Nemours

Nemours
Castle of Nemours
Nemours
Location within Île-de-France region  Nemours
Coordinates: 48°16′03″N 2°41′49″E / 48.2674°N 2.697°ECoordinates: 48°16′03″N 2°41′49″E / 48.2674°N 2.697°E
Country	France
Region	Île-de-France
Department	Seine-et-Marne
Arrondissement	Fontainebleau
Canton	Nemours
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Valérie Lacroute (UMP)
Area^1	10.83 km^2 (4.18 sq mi)
Population (2013)^2	12,824
• Density	1,200/km^2 (3,100/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	77333 / 77140
Elevation	57–133 m (187–436 ft) (avg. 62 m or 203 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ^2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Nemours is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.

Geography

Nemours is located on the Loing and its canal, c. 42 km (26 mi) south of Melun, on the Paris-Lyon railway.

History

Nemours is supposed to derive its name from the woods (nemora) in the midst of which it formerly stood, and discoveries of Gallo-Roman remains indicate its early origin. It was captured by the English in 1420, but derives its historical importance rather from the lordship (afterwards duchy) to which it gave its name. In 1585 a treaty revoking previous concessions to the Protestants was concluded at Nemours between Catherine de' Medici and the Guises.

Sights

The church, which dates mainly from the sixteenth century, has a handsome wooden spire. The feudal castle, erected around 1120 was turned into a museum in the 20th century. It has a central keep with four rounded towers.

A statue of the mathematician Bézout (d. 1783), a native of the town, was erected in 1885.

In the vicinity is a group of fine sandstone rocks, and sand is extensively quarried.

Demographics

Inhabitants are called Nemouriens.

People

Nemours was the birthplace of:

• Jean Aimar (1228–1277), historian
• Étienne Bézout (1730–1783), mathematician
• Geoffrey Kondogbia footballer
• Justin-Chrysostome Sanson (1833–1910), sculptor
• Philippe Petit (1949-), highwire artist

Twin towns

• Mühltal, Germany
• Cerignola, Italy

The castle and the church bordering the Loing river

See also

• Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours
• Duke of Nemours
• Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department

References

• INSEE
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "^{article name needed}". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

External links

• Official site (French)
• Nemours tourism office website
• 1999 Land Use, from IAURIF (Institute for Urban Planning and Development of the Paris-Île-de-France région) (English)
• French Ministry of Culture list for Nemours (French)
• Map of Nemours on Michelin (English)