Few words about the history of Besançon
With
its strategic location in a curve of the Doubs river (the "Boucle"),
at the crossing of two major european traderoutes (southwestern
Europe-Germany, northwestern Europe-Italy through Switzerland),
Besançon, at all times in its history, has always been associated
to the entire European community. The Celtic fortified town of Vesontio
became with the Roman Empire the capital city of the Provincia Maxima
Sequanorum, later known as the Free County of Burgundy during the
Middle-Ages (approximately today's Franche-Comté. Since early
medieval times, it has been the siege of a large archbishopric that
contributed to the growth of the city through the centuries. Its
close links with the Holy Roman Empire (it hosted an Imperial Council
in 1157 and Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa married the heiress of
the County) have made it a flourishing city. Emperor Rudolf of Habsburg
eventually turned it into a Free City of the Empire in 1290 which
led to a political separation from the County of Burgundy. During
the 16th century, after a period of relative peace and economic
growth, it provided the Empire with great diplomats such as Nicolas
Perrenot de Granvelle and his son Antoine, confidents and ministers
of Charles V and Philipp II, kings of Spain and Holy Roman Emperors,
heirs of the title of Count of Burgundy. After several military
attempts and memorable sieges, France annexed the city, along with
Franche-Comté by the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678. Since then,
Besançn has been the capital city of Franche-Comté
and has hosted the University, originally created in Dole by the
duke of Burgundy Philipp the Good in 1423.
Close
to the Swiss Confederation, Besançon and the entire region
became a very important center for the French clockmaking industry
as soon as the end of the 18th century, with the renowned "Horloges
Comtoises". The watchmaking industry became in the middle of
the 20th century an important employment sector in Besançon
and Franche-Comté until the closing of LIP in the 70's, the
biggest watchmaking company of Besançon. After a successful
conversion to micromechanics and microtechnics, it is now a leading
center for research in Time, Frequency and Optics, with many well-known
laboratories and schools: ENSMM (National School for Mechanics and
Microtechnics), LPMO (Laboratory of Physics and Metrology of Oscillators),
LOPMD (Laboratory of Optics P.-M. Duffieux), LCEP (Laboratory of
Chronometry, Electronics and Piezoelectricity), the Laboratory Time-Frequency
(hosted by the Astronomical Observatory of Besançon, which
was created in 1882 to support the growing local watchmaking industry).
The old acquaintance of Besançon with Clocks and Time was
recently formalised with the opening of the Musée du Temps
(Museum of Time), located in the 16th century palace of the Granvelle
family.
Today, Besançon is still considered as the
French capital for clocks and watches, and many companies related
to the watchmaking industry are still present in Besançon
and the region. Hometown of Victor Hugo and the Lumièe brothers,
the city is also renowned for its quality of life, with 590 acres
(2400 ha.) of parks and forests for a total superficy of 1600 acres
(6500 ha.) and 120,000 inhabitants. Its historical monuments (Roman
Arena, Roman Triumphal Arch, Granvelle Palace, Quais Vauban, the
Citadelle, the Astronomical Clock,...), its international events
(International Music Festival, Foire Comtoise,...) and its various
museums (Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology, Museum of Time,...)
have all contributed to the label of "Ville d'Art & d'Histoire"
(City of Art and History) that was attributed to Besançon.
Special thanks to the French
Society for Microtechnics and Chronometry for the content of
this page
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