Mâcon (), historically

anglicised Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

of the department of

Saône-et-Loire Saône-et-Loire (; Arpitan: ''Sona-et-Lêre'') is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the rivers Saône and Loire, between which it lies, in the country's central-eastern part. Saône-et-Loire is B ...

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 ...

. Mâcon is home to near 34,000 residents, who are referred to in French as Mâconnais. The city gave its name to the nearby vineyards and wine 'appellation'.

Geography

The city lies on the western bank of the river

Saône The Saône ( , ; ; ) is a river in eastern France (modern Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges (department), Vosges Departments of France, department an ...

, between

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''), whic ...

in the east and the

Beaujolais Beaujolais ( , ) is a French ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) wine in the Burgundy wine, Burgundy region. Beaujolais wines are generally made of the Gamay grape, which has a thin skin and is low in grape tannins, tannin, but like most ...

hills in the south. Mâcon is the southernmost city in the department of Saône-et-Loire and the region of

. It is north of

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

and from Paris. The climate is temperate with a slight continental tendency.

Climate

Mâcon features an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfb''), with warm summers, slightly too cool to be called

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

(''Cfa''). Winters are relatively cold to French standards, but milder and more rainy than north of Mâcon. Most precipitation is in spring and autumn.

History

Ancient and Medieval eras

The

agglomeration Agglomeration may refer to: * Urban agglomeration, in standard English * Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as "city cluster". * Economies of agg ...

of Mâcon originates from the establishment of an

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (: ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age Europe, Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celts, Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread acros ...

and of a river port by the

Celts The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...

from the

Aedui The Aedui or Haedui (Gaulish language, Gaulish: *''Aiduoi'', 'the Ardent'; ) were a Gauls, Gallic tribe dwelling in what is now the region of Burgundy during the La Tène culture, Iron Age and the Roman Empire, Roman period. The Aedui had an ambi ...

, probably at the beginning of the first century BC. Known then under the name of ''Matisco'', the town developed significantly during the age of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

. This is demonstrated by the large Roman hoard known as the Mâcon Treasure that was discovered in the town in 1764, the remains of which is in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. During the 4th century, the town was fortified. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Mâcon was the administrative center of a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

belonging to the

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; ; ) was a medieval and early modern feudal polity in north-western regions of historical Burgundy. It was a duchy, ruled by dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy belonged to the Kingdom of France, and was initially bordering th ...

at the extremity of the bridge over the Saône leading to the

territory belonging to the

Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy (; ) was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy f ...

. The town controlled access to present-day Lamartinien Valley (Val Lamartinien), where the southern end of the Côte de Bourgogne joins the first foothills of the

hills, opening the way to the rich plains of the

Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...

. The town is strategically built: it was a possible entrance into the kingdom for the Swiss or German mercenaries during the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...

. On 3 June 1564, Charles IX from

Chalon Chalon may refer to: Culture *Chalon people, a Native American tribe of California *Chalon language, an Ohlone language spoken by the Chalon people Places *Chalon, Isère, formerly Châlons, in France's Isère ''département'' *Le Chalon, in th ...

, stopped in the town during his Royal Tour of France (1564–1566), accompanied by the Court and the nobles of his kingdom, including his brother the

Duke of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by King Charles the Bald of West Francia in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of count. ...

, Henry of Navarre, the cardinals of Bourbon and Lorraine. He was welcomed by the Queen Jeanne III of Navarre, nicknamed the "Queen of Protestants", and 1,500 Huguenots.

Revolutionary and Imperial eras

On 21 October 1790, the matriarch of a prominent local family gave birth to a son who remains highly visible in his hometown, the Romantic poet and historian

Alphonse de Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869) was a French author, poet, and statesman. Initially a moderate royalist, he became one of the leading critics of the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe, aligning more w ...

. In 1790, the Revolutionary government designated Mâcon as the capital (''

chef-lieu An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

'') of

, a newly created ''département'' within the radical restructuring of national administration. In 1814, the town was invaded by Austrian troops and then liberated twice by French troops before being permanently occupied until the fall of the Empire. After

Napoléon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...

's return and the subsequent

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition (), marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII o ...

, Mâcon and the

Mâconnais The Mâconnais () district is located in the south of the Burgundy wine region in France, west of the Saône river. It takes its name from the town of Mâcon. It is best known as a source of good value white wines made from the Chardonnay grape; t ...

were again captured by the Austrians.

Second World War

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Mâcon was the northernmost town in the unoccupied ''

zone libre The ''zone libre'' (, ''free zone'') was a partition of the French metropolitan territory during World War II, established at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on 22 June 1940. It lay to the south of the demarcation line and was administered b ...

'' between Paris and Lyon. On 11 November 1942, following Operation Anton, nearly eight hundred German soldiers settled in the city after crossing the demarcation line. From that date onwards, the Resistance was present in Mâcon. In April 1944, Jewish doctor Léon Israël was assassinated by the

Milice The (French Militia), generally called (; ), was a political paramilitary organization created on 30 January 1943 by the Vichy France, Vichy régime (with Nazi Germany, German aid) to help fight against the French Resistance during World War ...

. The town was liberated on 4 September 1944 as part of

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil), known as Débarquement de Provence in French ("Provence Landing"), was the code name for the landing operation of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15Augu ...

by troops who had landed in

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

Sights

* The Old Saint-Vincent in the town centre * Mâcon Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Vincent de Mâcon) in the town centre * Museum of Fine Arts (former Ursuline

Convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

) * Hôtel de Senecé (

Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869) was a French author, poet, and statesman. Initially a moderate royalist, he became one of the leading critics of the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe, aligning more w ...

museum) * Saint-Clément Catholic Church in the district of Saint-Clément * Church Saint-Pierre, Place Saint-Pierre, opposite the Town Hall * The Municipal Olympic Pool of Mâcon * The Maison des Vins or Maison Mâconnaise des Vins, on De-Lattre de Tassigny Avenue. * The Quai Lamartine (quay), the Vallon des Rigollettes, the Physical Activity Training Course (P.A.P.A) and the Marina: many places suitable for walking and relaxing. * The Theater of Mâcon (public theatre) close to the Maison des vins, Droits de l'Homme esplanade. * Château Saint-Jean, in the old commune of Saint-Jean-le-Priche annexed to Mâcon in 1972 * Château des Perrières, on a hill overlooking the town

Parks and gardens

In 2007, the city was awarded the Grand Prix prize and "4 flowers" in the Entente Florale competition.

Transport

Mâcon is connected to neighbouring major cities through various routes: * Roads: ** A6 motorway (Route: Paris-

) ** A40 Motorway (route: Mâcon-

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

) ** A406 Motorway (bypass south of Mâcon) **

Route nationale 6 The Route nationale 6 is a trunk road ( nationale) in France between Paris and the frontier with Italy in the Alps. Reclassification The RN 6 runs parallel for a long portion of its route to the A 6 autoroute. As a result, portions of the r ...

** RCEA (Center-Europe-Atlantic road) which allows a direct traffic flow from

Annemasse Annemasse (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Anemâsse'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Eastern France. Even though it covers a relativ ...

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

** The François Mitterrand Bridge is the second work of construction connecting Mâcon to the left bank of the Saône River * Railway Infrastructures: ** Gare de Mâcon Loché TGV (routes: Paris-

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

and Paris-

) **

Gare de Mâcon-Ville Gare is the word for "station" in French and related languages, commonly meaning railway station Gare can refer to: People * Gare (surname), surname * The Gare Family, fictional characters in the novel '' Wild Geese'' by Martha Ostenso Places * ...

(routes

Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...

–Mâcon–

and Mâcon–

Bourg-en-Bresse Bourg-en-Bresse (; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ancient Provinces of France, province of Bresse (). I ...

– Ambérieu-en-Bugey) * River infrastructures: ** The

Saône river The Saône ( , ; ; ) is a river in eastern France (modern region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). 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 Pr ...

which allows access to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

Sea via the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

River

Public transport

Mâcon uses the urban transport servic
Tréma
run by the organising transport authorities, the SITUM (Inter-communal City Transport Union of Mâconnais – Val de Saône). The SITUM currently consists of 3 members: CAMVAL (Agglomeration Community of Mâcon-Val de Saône) (26 communes) and the Chaintré and

Crêches-sur-Saône Crêches-sur-Saône (, literally ''Crêches on Saône'') is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Saône-et-Loire department The follow ...

communes. The Urban Transport Area of the SITUM extends over 28 communes in total. On the evening of 30 June 2009, the Mâcon Bus services ceased operation. This was due to the public service delegation contract between the SITUM and the Mâcon Bus company (a subsidiary of

Transdev Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a France-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020. Transdev was formed on 3 April 2011 via the merg ...

), operating the network since 1987, not being renewed at the last call for bids. So since 1 July 2009, the company CarPostal Mâcon ( CarPostal France's subsidiary) has been providing city transport services on the network renamed Tréma. The network Tréma, restructured on 31 August 2009, made the following bid: *urban lines (A to G) going through Mâcon,

, Sancé, Saint-Laurent-sur-Saône, central

Charnay-lès-Mâcon Charnay-lès-Mâcon (, literally ''Charnay near Mâcon''; ) is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Population Economy * Wine production * Mâcon airport See also * Comm ...

and Mâcon Loché TGV train station on a regular basis. *a transport service requested by TrémA'Fil to operate in the other communes of the SITUM area, to increase the frequency of the less busy regular lines (F and G) and to offer a service for each city stop in the morning before the beginning of services for scheduled lines and in the evening after the end of the services. *school lines named TrémA'Scol. Mâcon is run by the network Buscephale of

's local council.

Administration

Mâcon is a member of the

Mâconnais Beaujolais Agglomération Mâconnais Beaujolais Agglomération is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Mâcon. It is located in the Saône-et-Loire and Ain departments, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Auvergne-Rhône ...

( agglomeration community), and also its seat.

Education

Mâcon has five

collège In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 14. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for students between ...

s and four '' lycées''. These establishments are in the same area in the west of the city, with the exception of the collèges Schuman (north) and Saint-Exupery (south). *Collèges **Collège Louis Pasteur **Collège Bréart **Collège Schuman **Collège Saint-Exupéry **Collège Notre-Dame (private) *Lycées **Lycée Lamartine **Lycée René-Cassin **Lycée hôtelier Dumaine **Lycée Ozanam (private)

Demography

Mâcon is one of the department's major employment areas which is by far the most dynamic (13.5% increase between 1999 and 2006) compared to cities such as

Chalon-sur-Saône Chalon-sur-Saône (, literally ''Chalon on Saône'') is a city in the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefectu ...

Montceau-les-Mines Montceau-les-Mines () is a Communes of France, commune in the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It is the second-largest commune of the metropolitan C ...

which are losing jobs. This dynamism is particularly helped by the many transport links available and its proximity to

. The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Mâcon proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Mâcon absorbed the former commune of Saint-Clément in 1856, Flacé-lès-Mâcon in 1964, Saint-Jean-le-Priche and Sennecé-lès-Mâcon in 1971 and Loché in 1972.

Associated districts and communes

Town centre

Mâcon's town center of extends from ''Place Gardon'', in the north, to the Roundabout of Europe in the south, from ''Place de la Barre'', in the west, to the banks along the Saône to the east. The quarters of the town's centre are varied: #The center by the town hall is the town's shopping area (rue Carnot, rue Dufour, rue Sigorgne, rue Philibert-Laguiche, rue Dombert, rue Franche, the quay Lamartine, the esplanade Lamartine and rue de la Barre). Most landmarks are in this conventional ''centre-ville'' including the Cathedral of Saint-Vincent, the Church of Saint Pierre and the town's two museums. #The Saint-Antoine district is centred around the ''Place aux Herbes'' and the historic heart despite its relative distance from the Town Hall. This district covers the northern part of the town centre; it is crossed by the rue de Strasbourg and consists of narrow lanes. There is the prefecture (district headquarters) of Saône-et-Loire and the old Saint-Vincent Cathedral (Vieux Saint-Vincent). #West lies the ''Square de la Paix'', bordered by the Hôtel-Dieu, the Palais de Justice, Saint-Vincent Cathedral, plus the Vallon des Rigollettes and the ''Héritan'' district. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, the esplanade

underwent extensive redevelopment and upgrades. The winding car park and damaged cobblestones were replaced by an underground car park on three levels, a larger and brighter esplanade, bars, and a stage on the water (of the

) which now accommodates various events, concerts and shows. The Statue Lamartine, which sits proudly on the esplanade, was completely renovated. Small gardens now brighten up the immense space that Mâcon's Esplanade

occupies. All along, one can find an extract from the famous poem by

, "Le Lac": "Time, halt in your flight... " engraved in the ground in silver letters.

North of Mâcon

The north of Mâcon is split, with the Neusdadt roundabout marking the boundary between the two sections. ''Flacé-lès-Mâcon'', a village built in the city, constitutes the north-west of Mâcon. In addition to the adjoining Town Hall, church and small downtown area, ''Flacé'' consists entirely of residential areas.
The north-east of Mâcon is composed of various residential areas and the town's sport centres (Physical Activity Training Course (P.A.P.A), public swimming pool, Centre for Sports Education, rowing, sailing and water skiing clubs, several football fields and clubs, and the Sports Palace). The residential areas consist mainly of low-rent council estates (

HLM An habitation à loyer modéré (HLM, , ), is a form of low-income housing in France, Algeria, Senegal, and Quebec. It may be public or private, with rent subsidies. HLMs constitute 16% of all housing in France.

West of Mâcon

The west of Mâcon is the least populated part of the town. This hosts Mâcon's ''lycées'' ( René Cassin,

, Alexandre Dumaine and Ozanam) and most of the colleges, along with some residential areas merged with those of

, the Hospital of Mâcon and the historic working class area of Mâcon,''Bioux''.

Flacé

Formerly an independent commune, Flacé-lès-Mâcon was re-attached to Mâcon in 1965. It is now a residential area with a very prominent village atmosphere.

Associated communes

Loché

Loché is an associated commune of Mâcon. The fusion-association dates from 1972. Mâcon Loché-TGV station is in this wine-producing village.

Saint-Jean-le-Priche

Saint-Jean-le-Priche is an associated commune of Mâcon. The merging association dates from 1972.

Sennecé-lès-Mâcon

Sennecé-lès-Mâcon is an associated commune of Mâcon. The merging association dates from 1972.

Wine

The area west and north of Mâcon produces well-known wines from the

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...

grape. The best known appellation of the Mâconnais is Pouilly-Fuissé.

Tourism

In Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, you can see: * The Arboretum de Pézanin, one of the richest tree collections in France, near Mâcon, * The Rock of Solutré, *

Cluny abbey Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with t ...

of vast size and complex elevations and its medieval city of small proportions. *

Charolles Charolles (; Burgundian: ''Tsarolles'') is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Since 2004 is Charolles part of the Charolais-Brionnais Country. Geography Charolles is locate ...

and its breed of cattle, "le boeuf charolais". *

Paray-le-Monial Paray-le-Monial is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Since 2004, Paray-le-Monial has been part of the Charolais-Brionnais region. Its inhabitants are called Parodiens and P ...

with its church modelled as a smaller version of Cluny abbey, cloistered garden, basilica, museum and ornate town hall.

Economy

Viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

and maturing * Industrial River Port *

Metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

* Logistics and road transport * Boating Mâcon holds the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Saône-et-Loire, which manages the river port of Mâcon through Aproport, the Automotive Training Center (CFA Automobile) and the Mâcon-Charnay airport. The headquarters for the Chamber of Agriculture of Saône-et-Loire is also based in Mâcon.

Culture

The "Eté frappé" Festival, a free art and music festival, takes place every summer from June to August all over the town (notably on the

esplanade alongside the river

) featuring many concerts of a wide range of musical styles (classical, French song, jazz, rock, folk, hip-hop, rap), many shows (dance, comedy), open air film shows, open air plays, sporting events. In 2011, 48.000 people attended the festival.

Sports and leisure

Mâcon has 73 clubs with 55 organisations, 40 different sports to play, and members of a sports association (42% of the population). It was elected the most sportive town in France in 2001. * The A.S Mâcon rugby club is now progressing to 'Fédérale 2' (the 4th division in the rugby union club championship). They reached the highest level in 1987–1988 (ASM appeared in the Pool league with

Biarritz Olympique Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque (; ), usually known simply as Biarritz, is a French professional rugby union team based in the Iparralde, Basque city of Biarritz in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine ...

Serge Blanco Serge Blanco (born 31 August 1958) is a former rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is ...

, the US Dax, Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier and Lavelanet). * The rowing club (the Régates Mâconnaises) is a leading sport clubs in the town. Each year it organises several major events (regional, national championships) and sends many of its rowers to the biggest competitions. Similarly, each year, the Stade Nautique Mâconnais sends swimmers to the France N1 swimming championships. * A motor boating Grand Prix is held annually in late September (part of the speed championship of France in categories S2000 and S3000). * The Municipal Band of Mâcon. * The Mâcon Academy is extensive and nationally recognised. * Ski club and barefoot in Mâcon *

UF Mâconnais Union du Football Mâconnais is a Association football, football club located in Mâcon, France. They play in Championnat National 2, the fourth tier of French football. The club's president is Alain Griezmann, the father of professional football ...

is the football club of Mâcon. It was the first club of footballer

Antoine Griezmann Antoine Griezmann (; born 21 March 1991) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward or attacking midfielder for club Atlético Madrid. Considered one of the greatest players ...

. * The Parc des Sports et des Loisirs is a sports and leisure park in the north-west outskirts of the city. The park contains the Stade Marie-José Perec and Espace Sportif et de Loisirs Antoine Griezmann, which is an athletics stadium and two synthetic football pitches. There are also tennis courts, archer and the bike park hurigny. Additionally, the park hosts the Association Moto Club de Mâcon (AMCM), which runs

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

and flat track racing on the Mâcon speedway track.

Notable people

* Jean-Baptiste Drouet (1763–1824), revolutionary who died in Mâcon. * Claude-Philibert Barthelot de Rambuteau (1781–1869), politician * Pierre Boitard (1789–1859), botanist and geologist *

(1790–1869), writer, poet and politician. * Antonio Damirón (1794–1875), French-Venezuelan printer * Antoinette Henriette Clémence Robert (1797–1872), writer of poetry, stage plays and short stories. * Alfred Lacroix (1863–1948), geologist and mineralogist. * Georges Lecomte (1867–1958), writer, novelist and playwright *

Georges Duby Georges Duby (; 7 October 1919 – 3 December 1996) was a French historian who specialised in the social and economic history of the Middle Ages. He ranks among the most influential medieval historians of the twentieth century and was one of Fra ...

(1919–1996), historian of the social and economic history of the

. * Alain Digbeu (born 1975), basketball player *

(born 1991), football player * Marine Lorphelin (born 1993), Miss France 2013 and 1st Runner-Up to Miss World 2013, was born and raised in Mâcon

In popular culture

*'' The Baby of Mâcon'' is a 1993 film directed by

Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a British film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Mannerist painting in particular. Common traits in his films a ...

. *Mâcon is the hometown of petulant waitress Jessica (

Cécile de France Cécile or Cecile is a female given name or surname. People Given name * Ce'cile (Cecile Charlton, born 1976), Jamaican musician * Severin Cecile Abega (1955–2008), Cameroonian author * Cécile Aubry (1928–2010), retired French film actres ...

) in ''

Avenue Montaigne The Avenue Montaigne () is a street in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Origin of the name The Avenue Montaigne was originally called the Allée des Veuves ("Widows' Alley") because women in mourning gathered ...

'', Danièle Thompson's 2006 film.

International relations

Mâcon is twinned with: *

Neustadt an der Weinstraße Neustadt (German for ''new town'' or ''new city'') may refer to: Places * Neustadt (urban district) Czech Republic *Neustadt an der Mettau, Nové Město nad Metují *Neustadt an der Tafelfichte, Nové Město pod Smrkem * Nové Město na Mo ...

, Germany, since 26 June 1956 *

Crewe and Nantwich Crewe and Nantwich was, from 1974 to 2009, a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Cheshire, England. It had a population (2001 census) of 111,007. It contained 69 ci ...

, (Grande Bretagne) depuis 1957 *

Overijse Overijse () is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is a suburb of the wider Brussels metropolitan area. The municipality comprises the town of Overijse proper, and the communities of Eizer, Mal ...

, Belgium, since 28 August 1960 * Macon, United States, since 1972 *

Lecco Lecco (, , ; ) is a city of approximately 47,000 inhabitants in Lombardy, Northern Italy, north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como (the branch is named ''Branch of Lecco'' / ''Ramo di Lecco''). The Bergamasqu ...

, Italy, since 12 May 1973 *

Alcázar de San Juan Alcázar de San Juan is a city and municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain located in the province of Ciudad Real, autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. It lies on the plain of La Mancha. From the 13t ...

, Spain, since 15 March 1980 *

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...

, Hungary, since 11 May 1985 *

Pori Pori (; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Satakunta. It is located on the west coast of the country, on the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Pori is approximately , while the Pori sub-region, sub-region has a population of a ...

, Finland, since 11 May 1990 *

Santo Tirso Santo Tirso () is a city and municipality located in the north of Porto Metropolitan Area, 25 km from central Porto, Portugal. In the region, the Ave Valley, there is a large center of textile industry. The population in 2021 was 67,709, in ...

, Portugal, since 20 June 1992

Culinary specialties

* Mâcon's sugary specialties are a

cake Cake is a flour confection usually made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elabor ...

made of

meringue Meringue ( , ) is a type of dessert or candy, of French cuisine, French origin, traditionally made from Whisk, whipped egg whites and sugar, and occasionally an acid, acidic ingredient such as lemon, vinegar, or potassium bitartrate, cream of t ...

and filled with butter cream named "l'idéal mâconnais", and a sugary

pâtisserie A (), patisserie in French or pastry shop in English, is a type of bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets. In French language, French, the word ''pâtisserie'' also denotes a pastry as well as pastry-making. While the making and selli ...

made of a very thin

cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...

-shaped

waffle A waffle is a dish made from leavened Batter (cooking), batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape, and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron ...

named "la gaufrette mâconnaise" ("gaufrette" meaning "little waffle" in French). * Mâcon is surrounded by a vineyard of acres which produces 49 million bottles of wine including the famous crus like Saint-Véran or Pouilly-Fuissé. * West of Mâcon, there is the Charolais area famous for its white-coated cattle. * East of Mâcon, on the other side of the

, there is

, famous for its white poultry, the only ones to have received an

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée In France, the ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (, ; abbr. AOC ) is a label that identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the ''terroir'' – and using ...

(AOC) stamp.

Bibliography

* Pierre Goujon (éd.), ''Histoire de Mâcon'', Toulouse, 2000. It consists of: ** Jean Combier, "De la préhistoire aux Burgondes", pp. 17–44 ** Alain Guerreau, "Mâcon, 380–1239 : la cité épiscopale", pp. 45–79 ** Isabelle Vernus, "Prospérités et affrontements, 1239–1600", pp. 81–112 ** Christine Lamarre, "De l'époque classique aux transformations révolutionnaires. La ville classique des XVIIme et XVIIIme siècles", pp. 113–139 ** Jean-François Garmier, "L'Essor et les transformations de la ville (17me – 19me siècles)", pp. 141–154 ** Pierre Lévêque, "Au temps de Lamartine", pp. 155–196 ** Pierre Goujon, "Mâcon dans la deuxième moitié du 19me siècle : une ville en symbiose avec sa région ", pp. 197–238 ** Lucien Delpeuch, "Une ville moyenne face aux défis du 20me siècle : Mâcon de 1914 à 1945", pp. 219–263 ** Annie Bleton-Ruget et Nicole Commerçon, "Mâcon, une ville moyenne ordinaire?", pp. 265–300. *

References

External links

*
Tourist office
macon-tourism.com. Accessed 26 February 2024.
Mâcon library
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Macon Communes of Saône-et-Loire Prefectures in France Aedui Gallia Lugdunensis Burgundy Territories of the Valois dukes of Burgundy