Autun
Autun | |
|---|---|
Subprefecture and commune | |
Clockwise from top: cityscape and Autun Cathedral, Last Judgment tympanum of the cathedral, Roman-era theatre, Autun City Hall | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Autun | |
Autun Autun | |
| Coordinates: 46°57′06″N 4°17′58″E / 46.9517°N 4.2994°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté |
| Department | Saône-et-Loire |
| Arrondissement | Autun |
| Canton | Autun-1, Autun-2 |
| Intercommunality | CC du Grand Autunois Morvan |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Vincent Chauvet (MoDem) |
Area 1 | 61.52 km2 (23.75 sq mi) |
| Population (2023) | 13,172 |
| • Density | 214.1/km2 (554.5/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Autunois |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 71014 /71400 |
| Elevation | 280–642 m (919–2,106 ft) |
| Website | www |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Autun (French: [otœ̃] ⓘ) is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Roman capital to the Gallic people Aedui, who had Bibracte as their political centre. In Roman times the city may have been home to 30,000 to 100,000 people, according to different estimates. Nowadays, the commune has a population of about 15,000.
Pioneer of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century with the early exploitation of oil shale and fluorine, since the 20th century, Autun has experienced a renewed dynamism which has made it the headquarters of several international companies (Dim, Nexans). It contains one of the six French military high schools (Lycée militaire d'Autun). The city, due to its ancient and medieval past, possesses a rich heritage which makes it one of the most important tourist sites in the heart of Burgundy, just southeast of the Morvan.