NANTES

Nantes or as it was once known, "Naoned" (named after the Celtic tribe known as the Namneti), is the capital of the Pays de la Loire and is located on the Loire estuary 55 kilometres from the Atlantic. This is the crossroad where Brittany, Anjou and Vendée meet. Steeped in history from the days of maritime and commercial adventures through to the industrial and technological era, Nantes is blessed with an outstanding architectural heritage (the magnificent Château of the Dukes of Brittany) and residents in general enjoy an easygoing, comfortable life environment.

Nantes is also a major teaching and research centre, a status made possible thanks to Atlanpole, the region's international science and technology hub. Discover the capital of southern Brittany and of the Atlantic coast.

Already inhabited in 900 BC, Gaul tribes took over the area in 70 BC and relinquished it to Julius Cesar 20 years later. Saxon and Franc invasions began in the 4th century but were quashed by Saint Felix, first bishop. In the 10th century it was the Normands that were driven out and the Breton dutchy established. The city of Nantes became English in 1154, relinquished by duke Conan IV to Henri Plantagenet, and in 1532 Brittany was made part of France under François I.

Nantes was France's primary port in 1700, but it was severely troubled during the Revolution. With the Continental System and the silting up of the lower Loire, port trade gradually waned. This brought about the establishment of a substitute port in Saint-Nazaire. Nantes nevertheless knew a period of industrialisation very early on; it was linked to Paris by rail as early as 1851.

The emblematic Petit Beurre LU biscuit factory was established in 1887 and the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyards in 1900. Since 1962, the university of Nantes has added a dynamic touch to this great city.

The oldest part of the Château des ducs de Bretagne dates back to the 13th century. François II, duke of Brittany, established it as his residential Court in the 15th century, but it remained a defensive fortress. Situated on the banks of the Loire, it was the birthplace of Anne of Brittany and Henri the 4th signed the Edict of Nantes within its walls. In the early 17th century it was transformed into a barracks.

Built from the 15th century, the Saint Pierre and Saint Paul cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic flamboyance and one of Nantes' most beautiful monuments. The interior is a dazzling riot of colour, lit up by 500m² of modern stained-glass windows. The tomb of François II and Marguerite de Foix, sculpted according to their daughter's wishes, is adorned by symbols of the four cardinal virtues - the double face of a young woman and an old man.