Narbonne ( , , ; ; ; Late Latin:) is a commune and subprefecture in Southern France, located in the Occitania region. It is located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and was historically a prosperous port city. Narbonne lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is an arrondissement. From the 14th century onwards, it declined following a change in the course of the river Aude. While it is the largest commune in Aude, the capital of the Aude department is the smaller commune of Carcassonne.

Etymology

The etymology of the town's original name, , is lost in antiquity, and it may have referred to a hillfort from the Iron Age close to the location of the current settlement or its occupants. The earliest known record of the area comes from the Ancient Greek historian and geographer Hecataeus of Miletus (5th century BCE),

History

Under the Romans

The ancient city of Narbonne was established in Gaul by the Roman Republic in 118 BCE, as , colloquially , and made into the capital of the newly established Roman province of Gallia Transalpina (modern-day Southwestern France). 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 led toward the Atlantic Ocean through the cities of Tolosa and Burdigala.

The Roman colony of was founded close to an older settlement: on the hill of Montlaurès, about 4 kilometers north of Narbonne, there was an oppidum that can be traced back to the 6th century BCE. Some scholars identify this settlement with or , the capital of the Elisyces (; ), an ancient tribe of Ibero-Ligurian origin, mentioned both in Ancient Greek and Roman literary sources, that were Celticized before the Roman conquest of Gaul. However, this literary mention in Avienius' didactic poem Ora maritima did not occur until the late 4th century CE, and thus only about half a millennium after the founding of .

Nearby the oppidum lies the lower course of the river Aude (), which in Roman times still divided into two branches. The northern branch flowed further east, similar to the river's current course, to meet the Étang de Berre, a lagoon of the Mediterranean Sea north of the Massif de la Clape, while the southern branch followed the course of today's Canal de la Robine along the Roman colony of , flowing into the lagoon south of it.

Politically, Narbonne gained importance as a competitor to Massilia (today Marseille). Julius Caesar settled veterans from his 10th Legion there and attempted to develop its port, while Massilia was supporting Pompey. Among the products of Narbonne, its rosemary-flower honey was famous among Romans. Later, the Roman province of was renamed after the city, which became its capital. Seat of a powerful administration, the city enjoyed economic and architectural expansion.

Visigothic Kingdom

According to Hydatius, in 462 AD the city was handed over to the Visigoths by a local military leader in exchange for support; as a result Roman rule ended in medieval France. It was subsequently the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom of Septimania, the only territory from Gaul to fend off the attacks of the Christian Franks after the Battle of Vouille (507). In 531, the Frankish king Childebert I invaded Septimania and defeated the Visigothic king, Amalaric, near Narbonne and occupied the city. However, after Childebert's continued invasion to Catalonia failed, Amalaric's successor Theudis was able to reclaim the rich province of Septimania, including Narbonne, to the Visigothic Kingdom.

Frankish conquest of Septimania

thumb|250px|right|Arab and Berber Muslim troops retreating from Narbonne after the [[Siege of Narbonne (752–759)|Frankish conquest of Septimania in 759. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the community went through a series of ups and downs before settling into extended decline.

However, goods could easily be transported by land and in shallow barges from the ports (there were several: a main port and forward ports for larger vessels; indeed the navigability from the sea into the étang and then into the river had been a perennial problem). The changes to the long seashore which resulted from the silting up of the series of graus or openings which were interspersed between the islands which made up the shoreline (St. Martin; St. Lucie) had a more serious impact than the change in course of the river. Other causes of decline were the Plague and the raid of Edward, the Black Prince, which caused much devastation. The growth of other ports was also a factor.

Narbonne Cathedral

thumb|right|The city of Narbonne in the late 19th century

right|thumb|Part of the unfinished section of the [[Narbonne Cathedral|Cathedral Saint-Just-et-Saint-Pasteur]]

The Narbonne Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Justus and Pastor, provides stark evidence of Narbonne's sudden and dramatic change of fortunes when one sees at the rear of the structure the enormously ambitious building programme frozen in time, for the cathedral—still one of the tallest in France—was never finished. The reasons are many, but the most important is that completing the cathedral would have required demolishing the city wall. The 14th century also brought the plague and a host of reasons for retaining the pre-Visigothic, 5th-century walls. Yet the choir, side chapels, sacristy, and courtyard remain intact, and the cathedral, although no longer the seat of a bishop or archbishop, remains the primary place of worship for the Roman Catholic population of the city, and is a major tourist attraction.

Building of the Canal de la Robine

thumb|The Canal de la Robine in 2003. (Taken from the "Passerelle entre Deux Villes" pedestrian bridge, facing northwest, away from the heart of the city.)

From the sixteenth century, eager to maintain a link to important trade, the people of Narbonne began costly work to the vestiges of the river Aude's access to the sea so that it would remain navigable to a limited draft vessel and also serve as a link with the Royal Canal. This major undertaking resulted in the construction of the Canal de la Robine, which was finally linked with the Canal du Midi (then known as the Royal Canal) via the Canal de Jonction in 1776.

In the 19th century, the canal system in the south of France had to compete with an expanding rail network, which could ship goods more quickly. The canals kept some importance as they were used to support the flourishing wine trade. Despite its decline from Roman times, Narbonne held on to its vital but limited importance as a trading route. This has continued in more recent centuries.

Geography

Narbonne is linked to the nearby Canal du Midi and the river Aude by the Canal de la Robine, which runs through the centre of town. It is very close to the A9 motorway, which connects Montpellier and Nîmes to Perpignan and, across the border, to Barcelona in Spain. There is also a recently renovated train station which serves the TGV to Spain, Paris and Calais, which in turn connects to the Eurostar. Narbonne is only 10 km from Narbonne Plage (beach), but it is only 2 km from the nearest open water, at La Nautique, although there is no sand, rather pebbles.

Climate

{|style="width:80%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable mw-collapsible"

|+Climate data for Narbonne

!Month

!Jan

!Feb

!Mar

!Apr

!May

!Jun

!Jul

!Aug

!Sep

!Oct

!Nov

!Dec

!Year

|-

|Average sea temperature °C

|style="background:#ffead5;|13

|style="background:#ffead5;|13

|style="background:#ffead5;|13

|style="background:#ffdfbf;|14

|style="background:#ffca95;|16

|style="background:#ffaa55;|19

|style="background:#ff8a15;|22

|style="background:#ff7f00;|23

|style="background:#ff942b;|21

|style="background:#ffb46a;|18

|style="background:#ffca95;|16

|style="background:#ffdfbf;|14

|style="background:#ffca95;|16.8

|-

|Average Wind Speed km/h

|style="background:#00ee76;|20.9

|style="background:#00d56a;|21.2

|style="background:#00ee76;|20.9

|style="background:#00ee76;|20.5

|style="background:#07ff83;|19.4

|style="background:#07ff83;|19.1

|style="background:#07ff83;|19.8

|style="background:#20ff8f;|18.0

|style="background:#39ff9c;|17.3

|style="background:#39ff9c;|17.6

|style="background:#07ff83;|19.8

|style="background:#07ff83;|19.4

|style="background:#07ff83;|19.4

|-

| colspan="14" |Source: holiday-weather.com; Meteo France

|}

Population

Sights

thumb|right|Cloister of the [[Palace of the Archbishops of Narbonne|Archbishops' Palace]]

thumb|[[Archaeological site of Clos de la Lombarde]]

  • The Cathedral Saint-Just-et-Saint-Pasteur, dating from 1272.
  • The Palace of the Archbishops of Narbonne and its donjon with views over the city, designated as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture in 1840.
  • Musée Archeologique, an archaeological museum in the town centre.
  • Clos de la Lombarde, an archaeological site presenting the vestiges of Roman townhouses, bath houses, and workshops from the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE, and the first Christian basilica in Narbonne (3rd–4th century CE).
  • 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 Halles covered market operates every day. The busiest times are Sunday and Thursday mornings.
  • The nearby limestone massif, known as La Clape, and the beach at Narbonne plage.

Sport

Narbonne is home to the rugby union team RC Narbonne founded in 1907. It is a historic team in France, Narbonne have twice won the French first division title and reached a European final in 2001. They play at the Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié (capacity 12,000). They wear orange and black.

Transport

The Gare de Narbonne railway station offers direct connections to Paris, Barcelona, Toulouse, Marseille, and many regional destinations. An extensive local system of buses and routes operated by Citibus.fr allow for easy public transport within Narbonne and surrounding communities.

The nearest airports to Narbonne are Marseille Provence, Toulouse–Blagnac, Perpignan–Rivesaltes, and Montpellier–Méditerranée airports.

Personalities

thumb|right|Milestone of [[Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 122 BC)|Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, founder of the Roman colony of Narbo Martius. The marker is one of the earliest Latin inscriptions found in France ().]]

<!-- Please maintain alphabetical order by family name. -->

  • Varro Atacinus (), Roman poet from the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis
  • Marcus Aurelius Carus (), Roman Emperor from the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis (), known for his late victories against the Sasanian Empire and the Germanic tribes
  • Noble Jewish family of Benveniste, with roots in Narbonne