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Nantes ( Breton: Naoned) is a commune in western France, préfecture of the Loire-Atlantique département and of the Pays de la Loire région. With 277,728 inhabitants in 1999, Nantes is the 6th-largest city of France. Population of the metropolitan area ( French: aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 711,120, ranking 8th in France.

1 History

First a town founded by the Celtic tribe named the Namnetes around 70 BC, it was conquered by Julius CaesarAlternative meanings: Julius Caesar (disambiguation). Gaius Julius Caesar ( Latin: C·IVLIVS·C·F·C·N·CAESAR) ( July 13, 100 BC March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader whose conquest of Gallia Comata extended the Roman world all the way t in 56 BCCenturies: 2nd century BC 1st century BC 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 61 BC 60 BC 59 BC 58 BC 57 BC 56 BC 55 BC 54 BC 53 BC 52 BC 51 BC Events Julius Caesar defeats the Veneti. and named Portus Namnetus. Christianised in the 3rd century2nd century 3rd century 4th century other centuries) Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. 230 232 AD). Crisis of the Third Century shakes Roman Empire Emperor Valerian I is taken captive by the Pe, Nantes is successively invaded by the Saxons (around 285This article is about the year. For the highway, see Interstate 285 Events July Rival Roman Emperors Carinus and Diocletian face each other in the Battle of the Margus. The latter emerges victorious. Births Deaths July Carinus, Roman Emperor.), the FranksCharlemagne or Karl der Grosse ( Charles the Great) in Frankfurt The Franks formed one of several west Germanic tribes who entered the late Roman Empire from Frisia as foederati and established a lasting realm in an area that covers part of today's France (around 500Events Possible date for the Battle of Mons Badonicus: Romano-British and Celts defeat an Anglo-Saxon army that may have been led by the bretwalda Aelle of Sussex (approximate date; suggested dates range from 490 to 510) Note: This battle may have influen), the Britons (in the 6th and 7th centuries) and the Normans (in 843). In 937, Alain Barbe-Torte, grandson of the last king of Brittany who was expelled by the Normans, drove them away and founded the duchy of Brittany.

When the duchy of Brittany was annexed by the kingdom of France in 1532, Nantes kept the parliament of Brittany for a few years, before it was moved to Rennes. In 1598, King Henry IV of France signed here the Edict of Nantes which granted Protestants rights to their religion.

During the 18th century, prior to abolition of slavery, Nantes was the slave trade capital of France. This kind of trade caused Nantes to become the first port in France and a wealthy city. When the French Revolution broke out, Nantes chose to be part of it, although the whole surrounding region soon degenerated in an open civil war against the new republic. Excesses led to thousands of summary executions, mainly by drowning in the Loire river. In the 19th century, Nantes became an industrial city. The first public transport anywhere may have been the omnibus service initiated in Nantes in 1826. Soon it was being imitated in Paris, London and New York. First railroads are built in 1851 and many industries were created.

In 1940, the city was occupied by the German troops. In 1941, the murder of a German colonel caused the retaliatory execution of 48 hostages. In 1943, the city was bombed twice by British and American airplanes. Nantes was freed by the Americans in 1944. After World War II, the city slowly lost its industries. The harbour is moved at the very mouth of the Loire river, in Saint-Nazaire. It is only in the last 15 years of the 20th century that the city was able to move into a more modern economy.