Auxonne ( or ) is a commune in the

Côte-d'Or Côte-d'Or (; literally, "Golden Slope") is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.department in the

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in Eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...

region of eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Auxonnais'' or ''Auxonnaises''. Auxonne is one of the sites of the defensive structures of Vauban, clearly seen from the train bridge as it enters the

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing ...

on the Dijon–Vallorbe line railway line. It also was home to the Artillery School where

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

was stationed as a lieutenant and audited classes from 1788 to 1791. The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competition of cities and villages in Bloom''.

Pronunciation

Due to an exception in the French language, the name is pronounced sɔn(In ''Aussonne'' the "x" is pronounced "ss"). The current spelling of the name comes from a habit of copyists of the Middle Ages who replaced the double "s" by a cross which does not change the pronunciation. This cross, equated with "x" in

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...

, was pronounced "ks" in French only from the 18th century but this modification does not change the usage. In practice, however, the pronunciation of Auxonne is debatable, the inhabitants themselves being divided between a pronunciation of "ks" and "ss": local elected officials as well as SNCF announcements retain the pronunciation "ks". This pronunciation has the merit of avoiding a

homophone A homophone () is a word that is pronounced the same (to varying extent) as another word but differs in meaning. A ''homophone'' may also differ in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, for example ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (pa ...

with the Upper Garonne commune of

Aussonne Aussonne (; oc, Aussona) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. Population Monument Aussonne Mairie.jpg, Town hall Aussonne - L'église.jpg, Church Aussonne - Armoiries du chateau.jpg, Arms in facade of castle ...

Geography

The city of Auxonne is located at the edge of

Côte-d'Or Côte-d'Or (; literally, "Golden Slope") is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The ...

and

Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; frp, Franche-Comtât; also german: Freigrafschaft; es, Franco Condado; all ) is a cultural and historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of Doubs, ...

some 30 km south-east of

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlie ...

and 45 km west by south-west of

Besançon Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzer ...

. Access to the commune is by road D905 from Genlis in the north-west which passes through the town and continues south-east to

Sampans A sampan is a relatively flat-bottomed Chinese and Malay wooden boat. Some sampans include a small shelter on board and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. The design closely resembles Western hard chine boats like t ...

. The D24 road goes south from the town to

Labergement-lès-Auxonne Labergement-lès-Auxonne (, literally ''Labergement near Auxonne'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government ...

, the D110A goes south-east to Rainans, the D208 goes east to

Peintre Peintre () is a commune in the Jura department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Jura department The following is a list of the 494 communes of the Jura department of France. The com ...

, and the D20 goes north-east to

Flammerans Flammerans is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a ge ...

. There are very large forests along the western side of the commune and Auxonne town has a large urban area with the rest of the commune farmland.Google Maps
/ref> The western border of the commune is the

Saône The Saône ( , ; frp, Sona; lat, Arar) is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department and joining the Rhône in Lyon, at the southern end of the Presqu'île. The name d ...

river as it flows south to eventually join the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

. The commune is at an altitude ranging between 181 m and 211 m which makes it virtually immune to floods that envelop the region during major floods.

Geology

Auxonne belongs to a region called the plain of Saône. The plain, with

Bresse Bresse () is a former French province. It is located in the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté of eastern France. The geographical term ''Bresse'' has two meanings: ''Bresse bourguignonne'' (or ''louhannaise''), w ...

, is a geo-morphological unit of the Bressan depression: an extensive collapsed formation dating from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

extending from the

Upper Rhine Plain The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben (German: ''Oberrheinische Tiefebene'', ''Oberrheinisches Tiefland'' or ''Oberrheingraben'', French: ''Vallée du Rhin'') is a major rift, about and on average , between Basel in the s ...

and the Rhone basin. The plain of Saône is limited in the north by the Upper Saône plateau, to the west by the Burgundian limestone ridge, to the east by the plateaux of the Jura then by the Bresse, and finally to the south by the

Beaujolais Beaujolais ( , ) is a French ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) wine generally made of the Gamay grape, which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Whites from the region, which mak ...

vineyards. The plain of Saône drops from 250 m altitude in the north to 175 m in the south-east is traversed by the river from north to south for over 150 km. The city of Auxonne is specifically in the alluvial ribbon called the ''Val de Saône'' – a band a few kilometres wide that follows the river. Its immediate limit in the Auxonne area is ten kilometres to the east where there is a rise of the ''Massif de la Serre'' to an altitude of about 400 metres.

Climate

The climate of the Val de Saône has several conflicting influences but is still a dominant continental climate. It is marked, however, by an oceanic influence that is strongly attenuated by the hills of

Morvan The Morvan (historically Morvand from the Latin ''Murvinnum'' 590)Pierre-Henri Billy, ''Dictionnaire des noms de lieux de la France'', éditions Errance, 640 pages, 2011 , is a mountainous massif lying just to the west of the Côte d'Or esca ...

which acts as a barrier. There is also a meridional influence in summer which allows the Saône valley, an extension of the Rhone valley, to enjoy good sunshine which is also seen in late spring and early autumn thereby lengthening the summer. Finally there is the continental influence on the Saône valley climate with cold winters and sometimes late frosts. Fog is common from October to March (65 to 70 days per year). The summers are hot enough. Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year with summer and winter relatively less than autumn and spring.

Surrounding municipalities

History

Origins

Modern historians agree on doubting the veracity of the assertions contained in the ''Chronicle of Saint-Pierre de Bèze'' (the name of the monastery founded by ''Amalgaire'' who is referred to as ''Amauger'' in the ''History of Burgundy'') in the first half of the 7th century concerning the term ''Assona'' to refer to Auxonne in the first half of the 7th century. The first three authentic instruments where the name ''Auxonne'' appears date from 1172, 1173 and 1178. The first two are associated with Count Stephen II of Auxonne (died 1173) and the third is in a

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...

. The act of 1173 was a donation made by the Count to the monastery of Saint-Vivant de Vergy. The pontifical act of 1178 was a confirmation of all the possessions of the priory of Saint-Vivant which included the town of Auxonne. Religious rights of Auxonne date back to around 870, the date of establishment of their monastery in the ''pagus'' (County) of Amous (or Amaous) in the Jura of Burgundy (later called the County of Burgundy then

), six

miles The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 Engli ...

from the Saône on land belonging to Agilmar, bishop of Clermont. The place took the name which it still has today: Saint-Vivant-en-Amous (between Auxonne and Dole). The monks remained in Amous for more than twenty years; the Normans from Hastings destroyed the monastery when they invaded Burgundy. Count Manassès built them a new monastery (circa 895–896) in Frankish Burgundy in the County of

Beaune Beaune () is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and the center of Burgundy wine production and business. The annua ...

on the slopes of Mount Vergy. While they were in Amous they cleared the area and installed fishermen's huts along the Saône. According to a hypothesis by some historians, these huts became the germ of the future town of Auxonne. Installed in their remote region of Vergy, far from their difficult to defend lands, the monks of Saint-Vivant felt the need to subordinate (undoubtedly to William IV, Count of Vienne and Mâcon (died 1155)) their lands in Amous to remove the covetousness and retain their rights and properties. According to a second hypothesis, the feudal lord established a new town along Saône which took the name of Auxonne. Auxonne therefore was in the ''pagus'' of Amous. The division of the

Treaty of Verdun The Treaty of Verdun (), agreed in , divided the Frankish Empire into three kingdoms among the surviving sons of the emperor Louis I, the son and successor of Charlemagne. The treaty was concluded following almost three years of civil war and ...

of 843 placed Amous in the prize of

Lothair I Lothair I or Lothar I ( Dutch and Medieval Latin: ''Lotharius''; German: ''Lothar''; French: ''Lothaire''; Italian: ''Lotario'') (795 – 29 September 855) was emperor (817–855, co-ruling with his father until 840), and the governor of Bava ...

and, despite the complicated divisions that followed, this county was

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

land and fell within the sphere of influence of the Count of Burgundy – i.e. the future

The attachment to the Duchy of Burgundy

In 1172 the city had grown in importance: Count Stephen I of Auxonne, the younger branch of Burgundy County and son of William (died 1157), had settled there. His successor Stephen II, Count of Auxonne (died 1241) and son of the previous head of the younger branch of Burgundy County, was master of rich domains, ambitious, powerful, and supported by the premier families of the country, nourished some pretensions to supplant the elder branch. He worked conspicuously. In 1197, taking advantage of unrest in Germany, Stephen III, renounced loyalty to

Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of He ...

(died 14 January 1201), and took the Auxonne tribute to the Duke of Burgundy, Odo III, while guaranteeing the rights of Saint-Vivant de Vergy. In return, Odo III promised to help him in his fight against the Palatinate. Auxonne escaped the county movement. In 1237 the head of the County was

Otto III Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of the Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu. Otto III was crowned as King of ...

(died 19 June 1248), son and successor of

Otto I, Duke of Merania Otto I (c. 1180 – 7 May 1234), a member of the House of Andechs, was Duke of Merania from 1204 until his death. He was also Count of Burgundy (as Otto II) from 1208 to 1231, by his marriage to Countess Beatrice II, and Margrave of Istria and ...

(died 6 May 1234). On June 15 of that year, under an exchange agreement concluded at

Saint-Jean-de-Losne Saint-Jean-de-Losne (, literally ''Saint John of Losne'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is about southeast of Dijon. History Despite its size, the town's position on the Saône River meant it featured in a ...

between John, Count of Chalon (1190-30 September 1267) (the main character of the agreement and son of Stephen III, long associated with his father's business and heir of Beatrice de Chalon (1170-7 April 1227) his mother and Stephen III himself) and

Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy Hugh IV of Burgundy (9 March 1213 – 27 or 30 October 1272) was Duke of Burgundy between 1218 and 1272 and from 1266 until his death was titular King of Thessalonica. Hugh was the son of Odo III, Duke of Burgundy and Alice de Vergy. Issue Hug ...

, the town of Auxonne and all the possessions of Stephen III in the basin of the Saône were transferred to the Duke of Burgundy in exchange for the Barony of Salins and ten strategic positions of the first importance in the County. In coming under the rule of the Dukes of Burgundy, Auxonne became a bridgehead of the duchy on the eastern bank of the Saône, on Holy Roman Empire soil, and escaped the Germanic influence. The attachment of Auxonne to the Duchy of Burgundy gave it the status as of a border town between the

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; la, Ducatus Burgundiae; french: Duché de Bourgogne, ) emerged in the 9th century as one of the successors of the ancient Kingdom of the Burgundians, which after its conquest in 532 had formed a constituent part of the ...

and the County of Burgundy, between French and Germanic influence that would determine the fate of the town in the following centuries.

Auxonne under the Dukes of Valois

Sheltered behind its ramparts that it continued to fortify, the fortress was a major base for launching military operations: it was from Auxonne that Odo IV in 1336 dismissed the threat of dissenting county barons entering as he was their lawful sovereign since his marriage with Jeanne de France (1308–1349), heir to the County. Between 1364 and 1369 there was fighting at the castle of

Philip the Bold Philip II the Bold (; ; 17 January 1342 – 27 April 1404) was Duke of Burgundy and ''jure uxoris'' Count of Flanders, Artois and Burgundy. He was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg. Philip II w ...

from Auxonne against the county barons and free companies. At the beginning of the 15th century, with the civil war that ravaged France, war was constant around the walls which forced the city to remain constantly alert. Between 1434 and 1444 there was a new threat: bands of idle soldiers called Écorcheurs because they took all. The people of Auxonne kept watch on the ramparts while the formidable soldiery ravaged the countryside. As if their misfortune were not enough there were two fires five years apart on 7 March 1419 and 15 September 1424 which devastated the city. It was not until 1444 that there was a period of peace that lasted until the advent of

Charles the Bold Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...

in 1467. In 1468, following the Treaty of Peronne, tension revived between the

king of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the fir ...

and the Duke of Burgundy – Charles the Bold. The town soon looked to put its defenses in order. In 1471 it made a contribution to the fight against the army of the

Dauphiné The Dauphiné (, ) is a former province in Southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was originally the Dauphiné of Viennois. In the 12th centu ...

which was sent by Louis XI and which penetrated the duchy. The adventurous policy of the fiery Duke finally led his dynasty to ruin. On the death of the Duke on 5 January 1477 Louis XI seized the duchy without delay with virtually no resistance. The royal army returned to

on 1 February 1477.

The attachment to the kingdom of France

The special status of Outer Saône lands, which were not a domain of the crown given prerogatives, did not stop Louis XI from his conquest. But the Comtois people revolted followed by those from Auxonne. After two years of resistance to the invader and after the carnage of Dole at the Chateau of Dole on 25 May 1479 they were left without support by

Mary of Burgundy Mary (french: Marie; nl, Maria; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy who ruled a collection of states that included the duchies of Limburg, Brabant, Luxembourg, the counties of ...

. Auxonne held out for 12 days in the siege by the royal army commanded by

Charles d'Amboise Charles d'Amboise may refer to: * Charles I d'Amboise (1430–1481), French politician and military figure * Charles II d'Amboise Charles d'Amboise, Seigneur de Chaumont (1473 – 11 February 1511) was a French nobleman, who acted as French go ...

before opening its doors on 4 June 1477 to the French invader. The town, attached to the crown of France, would share the fate of the monarchy. The Duchy of Burgundy and the County of Burgundy were always united but this time under the crown of France had changed masters and for another 14 years had a common destiny. For political ends Louis XI, while he solemnly confirmed the maintenance of all the privileges of the town to ensure the loyalty of his new subjects, hastened to build a mighty fortress, the Chateau d'Auxonne, at Auxonne at the province's expense, which still dominates Iliote square, to guard against any attempt of rebellion. Charles VIII challenged Louis XI as, while he was engaged to Marguerite, daughter of

and Maximilian I of

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

, heiress of the Duchy of Burgundy, and after the dowry of his future wife arrived in the County, he preferred to marry Anne, heiress of Brittany, and thus took the important

Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean ...

from the kingdom of France.

Auxonne becomes a border town

The Treaty of Senlis (23 May 1493), signed between Charles VIII and Maximilian again separated the two Burgundies. Auxonne again became a French bridgehead on the Imperial Bank and its walls had to protect the kingdom of France against attempts by Habsburg to resolve by force the " question of Burgundy" and the Habsburg claims on Burgundy. There were soon tensions on the Empire side. From 1494 the

Italian wars The Italian Wars, also known as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts covering the period 1494 to 1559, fought mostly in the Italian peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean Sea. The pr ...

were rekindled. Again the walls were consolidated and the County door was built in 1503.

Auxonne repulses the Imperials

On 14 January 1526 the Treaty of Madrid was signed, after the Battle of Pavia, between

François I Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...

and Charles V. The King of France was forced to abandon Burgundy and the County of Auxonne, among other territories. The States of Burgundy combined on 8 June 1526 and refused to separate from the crown of France. In response the Emperor tried to conquer the County of Auxonne. In front of the walls of the city Lannoy, commander of the imperial armies, found such strong resistance on the part of all the people he had to give up.

Henri III declares the Auxonne people guilty of lèse-majesté

In 1574 Charles of Lorraine, the younger brother of Henri I of Guise and Charles, Duke of Mayenne, whom history remembers simply under the name Mayenne, became Duke and governor of Burgundy. A champion of the Catholic cause, he extended the religious wars to political wars. He worked to establish his own government and attached the neighbouring land of

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

under the Guise government to the Burgundian province. The death of the Duke of Anjou, brother of Henry III, in 1584 made Henry of Navarre, a Protestant, the presumptive heir to the crown gave the Catholic League a new activity. Civil war began again. Mayenne sought to retain the strongholds of Burgundy for his County. On 2 April 1585 the people of Auxonne received a letter from King Henry III recommending them to ensure the safety of their town and especially "in not receiving the Duke of Mayenne". The people of Auxonne, loyal to the king, hastened to execute orders. Jean de Saulx-Tavannes, governor of the city and the Chateau of Auxonne at first took the measures imposed then secretly strengthened the garrison of the castle as he suspected that the inhabitants of conspiring with Mayenne to deliver it to him instead. Counselled by Joachim de Rochefort, Baron of Pluvault, the magistrates decided to seize the governor. They arrested him on Saints' Day in 1585 when it was making his devotions in the church. The Count of Charny, a close relative of Jean de Saulx, Lieutenant General in Burgundy, approved this act of loyalty to the Crown by the people of Auxonne. When the King was informed he praised the people for their loyalty but concessions to Leaguers which were formalised by the signing of the Treaty of Nemours on 7 July 1585 forced Henry III to equivocate. He asked the people to deliver Tavannes into the hands of Charny and named Claude de

Bauffremont The House of Bauffremont is the name of a French noble family of Princes which derived its name from a village in the Vosges, outside of Neufchâteau, now spelt Beaufremont. The family traces itself to Liébaud, sire de Bauffremont, in 1090. T ...

, Baron of Sennecey known for his Mayenne sympathies, as governor of the town and Chateau of Auxonne. In complete defiance and sniffing betrayal, the people of Auxonne handed Tavannes to the County of Charny who shut him up in his castle at Pagny, refused Sennecey as governor, and continued to claim in his place the Baron of Pluvault. In January 1586 new orders from the king expressed his dissatisfaction with these repeated refusals. The situation was difficult for the people but they received encouragement in their resistance from the future Henri IV who was at

Montauban Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, ...

and sent them a letter of encouragement on 25 January 1586. Meanwhile, Tavannes had escaped from his prison at Pagny. The first use he made of his new-found freedom was an attempt to retake Auxonne by surprise. On 10 February 1586 he appeared before the walls with two hundred men at arms. His attempt was unsuccessful. Despite orders and injunctions that the people receive Sennecey as governor, they still held to Pluvault. His patience tired, Henry III, by letters patent of 1 May 1586, declared the Auxonne people guilty of

Lèse-majesté Lèse-majesté () or lese-majesty () is an offence against the dignity of a ruling head of state (traditionally a monarch but now more often a president) or the state itself. The English name for this crime is a borrowing from the French, w ...

and ordered action by force so arrangements were made accordingly. The Auxonne people were obstinate in their refusal, but loyal to the crown, and were ready for a showdown. They refused to open the gates of the city to the Count of Charny who was obliged to find housing in Tillenay. They did consent to open the gate for President Jeannin who came to mediate with the Squire of Pluvault to save Auxonne from ruin. Jean Delacroix (or John of the Cross), a countryman of Auxonnais and private secretary to

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici ( it, Caterina de' Medici, ; french: Catherine de Médicis, ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Florentine noblewoman born into the Medici family. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King ...

arrived with his deputation to the king with Letters of credence for Sir Charny giving him full powers to deal with the people . The negotiations resulted in an accord reached and signed on 15 August 1586 at Tillenay. The Treaty revoked letters that declared the people of Auxonne guilty of lese majeste, exempted them from contribution for nine years, and granted a gratuity of 90,000 francs to the Baron of Pluvault. This treaty was approved by letters patent of 19 August 1586 and on the 25th of the same month the Baron of Sennecey was received and installed as governor of the town and Chateau of Auxonne. Received by the people with the greatest distrust, Sennecey showed himself as the man for the job.

The Treaty of Nijmegen

The town finally lost its designation as a border town with the conquest of the County by

Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

but it still remained an important place as indicated by the stationing there of the 511th logistics regiment. The city of Auxonne remained famous because of two visits that were made by a young second lieutenant in the regiment of La Fere named

who was later to make his name known across Europe. The Bonaparte district preserves the room he occupied during one of his stays. There is also a small museum in a tower of the Chateau of Auxonne, his set square, his fencing foil, and objects he offered during his stay, as well as one of his hats.

Contemporary era

During the Second World War Auxonne was liberated on 10 September 1944 by troops who landed in Provence.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors ;Mayors from 1935

The Canton of Auxonne

Auxonne is the seat of the canton of Auxonne, which covers 35 communes. Auxonne is the most populous commune in the canton.

Twinning

Auxonne has twinning associations with: * Heidesheim am Rhein (Germany) since 1964.

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 7,622 inhabitants.

Economy

The town has a branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Dijon.

Transportation

The commune has a railway station, , on the Dijon–Vallorbe line.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: *A House in parts of wood and brick (15th century) *A House at 6 Rue du Bourg (1548) *The Hotel Jean de la Croix (15th century) *The Civil and military Hospital (17th century).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Hospital contains a very large number of items that are registered as historical objects. * The Hospice Saint-Anne (18th century) * The Covered Market (17th century) ;Other sites of interest * A Farmhouse at Louzerolle has a Group Sculpture: Virgin of Pity with base (15th century) that is registered as an historical object. * The Railway station has a Platform Railway Wagon (1913) that is registered as an historical object. * A House at Granges d'Auxonne has a Statue: Christ on the Cross (17th century) that is registered as an historical object. * A House at Rue Boileau has a Bas-relief with the Arms of the Bossuet family (17th century) that is registered as an historical object. * The Bonaparte Museum in the tower of the Chateau d'Auxonne has 2 Columns (16th century) that are registered as an historical object. * A Barrage dam on the Saône was built in 1840 and operated for 170 years until April 2011 when a modern dam (with inflatable mechanical shutters) of a Needle dam type took over. It is over 200 metres long and is divided into four sections of 50 metres each with a total of 1,040 needles to manoeuvre depending on the fluctuating water levels. Image:Auxonne la saone et le nouveau barrage.jpg, Old view of the Needle dam at Auxonne Image:Auxonne La saone Barrage aiguilles.JPG, The Needle dam in 2007

Religious heritage

The commune has one religious building that is registered as an historical monument: The Church of Notre-Dame (13th century). The construction of the main part lasted all through the 13th century, first the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

in 1200, then the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

, and the chapels between 1200 and 1250. The construction of the door started in the 14th century. The side chapels were raised in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1516, under the direction of Master Loys – the architect of the church of Saint-Michel de Dijon – the construction of the portal surmounted by two towers of unequal heights began. In 1525 the Jacquemart (now disappeared) was installed in the tower. In 1858 a campaign of rehabilitation was organized under the auspices of the municipality and executed by Phal Blando, an architect in the town. This campaign included two side portals, implementation of a slender, octagonal, pyramidal, and slightly twisted tower called a Crooked spire. Its spire. which is made from slate, rises 33 metres above its platform – 11 metres higher than the previous one. The church is also noteworthy for the gargoyles and statues (including prophets) that adorn the outside. The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects: *A Platform Organ (17th century) *The instrumental part of the Organ (1789) *The sideboard of the Organ (1614) *A Collection Plate (16th century) *A Painting: the Crucifixion (17th century) *A Painting: Virgin and Child (15th century) *A Statue: Unidentified Saint (16th century) *A Tombstone for Pierre Morel (15th century) *A Tombstone for Hugues Morel (15th century) *A Statue: Saint Antoine (16th century) *A Statue: Christ of Pity (16th century) *A Statue: Virgin and Child (15th century) *A

Pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, acces ...

(1556) *A

Lectern A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of support. ...

(1562) *Stalls (17th century) Image: Auxonne Église Notre-Dame clocher.JPG, The Bell tower on the Church of Notre-Dame. Image:Auxonne Église Notre-Dame.JPG, The

Chevet In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

on the north side. Image:Auxonne Vierge au raisin.jpg, The Virgin of Reason. A Burgundian Sculpture from the 15th century. Attributed to Claus de Werve. Image: Auxonne Église Notre-Dame Orgue Callinet.jpeg, The François Callinet Organ. The Church of the Nativity'' contains many items that are registered as historical objects: *A Monumental Painting: Christ in Glory (13th century) *A Monumental Painting: The Crucifixion (16th century) *A Monumental Painting: Arms and Funeral Inscriptions (17th century) *A Monumental Painting: Saint Eveque (15th century) *A Monumental Painting: A Scene (16th century) *A Monumental Painting: The hunt of Saint Herbert (15th century) *The Furniture in the Church *A Monumental Painting: Fleur-de-lis and false apparatus (16th century) *A Mural Painting: Saint Eveque (1) (16th century)

Military heritage

There are several military structures that are registered as historical monuments: * The Chateau of Auxonne (17th century) was one of the three castles (with the castles of Dijon and Beaune) built under King Louis XI following the defeat of Duke

and completed by his successors after the conquest of the

and is the only one still standing despite subsequent transformations. Built in the south-west corner of the city, the castle has a body for barracks dating from

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...

and

which is perhaps the oldest barracks building built for this purpose in France. The castle has five corner towers at the corners connected by thick curtain walls: The Two contiguous towers of Moulins, Beauregard tower, Pied de Biche tower, Chesne tower (now demolished), and the tower of Notre-Dame. The latter is the most massive with three vaulted levels, 20 metres in diameter, 22 metres high, and 6 metre thick walls at the base. (Coordinates: ) The Chateau contains an item that is registered as an historical object: ** A Chimney (16th century) * The Port Royale (Royal Gate) or Tour du Cygne (Swan Tower) (1775). The Royal Gate dates to the 17th century (1667–1717). During the medieval period the northern entrance to the city was controlled by the Flammerans Portal. When the fortifications were strengthened starting from 1673, the Count of Apremont, who was the engineer, built the Royal Gate to replace the Flammerans Portal. He entrusted the work to Philippe Anglart "architect and contractor for Royal buildings" before having to leave. Upon his return the Count of Apremont was not satisfied with the work and started again. On the Count's death in 1678 the work halted and it was Vauban who completed it in 1699. The central pavilion was added on top in 1717. On the city side the central body is flanked by two perfectly identical houses, covered with a Mansart roof. The opening to the countryside is surmounted by a trophy of arms. Image:Auxonne porte royale.jpg, The outside face of the Porte Royalste. Image:Auxonne porte royale face sud.jpg, The city face of the Porte Royale. Auxonne - Arsenal - Halles

* The Port of Comté (15th century) is located east of the city. This superb example of military architecture dates from the reign of

and had decorations comparable to that on the emergency door in the Chateau of Dijon which has now disappeared. The exterior face of the gate there is a shield of France supported by two angels and

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethiz ...

s which are royal symbols. * The Arsenal (1674) was originally used to provide gun carriages. It was built by Vauban between 1689 and 1693. It has preserved its original plan which is now three buildings, one of which serves as a covered market. ;Other military sites of interest * The Ramparts were mentioned in the charter of 1229: at that time there were simple earthen ramparts bordered by a ditch and surmounted by piles of thorns. In the first half of the 14th century, at great sacrifice for the population, the city was surrounded with a wall which lasted comfortably until the intervention of the Count of Apremont in 1673. This medieval walls covering a perimeter of 2600 metres and included 23 towers, turrets, and a fortified bridge. The front overlooking the

was very difficult to build and was undertaken from 1411. The wall was the pride of the Duke of Burgundy,

Philip the Good Philip III (french: Philippe le Bon; nl, Filips de Goede; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonge ...

, who stated in

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, tit ...

of 23 December 1424: "The place of our city Auxonne is beautiful, strong, and well closed with walls and ditches". In 1479, on becoming master of Burgundy, Louis XI built a fortified chateau adapted to the progress of artillery with the appearance of a metallic ball. Auxonne was in a strategic position as a border town and had to endure continual wars with the County becoming Imperial Land after the Treaty of Senlis in 1493. The medieval ramparts were the subject of care and continual reinforcement in the 16th century under

and

. With

and the wars of conquest by the County, the strategic interest of the town brought the king to put the city "in a state not to fear the attacks of the enemy". In 1673 it was François de la Motte-Villebret, Count of Apremont, from Tours who was responsible. He destroyed almost all of the medieval walls to establish a defence system by Vauban, part of which still exists today. Apremont died in 1678 and it was Vauban who succeeded him to ensure completion of the works. He raised a magnificent project that complemented the work of Count Apremont but on the signing of the

Treaty of Nijmegen The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen ('; german: Friede von Nimwegen) were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and October 1679. The treaties ended various interconnected wars among France, the Dutch Repub ...

in 1678 he lost interest and the project was never completed. * The Belvoir Tower (or Tour Belvoir). Of the 23 towers of the medieval walls, there remains today only three and of these Belvoir tower is the only one that has not been subject to significant changes. * The Sign tower (Tour de Signe) on which there is a

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

, the emblem of

. * The Statue of Lieutenant Napoleon Bonaparte in bronze by François Jouffroy was opened in December 1857 in the centre of the Place d'Armes. Bonaparte is shown with a youthful face in the uniform of an artillery officer. The base is decorated with four different reliefs (Bonaparte in the Chapel of the Levée, Bonaparte at the

Battle of Arcole The Battle of Arcole or Battle of Arcola (15–17 November 1796) was fought between French and Austrian forces southeast of Verona during the War of the First Coalition, a part of the French Revolutionary Wars. The battle saw a bold maneuver ...

, the coronation ceremony of Napoleon, and a meeting of the Council of State). * The Barracks, made of pink Moissey stone where Bonaparte occupied successively two bedrooms. They are now occupied by the 511th Logistics Regiment. Image:Auxonne tour notre dame.png, Image:Auxonne tour du pied de biche.jpg, Image:Auxonne tour du signe.jpg, Image:Auxonne tour belvoir.jpg,

Notable people linked to the commune

Governors of the Town and the Château of Auxonne

* Jean de Saulx-Tavannes, born in 1555. Third of five children of Marshal of Tavannes

Gaspard de Saulx Gaspard de Saulx, sieur de Tavannes (March 1509–June 1573) was a French Roman Catholic military leader during the Italian Wars and the French Wars of Religion. He served under four kings during his career, participating in the Siege of Calais (15 ...

and Françoise de la Baume his wife. He was born after Henri-Charles-Antoine de Saulx who died at the siege of Rouen in 1562 and also after William of Saulx, Count of Tavannes, bailiff of Dijon and lieutenant-general in the government of Burgundy. Jean de Saulx was first known as the Viscount of Ligny (today Ligny-le-Châtel) and took the title of Viscount of Tavannes in 1563 after the death of his older brother Henri de Saulx. He returned to France in 1575 from his travels which took him first to Poland, where he followed the Duke of Anjou, then to the Middle East. He threw himself into the Guises party and the Catholic League. He was appointed Governor of Auxonne and Lieutenant of Burgundy for the Duke of

Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and I ...

. He lost the government of the town and Chateau of Auxonne in 1585 following a rebellion by the Auxonne population who were loyal to the crown and refused to see the city come under the Duke of Mayenne who represented the League in Burgundy. He was married twice. The first wife was Catherine Chabot, daughter of François Chabot, Marquis de Miribel with whom he had three children. He married his second wife Gabrielle Desprez with whom he had eight children. *Claude de

*Henri de Bauffremont *Claude Charles-Roger de Bauffremont, Marquis of Senecey, bailiff of Chalon-sur-Saône, died on 18 March 1641 after the Siege of Arras in 1640. * Jean-Baptiste Budes, Count of Guébriant, born at Saint-Carreuc in 1602. Field Marshal, (provisions of 10 April 1641), Governor of the town and Chateau of Auxonne, Marshal of France, Lieutenant of His Majesty's armies in Germany. He was wounded at the Siege of Rotweil by a favorite falcon which took his right arm on 17 November 1643. He died of his wounds on 24 November. A street in Auxonne bears his name. He was succeeded by Bernard du Plessis-Besançon. *Bernard du Plessis-Besançon, Lord of Plessis, officer and Chief of Staff, Ambassador, was born in the early months of the year 1600 in Paris. He was the younger son of Charles Besançon, Lord of Souligné and Bouchemont and Madeleine Horric. His death took place on 6 April 1670 at the home of Roy, the Mayor of Auxonne. *Claude V de Thiard, born in 1620, (died 1701), Count of Bissy, named Governor of the town and Chateau of Auxonne on 13 April 1670. He built the Château of Pierre-de-Bresse. *Jacques de Thiard, born in 1649, Marquis of Bissy, lieutenant general in the Army of the king, died on 29 January 1744. *Anne-Claude de Thiard, born on 11 March 1682 at the Château of Savigny, (Vosges), died on 25 September 1765 at Pierre-de-Bresse, Marquis of Bissy, lieutenant general, ambassador to Naples. He retired from the government of Auxonne in 1753. * Claude de Thiard, (Claude VIII), born 13 October 1721, died 26 September 1810, Count of Bissy, cousin of Anne-Claude de Thiard. He became Governor of the town and Chateau of Auxonne on 25 August 1753. He was a member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

until 1750. He lost the title of Governor of Auxonne at the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

in 1789.

Other people

* Claude Jurain, lawyer, mayor of Auxonne and historian of the town, author of ''History of antiquities and prerogatives of the town and county of Aussonne, with many good remarks on the Duchy and County Burgundy, etc.''. Dijon. Jurain died on 9 November 1618 at Auxonne. A street in Auxonne is named after him. * Gabriel Davot, learned counsel to the Parliament of Dijon, professor of French law at the University of Dijon, born on 13 May 1677, died at Dijon on 12 August 1743. A street in Auxonne is named after him. * Denis Marin de la Chasteigneraye, Councillor of State, superintendent of finance for France, born in January 1601, died at Paris on 27 June 1678. A street in Auxonne is named after him. * Jacques Maillart du Mesle, born at Auxonne on 31 October 1731, son of Simon-Pierre Maillart of Berron and Antoinette Delaramisse. He was Superintendent of Iles de France and Bourbon for 5 years. He died at Paris on 9 October 1782. A street in Auxonne is named after him. * Jean-Louis Lombard (1723–1794), Scholar, professor of mathematics at the Royal School of Artillery at Auxonne and French military writer who had

as a student. *

Jean-François Landolphe Jean-François Landolphe (5 February 1747, Auxonne – 1825, Paris) was a French naval commander. Life In 1786 he was sent to the coast of Africa to set up trading posts. He was defeated by a British force in the action of 4 August 1800 The ...

, born at Auxonne on 5 February 1747 – died on 13 July 1825 at Paris, former navy captain, a famous marine.See: ''Memoirs of Captain Landolphe, containing the history of his voyages in 36 years on the coasts of Africa and the two Americas'', drafted from his manuscript by J.-S. Quesné, Paris, 1823 A street in Auxonne is named after him. * Joseph Mignotte, born on 12 November 1755 at Auxonne. General of brigade on 1 January 1796. Served in the Imperial Gendarmerie. Died at

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine departme ...

on 11 April 1828. * Claude-Antoine Prieur-Duvernois was a famous native of Auxonne where the high school is named after him. He distinguished himself during the Revolution. Claude-Antoine Prieur was born in Auxonne on 2 December 1763. He was the son of Noël-Antoine Prieur, who was employed in finance, and Anne Millot. A former member of the

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year Nation ...

and the

Council of Five Hundred The Council of Five Hundred (''Conseil des Cinq-Cents''), or simply the Five Hundred, was the lower house of the legislature of France under the Constitution of the Year III. It existed during the period commonly known (from the name of the ...

, he was known as ''Prieur de la Côte d'Or'' which distinguished him from ''Prieur de la Marne'' with whom he shared the same opinion. In the trial of King

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

they voted as one for the death penalty without appeal to the people or suspension. He contemplated and produced, in the midst of the political storms of the time, works marked by the highest science in chemistry and various physico-mathematical subjects. It was his work that created the uniform system of weights and measures. In addition, together with his compatriots

Monge Gaspard Monge, Comte de Péluse (9 May 1746 – 28 July 1818) was a French mathematician, commonly presented as the inventor of descriptive geometry, (the mathematical basis of) technical drawing, and the father of differential geometry. During ...

and Carnot, he created the

École Polytechnique École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

. He ended his days in Dijon as colonel of engineers in retirement where he died on 11 August 1832 after leaving his memoirs on the

Committee of Public Safety The Committee of Public Safety (french: link=no, Comité de salut public) was a committee of the National Convention which formed the provisional government and war cabinet during the Reign of Terror, a violent phase of the French Revolution. S ...

. * Claude-Xavier Girault. Son of a doctor, born in Auxonne on 5 April 1764 and died at Dijon on 5 November 1823. He became advocate in the parliament of Dijon on 21 July 1783 at the age of 19 years. Passionate about local history, he was crowned with a gold medal by the Academy of Besançon on 22 July 1786 for his first memoir, ''In what time the County of Auxonne and the resources of St. Lawrence were detached from Séquanaise province of Franche-Comté'' He was the same age as Bonaparte and they were acquainted and talked history with him. On being appointed First Consul, Bonaparte appointed him mayor of Auxonne in 1801: a position he held for four years. His excellent administration of the commune earned him "assiduous thanks" which was voted unanimously on 23 Pluviôse X by the council. He took the initiative to create the municipal library of over three thousand volumes selected by him from libraries of suppressed religious orders and on this occasion he conceived a new system of bibliography whose publication was received with high praise. He was a member of the academies of Dijon and Besançon and many learned societies. He also chaired the Commission of Antiquities of Côte-d'Or, in whose name he had requested the creation of an archaeological museum in Dijon. Girault was buried in Fontaine-les-Dijon. His son Louis Girault wrote: ''Historical and Bibliographical Note on C.-X. Girault'', Rabutot, Dijon. C.-N. Amanton wrote a note on the life and writings of Girault in which he lists 63 works that C.-X. Girault wrote during his life. * Claude-Nicolas Amanton, born at Villers-les-Pots on 20 January 1760, died in 1835. He was advocate for the Parliament of Dijon and mayor of Auxonne. He published a great number of judicial memoirs and many other writings as well as research and biographical works on different people. * Jacques-Louis Valon de Mimeure, (1659–1719), Marquis of Mimeure, lieutenant-general of the Armies of Roy, one of the Forty of the

Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

in 1707 until his death on 3 March 1719 at Auxonne. * Pierre-Gabriel Ailliet, Head of battalion, born at Auxonne in 1762. * Paul Chrétien, (1862–1948), French World War I General, born at Auxonne. * Raoul Motoret, (1909–1978), writer, born at Auxonne. * Claude Noisot, (1757–1861),

Grognard The Old Guard (french: Vieille Garde) were the veteran elements of the Emperor Napoleon's Imperial Guard. As such it was the most prestigious formation in Napoleon's ''Grande Armée''. French soldiers often referred to Napoleon's Old Guard as "t ...

of the Old Guard of

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

, born at Auxonne, founder of the ''Musée et Parc Noisot'' at Fixin. * Gaston Roussel, (1877–1947), veterinarian then medical doctor, industrialist and head of a French business. Auxonne - Regiment du train

Military life

Military units that have been garrisoned at Auxonne: * 10th Regiment of Infantry, 1906–1914 * 8th Battalion of Foot, 1906 * 1st Divisional Regiment of Artillery, 1939–1940 * 511th Logistics Regiment, since 10 June 1956

References

External links

Auxonne Official website

Tourist Office of Auxonne website

Auxonne on the old IGN website

{{Authority control Communes of Côte-d'Or Burgundy Vauban fortifications in France