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93-677: The Bone-Guelma Railway Company was founded in 1875. The concession for construction of the line from Bone to Guelma, between the French government and the Société de Construction des Batignolles , was ceded by the latter in 1876 to the Bône-Guelma Railway Company, which had been founded by Ernest Goüin , with the assistance of the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas , of which Goüin was a director. The Bone-Guelma company contracted with Batignolles to build

186-706: A Gamma world city . It is the third-highest-ranking city in France, after Paris and Lyon . The Gamma category includes cities such as Algiers , Orlando , Porto , Turin and Leipzig . Nantes has been praised for its quality of life , and it received the European Green Capital Award in 2013. The European Commission noted the city's efforts to reduce air pollution and CO 2 emissions, its high-quality and well-managed public transport system and its biodiversity , with 3,366 hectares (8,320 acres) of green space and several protected Natura 2000 areas. Nantes

279-557: A bourgeois city rooted in private enterprise. On 18 July 1789, locals seized the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany in an imitation of the storming of the Bastille . Rural western France, Catholic and conservative, strongly opposed the abolition of the monarchy and the submission of the clergy . A rebellion in the neighbouring Vendée began in 1793, quickly spreading to surrounding regions. Nantes

372-420: A canning industry during the 1820s, but canning was eclipsed by sugar imported from Réunion in the 1840s and 1850s. Nantes tradesmen received a tax rebate on Réunion sugar, which was lucrative until disease devastated the cane plantations in 1863. By the mid-19th century, Le Havre and Marseille were the two main French ports; the former traded with America and the latter with Asia . They had embraced

465-573: A theatre or an amphitheatre , the city had sewers, public baths and a temple dedicated to Mars Mullo . After an attack by German tribes in 275, Nantes's inhabitants built a wall; this defense also became common in surrounding Gaulish towns. The wall in Nantes, enclosing 16 hectares (40 acres), was one of the largest in Gaul. Christianity was introduced during the third century. The first local martyrs ( Donatian and Rogatian ) were executed in 288–290, and

558-551: A bishopric at the end of the Roman era before it was captured by the Bretons in 851 with the help of Lambert II of Nantes . Although Nantes was the primary residence of the 15th-century dukes of Brittany , Rennes became the provincial capital after the 1532 union of Brittany and France . During the 17th century, after the establishment of the French colonial empire , Nantes gradually became

651-525: A cathedral was built during the fourth century. Like much of the region, Nantes was part of the Roman Empire during the early Middle Ages. Although many parts of Brittany experienced significant Breton immigration (loosening ties to Rome), Nantes remained allied with the empire until its collapse in the fifth century. Around 490, the Franks under Clovis I captured the city (alongside eastern Brittany) from

744-523: A city in dire need of repair after the wars of succession and a series of storms and fires between 1387 and 1415. Many buildings were built or rebuilt (including the cathedral and the castle), and the University of Nantes , the first in Brittany, was founded in 1460. The marriage of Anne of Brittany to Charles VIII of France in 1491 began the unification of the duchy of Brittany with the French crown which

837-447: A director of the company. The company returned to large scale projects in an attempt to improve its profitability and the company also started to undertake building and property development projects. The company was still experiencing financial problems; in 1967 operating income was negative. In 1967 was decided to merge the company with the engineering company SPIE . The merger took place in 1968 forming SPIE Batignolles . The company

930-652: A financial role with its Chamber of Accounts. During the French Wars of Religion from 1562 to 1598, the city was a Catholic League stronghold. The Duke of Mercœur , governor of Brittany, strongly opposed the succession of the Protestant Henry IV of France to the throne of France in 1589. The Duke created an independent government in Nantes, allying with Spain and pressing for independence from France. Despite initial successes with Spanish aid, in 1598 he submitted to Henry IV (who had by then converted to Catholicism);

1023-707: A limited liability joint venture SCTP. ) the company returned to pre-war success, such as with the extension of the port in Doula and the 1,830-metre-long (6,000 ft) bridge over the Wouri , in Cameroon. Additionally SCB agents began to seek potential contracts in South America and the Middle East; this led to work such as the extension of the port in Guayaquil , Ecuador. In South Africa

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1116-731: A locomotive construction company, the Compagnie générale de construction de locomotives (Batignolles-Châtillon) in Nantes was formed by the SCB and the Société des forges de Châtillon-Commentry-Neuves-Maisons . In 1928 SCB closed its factory on the Avenue de Clichy in Paris, transferring locomotive and other manufacturing to the Nantes subsidiary. After the divestment of metal manufacturing to 'Batignolles-Châtillon' most of

1209-668: A major industrial city during the second half of the 19th century with the aid of several families who invested in successful businesses. In 1900, the city's two main industries were food processing and shipbuilding. The former, primarily the canning industry, included the biscuit manufacturer LU and the latter was represented by three shipyards which were among the largest in France. These industries helped maintain port activity and facilitated agriculture, sugar imports, fertilizer production, machinery and metallurgy, which employed 12,000 people in Nantes and its surrounding area in 1914. Because large, modern ships had increased difficulty traversing

1302-668: A reference to the many quays and river channels in the old town before they were filled in during the 1920s and 1930s. The city is commonly known as la Cité des Ducs "the City of the Dukes [of Brittany] " for its castle and former role as a ducal residence. The first inhabitants of what is now Nantes settled during the Bronze Age , later than in the surrounding regions (which have Neolithic monuments absent from Nantes). Its first inhabitants were apparently attracted by small iron and tin deposits in

1395-602: A reliable income stream, and was involved in works on the River Rhine between Basel and Strasbourg . To compensate for the loss of markets due to French decolonisation the company became more involved in Latin America, and South Africa, and was contracted to build an airport in Indonesia ("Project Waru" : Juanda International Airport ). The company income grew modestly in the late 1950s. In 1962 Jean-Edouard Empain became

1488-454: A revolutionary tribunal notorious for cruelty and ruthlessness. Between 12,000 and 13,000 people (including women and children) were arrested, and 8,000 to 11,000 died of typhus or were executed by the guillotine , shooting or drowning. The Drownings at Nantes were intended to kill large numbers of people simultaneously, and Carrier called the Loire "the national bathtub". The French Revolution

1581-461: A rich cultural life, advertising itself as a creative place near the ocean. Institutions and facilities (such as its airport) were re-branded as "Nantes Atlantique" to highlight this proximity. Local authorities have commemorated the legacy of the slave trade, promoting dialogue with other cultures. Nantes has been noted in recent years for its climate of social unrest, marked by frequent and often violent clashes between protesters and police. Tear gas

1674-415: Is 60 kilometres (37 miles) in length. The river's bed and banks have changed considerably over a period of centuries. In Nantes the Loire had divided into a number of channels, creating a dozen islands and sand ridges. They facilitated crossing the river, contributing to the city's growth. Most of the islands were protected with levees during the modern era , and they disappeared in the 1920s and 1930s when

1767-570: Is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire , 50 km (31 mi) from the Atlantic coast . The city is the sixth largest in France , with a population of 320,732 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabitants (2020). With Saint-Nazaire , a seaport on the Loire estuary, Nantes forms one of the main north-western French metropolitan agglomerations. It

1860-501: Is frequently deployed during protests. The city has a significant ultra-left radical scene, owing in part to the proximity of the ZAD de Notre-Dame-des-Landes . Masked rioters have repeatedly ransacked shops, offices and public transport infrastructure. The death of Steve Maia Caniço in June 2019 has led to accusations of police brutality and cover-ups. Nantes is in northwestern France, near

1953-605: Is named after a tribe of Gaul , the Namnetes , who established a settlement between the end of the second century and the beginning of the first century BC on the north bank of the Loire near its confluence with the Erdre . The origin of the name Namnetes is uncertain, but is thought to come from the Gaulish root * nant- 'river, stream' (from the pre-Celtic root *nanto 'valley') or from Amnites , another tribal name possibly meaning 'men of

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2046-467: Is primarily a student neighbourhood, with many bars and small shops. The eastern extension (behind Nantes Cathedral ) was traditionally inhabited by the aristocracy , and the larger western extension along the Loire was built for the bourgeoisie . It is Nantes's most-expensive area, with wide avenues, squares such as the Place Saint-Pierre and hôtels particuliers . The area was extended towards

2139-431: Is suitable for growing a variety of plants, from temperate vegetables to exotic trees and flowers imported during the colonial era. Nantes's layout is typical of French towns and cities. It has a historical centre with old monuments, administrative buildings and small shops, surrounded by 19th-century faubourgs surrounded by newer suburban houses and public housing . The city centre has a medieval core (corresponding to

2232-451: Is the administrative seat of the Loire-Atlantique department and the Pays de la Loire region , one of 18 regions of France. Nantes belongs historically and culturally to Brittany , a former duchy and province , and its omission from the modern administrative region of Brittany is controversial. Nantes was identified during classical antiquity as a port on the Loire. It was the seat of

2325-464: The Atlantic Ocean and 340 kilometres (210 miles) southwest of Paris . Bordeaux , the other major metropolis of western France, is 275 kilometres (171 miles) south. Nantes and Bordeaux share positions at the mouth of an estuary, and Nantes is on the Loire estuary. The city is at a natural crossroads between the ocean in the west, the centre of France (towards Orléans ) in the east, Brittany in

2418-658: The Chemin de fer Congo-Océan caused a scandal as it used essentially forced labour, with a very heavy cost in life—up to 20% of the workforce in some parts. In the years preceding the Second World War , after the 7 July 1938 law relating to industrial mobilisation in war, the SCB obtained several contracts from the French state, such as fortification constructions and armament factory constructions. The subsidiary 'Batignolles-Châtillon' also received numerous orders and expanded its factory, not only for locomotive production but also for

2511-450: The Chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans , founded the company Ernest Gouin et Cie. With the financial backing of several bankers, including James de Rothschild , the company was launched with total capital of 750,000 Francs. One of the primary reasons for the company's creation was to manufacturer locomotives for the newly formed Chemin de Fer du Nord (1845); initially the company focused on locomotive manufacture. The company introduced

2604-513: The Edict of Nantes (legalising Protestantism in France) was signed in the town, concluding the French wars of religion. Nonetheless, the town remained fervently Catholic (by contrast to nearby La Rochelle ), and the local Protestant community did not number more than 1,000. Coastal navigation and the export of locally produced goods (salt, wine and fabrics) dominated the local economy around 1600. During

2697-556: The Gaulish word condate 'confluence'. The Namnete root of the city's name was introduced at the end of the Roman period, when it became known as Portus Namnetum "port of the Namnetes" and civitas Namnetum 'city of the Namnetes'. Like other cities in the region (including Paris ), its name was replaced during the fourth century with a Gaulish one: Lutetia became Paris (city of

2790-454: The House of Plantagenet ). During the 14th century, Brittany experienced a war of succession which ended with the accession of the House of Montfort to the ducal throne. The Montforts, seeking emancipation from the suzerainty of the French kings, reinforced Breton institutions. They chose Nantes, the largest town in Brittany (with a population of over 10,000), as their main residence and made it

2883-545: The Industrial Revolution , thanks to Parisian investments; Nantes lagged behind, struggling to find profitable activities. Nostalgic for the pre-revolutionary golden age, the local elite had been suspicious of political and technological progress during the first half of the 19th century. In 1851, after much debate and opposition, Nantes was connected to Paris by the Tours–Saint-Nazaire railway . Nantes became

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2976-520: The Parisii ), and Darioritum became Vannes (city of the Veneti ). Nantes's name continued to evolve, becoming Nanetiæ and Namnetis during the fifth century and Nantes after the sixth, via syncope (suppression of the middle syllable). Nantes is pronounced [nɑ̃t] , and the city's inhabitants are known as Nantais [nɑ̃tɛ] . In Gallo , the oïl language traditionally spoken in

3069-727: The Visigoths after a sixty-day siege; it was used as a stronghold against the Bretons . Under Charlemagne in the eighth century the town was the capital of the Breton March , a buffer zone protecting the Carolingian Empire from Breton invasion. The first governor of the Breton March was Roland , whose feats were mythologized in the body of literature known as the Matter of France . After Charlemagne's death in 814, Breton armies invaded

3162-491: The 1890s), and allowed expansion without share issues or loans. The First World War caused a halt to international civil engineering contracts, except for a line in Greece of significance to military supply. The plant in the Avenue de Clichy produced armoured cars, gun carriages, bombs, trench mortars and other war material. The peace brought opportunities for rebuilding; including a potential demand for new locomotives. In 1917

3255-532: The Atlantic dominate, and north and north-west winds are also common. Slight variations in elevation make fog common in valleys, and slopes oriented south and south-west have good insolation . Winters are cool and rainy, with an average temperature of 6 °C (43 °F); snow is rare. Summers are warm, with an average temperature of 20 °C (68 °F). Rain is abundant throughout the year, with an annual average of 820 millimetres (32 inches). The climate in Nantes

3348-560: The Interior and the U.S. Army. The postwar years were a period of strikes and protests in Nantes. A strike organised by the city's 17,500 metallurgists during the summer of 1955 to protest salary disparities between Paris and the rest of France deeply impacted the French political scene, and their action was echoed in other cities. Nantes saw other large strikes and demonstrations during the May 1968 events , when marches drew about 20,000 people into

3441-495: The Loire but near the city centre) and north-bank communes including Saint-Herblain , Orvault and Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire . The 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8 sq mi) Isle of Nantes is divided between former shipyards on the west, an old faubourg in its centre and modern housing estates on the east. Since the 2000s, it has been subject to the conversion of former industrial areas into office space, housing and leisure facilities. Local authorities intend to make it an extension of

3534-474: The Loire to reach Nantes, a new port in Saint-Nazaire had been established at the mouth of the estuary in 1835. Saint-Nazaire, primarily developed for goods to be transhipped before being sent to Nantes, also built rival shipyards. Saint-Nazaire surpassed Nantes in port traffic for the first time in 1868. Reacting to the growth of the rival port, Nantes built a 15-kilometre-long (9.3 mi) canal parallel to

3627-520: The Loire to remain accessible to large ships. The canal, completed in 1892, was abandoned in 1910 because of the efficient dredging of the Loire between 1903 and 1914. At the beginning of the 20th century, the river channels flowing through Nantes were increasingly perceived as hampering the city's comfort and economic development. Sand siltation required dredging, which weakened the quays; one quay collapsed in 1924. Embankments were overcrowded with railways, roads and tramways. Between 1926 and 1946, most of

3720-561: The Loire were filled, the Erdre was diverted in central Nantes and its confluence with the Loire was moved further east. The Erdre includes Versailles Island, which became a Japanese garden during the 1980s. It was created in the 19th century with fill from construction of the Nantes–Brest canal . Nantes is built on the Armorican Massif , a range of weathered mountains which may be considered

3813-527: The March and fought the Franks. Nominoe (a Breton) became the first duke of Brittany, seizing Nantes in 850. Discord marked the first decades of Breton rule in Nantes as Breton lords fought among themselves, making the city vulnerable to Viking incursions. The most spectacular Viking attack in Nantes occurred in 843, when Viking warriors killed the bishop but did not settle in the city at that time. Nantes became part of

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3906-477: The Parc de Procé during the 19th century. The other faubourgs were built along the main boulevards and the plateaus, turning the valleys into parks. Outside central Nantes several villages, including Chantenay, Doulon, L'Eraudière and Saint-Joseph-de-Porterie, were absorbed by urbanisation. After World War II , several housing projects were built to accommodate Nantes's growing population. The oldest, Les Dervallières,

3999-556: The Tunisian government bought the Tunisian part of the network and entrusted operations to the Compagnie fermière des chemins de fer tunisiens by an agreement of 22 June 1922. On June 8, 1923, a general meeting of shareholders took note of the change in the company's activities by changing its name to the Compagnie fermière des chemins de fer tunisiens. The total length of the network in Algeria

4092-518: The Viking realm in 919, but the Norse were expelled from the town in 937 by Alan II, Duke of Brittany . Feudalism took hold in France during the 10th and 11th centuries, and Nantes was the seat of a county founded in the ninth century. Until the beginning of the 13th century, it was the subject of succession crises which saw the town pass several times from the Dukes of Brittany to the counts of Anjou (of

4185-513: The area south of the Loire in the city of Ratiatum (present-day Rezé ) until the end of the second century AD. Ratiatum, founded under Augustus , developed more quickly than Nantes and was a major port in the region. Nantes began to grow when Ratiatum collapsed after the Germanic invasions . Because tradesmen favoured inland roads rather than Atlantic routes, Nantes never became a large city under Roman occupation. Although it lacked amenities such as

4278-502: The backbone of Brittany. The mountains, stretching from the end of the Breton peninsula to the outskirts of the sedimentary Paris Basin , are composed of several parallel ridges of Ordovician and Cadomian rocks. Nantes is where one of these ridges, the Sillon de Bretagne, meets the Loire. It passes through the western end of the old town, forming a series of cliffs above the quays. The end of

4371-617: The case bogged down and by 1950 the company had already required major loans from the Crédit National d'Escompte and the Crédit Lyonnais banks. The losses were large and the company used a share issue to raise capital. On 6 May 1954 the Empain group through its holding SPIE acquired a 20% stake in the company. After the problems in Egypt the company focused on medium-sized projects, seeking

4464-448: The channels were filled in and their water diverted. Large thoroughfares replaced the channels, altering the urban landscape. Feydeau and Gloriette Islands in the old town were attached to the north bank, and the other islands in the Loire were formed into the Isle of Nantes . When the land reclamation was almost complete, Nantes was shaken by the air raids of the Second World War . The city

4557-459: The city centre and its surrounding area were destroyed by American bombs. About 20,000 people were left homeless by the 1943 raids, and 70,000 subsequently left the city. Allied raids killed 1,732 people and destroyed 2,000 buildings in Nantes, leaving a further 6,000 buildings unusable. The Germans abandoned the city on 12 August 1944, and it was recaptured without a fight by the French Forces of

4650-503: The city centre. Further development is also planned on the north bank along an axis linking the train station and the Loire. Nantes has 100 public parks, gardens and squares covering 218 hectares (540 acres). The oldest is the Jardin des Plantes , a botanical garden created in 1807. It has a large collection of exotic plants, including a 200-year-old Magnolia grandiflora and the national collection of camellia . Other large parks include

4743-535: The company constructed France's first iron bridge. The structure, built of the Seine at Asnières had a total length of 160 metres (520 ft). Despite erratic orders the company expanded rapidly; by 1856 a second share issue doubled the capital of the company, the same year the company's revenue was 7 million francs. In 1855 the company's factory was enlarged to accommodate the construction of iron bridges. Further orders for iron bridges came from France, and abroad, giving

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4836-716: The company entered the railway line construction field. It worked with the Compañía de los Caminos de Hierro del Norte de España constructing a 25 km (16 mi) section of a line across the Pyrenees which included many earthworks and tunnels. Railway works were also undertaken in Italy (on the Naples-Foggia line), and in Russia and Poland; including a bridge over the Vistula . On 1 January 1872

4929-470: The company sought to sell the other SPIE assets. The electrical engineering, and rail divisions were sold separately between 2006 and 2007. As of 2011 Spie Batignolles continues to undertake civil engineering construction work. Nantes Nantes ( / n ɒ̃ t / , US also / n ɑː n t ( s )/ ; French: [nɑ̃t] ; Gallo : Naunnt or Nantt [nɑ̃(ː)t] ; Breton : Naoned [ˈnãunət] )

5022-527: The company was converted to a joint stock company, the Société de Construction des Batignolles . Conversion to a public company, the Société de Construction des Batignolles (SCB), in 1872 allowed the company to raise capital. By 1880 over 5 million francs of shares had been issued. The new company was to continue the work of Ernest Gouin et Cie. ; shipbuilding, bridges and other civil engineering works, and machine and locomotive building. Ernest Goüin died in 1885, to be succeeded by his son Jules as chairman of

5115-432: The company work for several years, and steady growth. To compensate for the uncertainties in the locomotive building business, the company began production of steam engines, as well as shipbuilding – acquiring a large shipyard in Nantes , and became a supplier to the French Navy . Experience with the building of iron bridges led to it undertaking related work, including the construction of foundations, and masonry. In 1862

5208-427: The company's sales were overseas; one-third came from French colonies, and two-thirds from other countries, much from eastern Europe. In the interwar years the company undertook several major projects including the construction of the Port of Gdynia , and ports in Madagascar and Djibouti, the Congo-Ocean Railway ( Chemin de fer Congo-Océan ), and began work on a dam near Sansanding on the Niger . The construction of

5301-444: The company's skill in building hyperbolic cooling towers brought orders for the subsidiary African Batignolles Construction Ltd. . By 1950 profits were not sufficient at 2.5% to cover the need for capital investments. It was the barrage in Edfina (near Metoubes , Egypt) that put SCB into financial deficit: The dam, built on the Rosetta canal was originally to be built by the Czech firm 'Hrabb Lozowski'. They were unable to complete

5394-399: The company. With most mainline railways in Europe complete by the 1870s, the group's search for contracts became increasingly international. By the 1880s civil engineering was becoming the core business. The company undertook some large railway construction projects such as the construction of the line from Bône to Guelma in Algeria for the Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma , and

5487-420: The electrical engineering company SPIE to form Spie Batignolles . After being briefly owned by the AMEC group (2003) the civil engineering construction activities were split and sold. As of 2011, Spie Batignolles SA is the effective successor of the company. On 18 February 1847, Ernest Goüin , having gained experience in England on the manufacture of locomotives and machine tools whilst acting on behalf of

5580-419: The financial arrangements and the contract was passed to a 50/50 venture between SCB and the Netherlandsche Maatschappij Voor Haven . The Czech firm's costings turned out to be underestimates, and the attempts to re-negotiate the terms failed, additionally the unreliability of manpower due to the First Arab-Israeli war caused problems, as did poor Franco-Egyptian relations. The contract turned to litigation, but

5673-413: The first Crampton locomotive into France, and gained orders from the not only the Chemin de Fer du Nord , but also the Paris Orléans and the Paris Lyon railways . A financial crisis (as well as the 1848 revolution ) caused recession, and a drop in locomotive orders, spurring the company to diversify. One new product was production of spinning machines. Another was iron bridge manufacture, and in 1852

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5766-489: The former walled town) and 18th-century extensions running west and east. The northern extension, Marchix, was considered squalid and nearly disappeared during the 20th century. The old town did not extend south before the 19th century, since it would have meant building on the unsteady islands in the Loire. The medieval core has narrow streets and a mixture of half-timbered buildings, more recent sandstone buildings, post- World War II reconstruction and modern redevelopment. It

5859-409: The home of their council, their treasury and their chancery . Port traffic, insignificant during the Middle Ages , became the city's main activity. Nantes began to trade with foreign countries, exporting salt from Bourgneuf , wine, fabrics and hemp (usually to the British Isles ). The 15th century is considered Nantes's first golden age. The reign of Francis II saw many improvements to

5952-460: The largest port in France and was responsible for nearly half of the 18th-century French Atlantic slave trade . The French Revolution resulted in an economic decline, but Nantes developed robust industries after 1850 (chiefly in shipbuilding and food processing). Deindustrialization in the second half of the 20th century spurred the city to adopt a service economy . In 2020, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network ranked Nantes as

6045-409: The line from Dakar to Saint-Louis, Senegal . These were operated as concessions by subsidiaries of the SCB. By 1913 the company had fourteen subsidiary companies located throughout the world running railways. The company also constructed canals for irrigation, ports and harbours, and water and sewerage systems. Profits from concessions in north Africa, in particular Tunisia , were high (over 25% in

6138-405: The line. It developed its network in Algeria and Tunisia with respectively 449 kilometres (279 mi) and 1,205 kilometres (749 mi) in each of the two countries. The line had a station at Taya, eight kilometers by mule track from the Djebel Taya antimony mine . The Algerian network was purchased by the State on 6 June 1914 and operated from 1 April 1915 by Algerian State Railways. In 1922,

6231-480: The main producers of French printed cotton fabric during the 18th century, and the Netherlands was the city's largest client for exotic goods. Although trade brought wealth to Nantes, the city was confined by its walls; their removal during the 18th century allowed it to expand. Neoclassical squares and public buildings were constructed, and wealthy merchants built sumptuous hôtels particuliers . The French Revolution initially received some support in Nantes,

6324-401: The market). In 1664 Nantes was France's eighth-largest port, and it was the largest by 1700. Plantations in the colonies needed labour to produce sugar, rum, tobacco, indigo dye, coffee and cocoa, and Nantes shipowners began trading African slaves in 1706. The port was part of the triangular trade : ships went to West Africa to buy slaves, slaves were sold in the French West Indies, and

6417-430: The mid-17th century, the siltation of local salterns and a fall in wine exports compelled Nantes to find other activities. Local shipowners began importing sugar from the French West Indies ( Martinique , Guadeloupe and Saint-Domingue ) in the 1640s, which became very profitable after protectionist reforms implemented by Jean-Baptiste Colbert prevented the import of sugar from Spanish colonies (which had dominated

6510-446: The ministries of war. After the beginning of the war and during the German military occupation many overseas projects were halted, and work in France was much reduced. Under pressure from the Nazis , Ernest Goüin (CEO) agreed to help with the construction of the Atlantic Wall , for which he was imprisoned after the Liberation of France . He was released and returned to the position of CEO in October 1946. The immediate postwar period

6603-409: The north and Vendée (on the way to Bordeaux) in the south. It is an architectural junction; northern French houses with slate roofs are north of the Loire, and Mediterranean dwellings with low terracotta roofs dominate the south bank. The Loire is also the northern limit of grape culture. Land north of Nantes is dominated by bocage and dedicated to polyculture and animal husbandry , and

6696-488: The region around Nantes, the city is spelled Naunnt or Nantt and pronounced identically to French, although northern speakers use a long [ ɑ̃ ] . In Breton , Nantes is known as Naoned or an Naoned , the latter of which is less common and reflects the more-frequent use of articles in Breton toponyms than in French ones. Nantes's historical nickname was "Venice of the West" (French: la Venise de l'Ouest ),

6789-545: The region's subsoil. The area exported tin, mined in Abbaretz and Piriac , as far as Ireland . After about 1,000 years of trading, local industry appeared around 900 BC; remnants of smithies dated to the eighth and seventh centuries BC have been found in the city. Nantes may have been the major Gaulish settlement of Corbilo, on the Loire estuary, which was mentioned by the Greek historians Strabo and Polybius . Its history from

6882-574: The ridge, the Butte Sainte-Anne, is a natural landmark 38 metres (125 feet) above sea level ; its foothills are at an elevation of 15 metres (49 feet). The Sillon de Bretagne is composed of granite ; the rest of the region is a series of low plateaus covered with silt and clay , with mica schist and sediments found in lower areas. Much of the old town and all of the Isle of Nantes consist of backfill. Elevations in Nantes are generally higher in

6975-561: The river'. Its first recorded name was by the Greek writer Ptolemy , who referred to the settlement as Κονδηούινκον ( Kondēoúinkon ) and Κονδιούινκον ( Kondioúinkon ) —which might be read as Κονδηούικον ( Kondēoúikon )—in his treatise, Geography . The name was Latinised during the Gallo-Roman period as Condevincum (the most common form), Condevicnum , Condivicnum and Condivincum . Although its origins are unclear, Condevincum seems to be related to

7068-468: The seventh century to the Roman conquest in the first century BC is poorly documented, and there is no evidence of a city in the area before the reign of Tiberius in the first century AD. During the Gaulish period it was the capital of the Namnetes people, who were allied with the Veneti in a territory extending to the northern bank of the Loire. Rivals in the area included the Pictones , who controlled

7161-493: The ships returned to Nantes with sugar and other exotic goods. From 1707 to 1793, Nantes was responsible for 42 percent of the French slave trade; its merchants sold about 450,000 African slaves in the West Indies. Manufactured goods were more lucrative than raw materials during the 18th century. There were about fifteen sugar refineries in the city around 1750 and nine cotton mills in 1786. Nantes and its surrounding area were

7254-444: The slave trade re-established itself as Nantes's major source of income in the first decades of the 19th century. It was the last French port to conduct the illegal Atlantic trade, continuing it until about 1827. The 19th-century slave trade may have been as extensive as that of the previous century, with about 400,000 slaves deported to the colonies. Businessmen took advantage of local vegetable production and Breton fishing to develop

7347-459: The smallest waterways were filled in. The Loire in Nantes now has only two branches, one on either side of the Isle of Nantes. The river is tidal in the city, and tides are observed about 30 kilometres (19 miles) further east. The tidal range can reach 6 metres (20 feet) in Nantes, larger than at the mouth of the estuary. This is the result of 20th-century dredging to make Nantes accessible by large ships; tides were originally much weaker. Nantes

7440-407: The south is renowned for its Muscadet vineyards and market gardens. The city is near the geographical centre of the land hemisphere , identified in 1945 by Samuel Boggs as near the main railway station (around 47°13′N 1°32′W  /  47.217°N 1.533°W  / 47.217; -1.533 ). The Loire is about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) long and its estuary, beginning in Nantes,

7533-520: The streets. The 1970s global recession brought a large wave of deindustrialisation to France, and Nantes saw the closure of many factories and the city's shipyards. The 1970s and 1980s were primarily a period of economic stagnation for Nantes. During the 1980s and 1990s its economy became service-oriented and it experienced economic growth under Jean-Marc Ayrault , the city's mayor from 1989 to 2012. Under Ayrault's administration, Nantes used its quality of life to attract service firms. The city developed

7626-449: The western neighbourhoods on the Sillon, reaching 52 metres (171 feet) in the north-west. The Erdre flows through a slate fault. Eastern Nantes is flatter, with a few hills reaching 30 metres (98 feet). The city's lowest points, along the Loire, are 2 metres (6.6 feet) above sea level. Nantes has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean . West winds produced by cyclonic depressions in

7719-440: Was 449 kilometres (279 mi) in 1913. The company also operated the 11.4 kilometres (7.1 mi) tramway from Saint-Paul to Randon. In Tunisia the company operated two networks. The northern network was built at the normal gauge and the southern network used the metre-gauge . The networks included the following lines: Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9 de Construction des Batignolles The Société de Construction des Batignolles

7812-462: Was a civil engineering company of France created in 1871 as a public limited company from the 1846 limited partnership of Ernest Gouin et Cie. . Initially founded to construct locomotives, the company produced the first iron bridge in France, and moved away from mechanical to civil engineering projects in France, North Africa, Europe, and in East Asia and South America. In 1968 the company merged with

7905-557: Was a prosperous one for SCB; the Monnet Plan allocated 50% of expenditure on civil engineering projects. Works included reconstruction of the Port of Le Havre , dams for EDF , including the 2000GWh Barrage de Donzère-Mondragon . In Algeria the Barrage de Foum-el-Gherza was constructed. In French Equatorial Africa through FIDES , and CAIFOM, (and in association with Schneider SA through

7998-466: Was an important Republican garrison on the Loire en route to England . On 29 June 1793, 30,000 Royalist troops from Vendée attacked the city on their way to Normandy (where they hoped to receive British support). Twelve thousand Republican soldiers resisted and the Battle of Nantes resulted in the death of Royalist leader Jacques Cathelineau . Three years later another Royalist leader, François de Charette ,

8091-470: Was at the point where the river current and the tides cancelled each other out, resulting in siltation and the formation of the original islands. The city is at the confluence of two tributaries. The Erdre flows into the Loire from its north bank, and the Sèvre Nantaise flows into the Loire from its south bank. These two rivers initially provided natural links with the hinterland. When the channels of

8184-578: Was captured by Nazi Germany on 18 June 1940, during the Battle of France . Forty-eight civilians were executed in Nantes in 1941 in retaliation for the assassination of German officer Karl Hotz . They are remembered as "the 50 hostages" because the Germans initially planned to kill 50 people. British bombs first hit the city in August 1941 and May 1942. The main attacks occurred on 16 and 23 September 1943, when most of Nantes's industrial facilities and portions of

8277-467: Was developed in 1956 and was followed by Bellevue in 1959 and Le Breil and Malakoff in 1971. Once areas of poverty, they are experiencing regeneration since the 2000s. The northern outskirts of the city, along the Erdre , include the main campus of the University of Nantes and other institutes of higher education. During the second half of the 20th century, Nantes expanded south into the communes of Rezé , Vertou and Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire (across

8370-466: Was disastrous for the local economy. The slave trade nearly disappeared because of the abolition of slavery and the independence of Saint-Domingue , and Napoleon's Continental Blockade decimated trade with other European countries. Nantes never fully recovered its 18th-century wealth; the port handled 43,242 tons of goods in 1807, down from 237,716 tons in 1790. Outlawed by the French Revolution,

8463-627: Was executed in Nantes. After the Battle of Nantes, the National Convention (which had founded the First French Republic ) decided to purge the city of its anti-revolutionary elements. Nantes was seen by the convention as a corrupt merchant city; the local elite was less supportive of the French Revolution, since its growing centralisation reduced their influence. From October 1793 to February 1794, deputy Jean-Baptiste Carrier presided over

8556-529: Was part of Spie Batignolles ; owned by the Schneider group until 1997, when it was divested as part of an AMEC leveraged management buyout. The company became Spie SA with three divisions – Spie Batignolles became the name of the construction division. The SPIE group was acquired by AMEC in 2003 the construction division was acquired in September 2003 by the management and Barclays Private Equity Finance, by 2005

8649-490: Was ratified by Francis I of France in 1532. The union ended a long feudal conflict between France and Brittany, reasserting the king's suzerainty over the Bretons. In return for surrendering its independence, Brittany retained its privileges. Although most Breton institutions were maintained, the unification favoured Rennes (the site of ducal coronations). Rennes received most legal and administrative institutions, and Nantes kept

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