Narbonne
Narbonne (
Narbona in
Catalan and in
Occitan, commonly
Narbo especially when referring to the Ancient Rome era) is a town and
commune of southwestern
France in the
Languedoc-Roussillon région. It lies 849 km from
Paris in the
Aude département, of which it is a
sous-préfecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about 15 km from the shores of the
Mediterranean Sea.
Narbonne is linked to the nearby
Canal du Midi and the
Aude River by the
Canal de la Robine, which runs through the centre of town.
Modern-day Narbonne was the first
Roman colony outside of
Italy. It was established in
Gaul in
118 BC, as
Colonia Narbo Martius. It was located on the
Via Domitia, the first
Roman road in Gaul, built at the time of the foundation of the colony, and connecting
Italy to
Spain. Geographically, Narbonne was therefore located at a very important crossroads because it was situated where the Via Domitia connected to the
Via Aquitania, which led toward the
Atlantic across
Toulouse and
Bordeaux. In addition, it was crossed by the
Aude River.
Politically, Narbonne gained importance as a competitor to
Marseille.
Julius Caesar settled veterans from his
10th legion there and attempted to develop its port while
Marseille was revolting against Roman control.
Later, the
provincia of southern Gaul was named "
Gallia Narbonensis", after the city, and Narbonne was made its capital. Seat of a powerful administration, the city enjoyed economic and architectural expansion.
It was subsequently the capital of the
Visigoth province of
Septimania. It was part of the
Emirate of Cordoba until conquered by the Franks after which it became part of the
Carolingian Viscounty of Narbonne. In the 12th century, the court of
Ermengarde of Narbonne (reigned 1134 to 1192) presided over one of the cultural centers where the spirit of
courtly love was developed.
In the 11th and 12th centuries, Narbonne was home to an important
Jewish exegetical school, which played a pivotal role in the growth and development of the
Zarphatic (Judæo-French) and
Shuadit (Judæo-Provençal) languages. Jews had settled in Narbonne from about the 5th century, with a community that had risen to approximately 2000 in the 12th century. At this time, Narbonne was frequently mentioned in Talmudic works in connection with its scholars. One source, Abraham ibn Daud of Toledo, gives them an importance similar to the exilarchs of Babylon[
1]. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the community went through a series of ups and downs before settling into extended decline.
Narbonne itself fell into slow decline in the 14th century, for a variety of reasons. The decline was partly due to a change in the course of the
Aude River, which already had a long history of overflowing its banks. In addition, changes to the
Mediterranean coastline meant that the city lay further inland and could no longer serve directly as a port.
From the 16th century, anxious to maintain a link to the Mediterranean, the people of Narbonne began costly work to the vestiges of the
Aude River so that it would remain navigable. Hence, despite its decline from Roman times, Narbonne nevertheless managed to hold on to a more limited importance as a trading route through the centuries. The works finished with the construction of the
Canal de la Robine, which was finally linked with the
Canal du Midi (then the Royal Canal) in 1787. In the 19th century, the canal system in the south of France came into competition with an expanding rail network but kept some importance due to the flourishing wine trade.
 |
Cathedral in Narbonne. |
|
Palais des Archevêques, Narbonne |
* Saint-Just
cathedral dating from
1272* The "Palais des Archevêques" or Archbishop's Palace and its "donjon" with views over Narbonne
* Musee Archeologique - an archaeological musuem in the town centre.
* The Roman Horreum, a former grain warehouse, built underground as a
cryptoporticus* Remains of the
Via Domitia in the city center
* The canal, "Canal de la Robine", running through the centre of the town
* The markets operate every day. The busiest times are Sunday and Thursday mornings.
* The nearby limestone massif known as "La Clape" and the beach at
Narbonne plage.
* Narbonne's rugby team,
Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée*
Charles Trenet*
Léon Blum*
Saint Sébastien*
City council website*
Library website*
Rugby Club from Narbonne*
Tourist office 
