sauvignon grapes especially Sauvignon blanc and Sauvignon gris Irancy a red wine from the surrounding area made of Pinot noir Bourgogne cote d Auxerre belonging to the Burgundy AOC wine it is made of Chardonnay for the white wine and Pinot noir for the red Cremant de Bourgogne sparkling wine following the tradition of Champagne Cremant de Bourgogne has a strong production in and around Auxerre Bourgogne Aligote dry wine Aligote is the second most popular grape variety grown in Burgundy after Chardonnay The whole region of Burgundy produces over 200 million bottles per year Twin towns sister citiesAuxerre is twinned with Greve in Chianti Italy Plock Poland Redditch England United Kingdom Roscoff France Saint Amarin France Worms GermanySee alsoCounty of Auxerre Bishopric of Auxerre Cathedrale Saint Etienne d Auxerre Lady of Auxerre Saint Germanus of Auxerre Remigius of Auxerre William of Auxerre Communes of the Yonne department AJ Auxerre the local football clubReferences Repertoire national des elus les maires data gouv fr Plateforme ouverte des donnees publiques francaises in French 2 December 2020 Populations de reference 2022 in French The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies 19 December 2024 Wells John C 2008 Longman Pronunciation Dictionary 3rd ed Longman ISBN 978 1 4058 8118 0 Comparateur de territoire Commune d Auxerre 89024 Aire d attraction des villes 2020 d Auxerre 102 INSEE 8 October 2024 in French Labellisation Pays d art et d histoire l Auxerrois pret pour le grand oral au ministere de la culture lyonne fr 22 November 2019 Councils were held here in 578 and 1147 Saraceni Jessica Esther 19 June 2024 News Roman Era Necropolis for Infants Uncovered in France Archaeology Magazine Retrieved 25 June 2024 Science Aristos Georgiou Reporter Health 15 June 2024 Archaeologists uncover Roman babies necropolis under modern town square Newsweek Retrieved 25 June 2024 Des villages de Cassini aux communes d aujourd hui Commune data sheet Auxerre EHESS in French Population en historique depuis 1968 INSEE Normales et records pour Auxerre 89 Meteociel Retrieved 21 November 2024 Normes et records 1961 1990 Auxerre 89 altitude 207m in French Infoclimat Retrieved 5 January 2016 Howard Eves 1990 An Introduction to the History of Mathematics sixth ed Saunders College Publishing Who Was Who in America Historical Volume 1607 1896 Chicago Marquis Who s Who 1963 Villes jumelees in French Auxerre Retrieved 27 September 2021 External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Auxerre Goyau Georges 1913 Sens In Herbermann Charles ed Catholic Encyclopedia New York Robert Appleton Company Auxerre Town Hall in French Visit Auxerre Tourist Info in English Auxerre Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 3 11th ed 1911 p 50
