Decize
| Decize | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Decize on the Loire River | ||
| ||
  Decize | ||
|
Location within Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region  Decize | ||
| Coordinates: 46°49′48″N 3°27′43″E / 46.83000°N 3.4619°ECoordinates: 46°49′48″N 3°27′43″E / 46.83000°N 3.4619°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | |
| Department | Nièvre | |
| Arrondissement | Nevers | |
| Canton | Decize | |
| Intercommunality | Sud Nivernais | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Alain Lassus | |
| Area1 | 48.22 km2 (18.62 sq mi) | |
| Population (2012)2 | 5,711 | |
| • Density | 120/km2 (310/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 58095 / 58300 | |
| Elevation | 183–243 m (600–797 ft) | |
|
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
Decize is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.
Site
The town is situated on a former island in the Loire ("en Loire assise") at the confluence of the Aron river. The right channel of the Loire was dammed up to reclaim land and now remains as an arm ("la Vieille Loire") stretching upstream to the centre of town. The Loire at this point is an important navigation point as it forms the junction between the Canal du Nivernais and the Canal Latéral à la Loire both of which are within the town boundaries.
History
Decize is an ancient settlement first noted in the Commentarii de Bello Gallico where Julius Caesar settled a dispute involving the Decetiae from whom comes the town's name. In later times it belonged to the counts of Nevers, from whom it obtained a charter of franchise in 1226.[1]
People
- Guy Coquille (1523–1603), French jurist, was born here. There is a statue of him in the town.[2]
- Louis de Saint-Just (1767–1794), a major figure in the French Revolution, was born here.
- Marguerite Monnot (1903–1961), songwriter and composer
Demographics
At the 1999 census, the population was 6456.
Tourism
As of September 2010 work began on a new port for pleasure boats in the "Bassin de la Jonction" between the Lateral Canal and the Loire. Intended to be ready for spring 2011 it will make this one of the largest pleasure ports in Burgundy.
See also
References
- ↑
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Decize". Encyclopædia Britannica. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 913. - ↑ Chisholm 1911.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Decize. |
- Official website (French)
