Mâcon (), historically anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It is the prefecture of the department of Saône-et-Loire in

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in Eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...

. Mâcon is home to near 34,000 residents, who are referred to in French as Mâconnais. The city gave its name to the nearby vineyards and wine 'appellation'.

Geography

The city lies on the western bank of the river

Saône The Saône ( , ; frp, Sona; lat, Arar) is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department and joining the Rhône in Lyon, at the southern end of the Presqu'île. The name ...

, between Bresse in the east and the

Beaujolais Beaujolais ( , ) is a French ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) wine generally made of the Gamay grape, which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Whites from the region, which mak ...

hills in the south. Mâcon is the southernmost city in the department of Saône-et-Loire and the region of

. It is north of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

and from Paris. The climate is temperate with a slight continental tendency.

Climate

Mâcon features an oceanic climate (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cfb''), with warm summers, slightly too cool to be called

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa''). Winters are relatively cold to French standards, but milder and more rainy than north of Mâcon. Most precipitation is in spring and autumn.

History

Ancient and Medieval eras

The agglomeration of Mâcon originates from the establishment of an

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretchi ...

and of a river port by the

Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...

from the

Aedui The Aedui or Haedui (Gaulish: *''Aiduoi'', 'the Ardent'; grc, Aἴδουοι) were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Burgundy region during the Iron Age and the Roman period. The Aedui had an ambiguous relationship with the Roman Republic a ...

, probably at the beginning of the first century BC. Known then under the name of ''Matisco'', the town developed significantly during the age of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

. This is demonstrated by the large Roman hoard known as the Mâcon Treasure that was discovered in the town in 1764, the remains of which is in the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. During the 4th century, the town was fortified. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, Mâcon was the administrative center of a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

belonging to the

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; la, Ducatus Burgundiae; french: Duché de Bourgogne, ) emerged in the 9th century as one of the successors of the ancient Kingdom of the Burgundians, which after its conquest in 532 had formed a constituent part of the ...

at the extremity of the bridge over the Saône leading to the Bresse territory belonging to the Duchy of Savoy. The town controlled access to present-day Lamartinien Valley (Val Lamartinien), where the southern end of the Côte de Bourgogne joins the first foothills of the

hills, opening the way to the rich plains of the

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

. On 3 June 1564, Charles IX from Chalon, stopped in the town during his Royal Tour of France (1564–1566), accompanied by the Court and the nobles of his kingdom, including his brother the

Duke of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...

Henry of Navarre Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

, the cardinals of Bourbon and Lorraine. The town is strategically built: it was a possible entrance into the kingdom for the Swiss or German mercenaries during the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mi ...

. He was welcomed by the Queen Jeanne III of Navarre, nicknamed the "Queen of Protestants", and 1,500 Huguenots.

Revolutionary and Imperial eras

On 21 October 1790, the matriarch of a prominent local family gave birth to a son who remains highly visible in his hometown, the Romantic poet and historian

Alphonse de Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869), was a French author, poet, and statesman who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France. ...

. In 1790, the Revolutionary government designated Mâcon as the capital ('' chef-lieu'') of Saône-et-Loire, a newly created ''département'' within the radical restructuring of national administration. In 1814, the town was invaded by Austrian troops and then liberated twice by French troops before being permanently occupied until the fall of the Empire. After Napoléon's return and the subsequent Hundred Days, Mâcon and the Mâconnais were again captured by the Austrians.

Second World War

During World War II, Mâcon was the northernmost town in the unoccupied ''

zone libre The ''zone libre'' (, ''free zone'') was a partition of the French metropolitan territory during World War II, established at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on 22 June 1940. It lay to the south of the demarcation line and was administered b ...

'' between Paris and Lyon. The town was liberated on 4 September 1944 as part of Operation Dragoon by troops who had landed in Provence. Quai Mâcon 04-2003

Sights

1988 tour-de-france-peloton-entering-macon-jul-2006

* The Old Saint-Vincent in the town centre * Mâcon Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Vincent de Mâcon) in the town centre * Museum of Fine Arts (former Ursuline

Convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

) * Hôtel de Senecé ( Lamartine museum) * Saint-Clément Catholic Church in the district of Saint-Clément * Church Saint-Pierre, Place Saint-Pierre, opposite the Town Hall * The Municipal Olympic Pool of Mâcon * The Maison des Vins or Maison Mâconnaise des Vins, on De-Lattre de Tassigny Avenue. * The Quai Lamartine (quay), the Vallon des Rigollettes, the Physical Activity Training Course (P.A.P.A) and the Marina: many places suitable for walking and relaxing. * The Theater of Mâcon (public theatre) close to the Maison des vins, Droits de l'Homme esplanade. * Château Saint-Jean, in the old commune of Saint-Jean-le-Priche annexed to Mâcon in 1972 * Château des Perrières, on a hill overlooking the town

Parks and gardens

In 2007, the city was awarded the Grand Prix prize and "4 flowers" in the

Entente Florale The Entente Florale Europe (, "Flowery Alliance of Europe") is an international horticultural competition established to recognise municipalities and villages in Europe for excellence in horticultural displays. Trophies are presented annually by t ...

competition.

Transportation

Mâcon is connected to neighbouring major cities through various routes: * Roads: ** A6 motorway (Route: Paris-

) ** A40 Motorway (route: Mâcon-

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

) ** A406 Motorway (bypass south of Mâcon) **

Route nationale 6 The Route nationale 6 is a trunk road ( nationale) in France between Paris and the frontier with Italy in the Alps. Reclassification The RN 6 runs parallel for a long portion of its route to the A 6 autoroute. As a result, portions of the roa ...

** RCEA (Center-Europe-Atlantic road) which allows a direct traffic flow from

Annemasse Annemasse (; Arpitan: ''Anemâsse'') is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Even though it covers a relatively small territory (4.98 km2 or 1.92 sq mi), it is Haute-Savoie's second ...

to Nantes or

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

** The François Mitterrand Bridge is the second work of construction connecting Mâcon to the left bank of the Saône River * Railway Infrastructures: **

Gare de Mâcon Loché TGV Gare is the word for "station" in French and related languages, commonly meaning railway station Gare can refer to: People * Gare (surname), surname * The Gare Family, fictional characters in the novel '' Wild Geese'' by Martha Ostenso Places * ...

(routes: Paris-

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

and Paris-

) **

Gare de Mâcon-Ville Gare is the word for "station" in French and related languages, commonly meaning railway station Gare can refer to: People * Gare (surname), surname * The Gare Family, fictional characters in the novel '' Wild Geese'' by Martha Ostenso Places * ...

(routes

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

–Mâcon–

and Mâcon–

Bourg-en-Bresse Bourg-en-Bresse (; frp, Bôrg) is the prefecture of the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ancient province of Bresse ( frp, Brêsse, links=no). In 2018, ...

–

Ambérieu-en-Bugey Ambérieu-en-Bugey (; frp, Ambèriô) is a commune in the department of Ain, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It is the largest town in the arrondissement of Belley and the capital of the Canton of Ambérieu-en-Bugey which consists ...

) * River infrastructures: ** The Saône river which allows access to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

Sea via the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

River

Public transport

Mâcon uses the urban transport servic
Tréma
run by the organising transport authorities, the SITUM (Inter-communal City Transport Union of Mâconnais – Val de Saône). The SITUM currently consists of 3 members: CAMVAL (Agglomeration Community of Mâcon-Val de Saône) (26 communes) and the Chaintré and

Crêches-sur-Saône Crêches-sur-Saône (, literally ''Crêches on Saône'') is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Saône-et-Loire department The following is a list ...

communes. The Urban Transport Area of the SITUM extends over 28 communes in total. On the evening of 30 June 2009, the Mâcon Bus services ceased operation. This was due to the public service delegation contract between the SITUM and the Mâcon Bus company (a subsidiary of Transdev), operating the network since 1987, not being renewed at the last call for bids. So since 1 July 2009, the company CarPostal Mâcon ( CarPostal France's subsidiary) has been providing city transport services on the network renamed Tréma. The network Tréma, restructured on 31 August 2009, made the following bid: *urban lines (A to G) going through Mâcon,

, Sancé, Saint-Laurent-sur-Saône, central Charnay-lès-Mâcon and Mâcon Loché TGV train station on a regular basis. *a transport service requested by TrémA'Fil to operate in the other communes of the SITUM area, to increase the frequency of the less busy regular lines (F and G) and to offer a service for each city stop in the morning before the beginning of services for scheduled lines and in the evening after the end of the services. *school lines named TrémA'Scol. Mâcon is run by the network Buscephale of Saône-et-Loire's local council.

Administration

In 2010, the Mâcon commune was awarded the plaque "Ville Internet @@". Mâcon is a member of the Mâconnais Beaujolais Agglomération (

agglomeration community An agglomeration community (french: communauté d'agglomération) is a government structure in France, created by the Chevènement Law of 1999. It is one of four forms of intercommunality, less integrated than a métropole or a communauté u ...

), and also its seat.

Education

Mâcon has five

collège In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

s and four '' lycées''. These establishments are in the same area in the west of the city, with the exception of the collèges Schuman (north) and Saint-Exupery (south). *Collèges **Collège Louis Pasteur **Collège Bréart **Collège Schuman **Collège Saint-Exupéry **Collège Notre-Dame (private) *Lycées **Lycée Lamartine **Lycée René-Cassin **Lycée hôtelier Dumaine **Lycée Ozanam (private)

Demography

Mâcon is one of the department's major employment areas which is by far the most dynamic (13.5% increase between 1999 and 2006) compared to cities such as Chalon-sur-Saône or Montceau-les-Mines which are losing jobs. This dynamism is particularly helped by the many transportation links available and its proximity to

. The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Mâcon proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Mâcon absorbed the former commune of Saint-Clément in 1856, Flacé-lès-Mâcon in 1964, Saint-Jean-le-Priche and Sennecé-lès-Mâcon in 1971 and Loché in 1972.

Associated districts and communes

Town centre

Mâcon's town center of extends from ''Place Gardon'', in the north, to the Roundabout of Europe in the south, from ''Place de la Barre'', in the west, to the banks along the Saône to the east. The quarters of the town's centre are varied: #The center by the town hall is the town's shopping area (rue Carnot, rue Dufour, rue Sigorgne, rue Philibert-Laguiche, rue Dombert, rue Franche, the quay Lamartine, the esplanade Lamartine and rue de la Barre). Most landmarks are in this conventional ''centre-ville'' including the Cathedral of Saint-Vincent, the Church of Saint Pierre and the town's two museums. #The Saint-Antoine district is centred around the ''Place aux Herbes'' and the historic heart despite its relative distance from the Town Hall. This district covers the northern part of the town centre; it is crossed by the rue de Strasbourg and consists of narrow lanes. There is the prefecture (district headquarters) of Saône-et-Loire and the old Saint-Vincent Cathedral (Vieux Saint-Vincent). #West lies the ''Square de la Paix'', bordered by the Hôtel-Dieu, the Palais de Justice, Saint-Vincent Cathedral, plus the Vallon des Rigollettes and the ''Héritan'' district. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, the esplanade Lamartine underwent extensive redevelopment and upgrades. The winding car park and damaged cobblestones were replaced by an underground car park on three levels, a larger and brighter esplanade, bars, and a stage on the water (of the Saône river) which now accommodates various events, concerts and shows. The Statue Lamartine, which sits proudly on the esplanade, was completely renovated. Small gardens now brighten up the immense space that Mâcon's Esplanade Lamartine occupies. All along, one can find an extract from the famous poem by Lamartine, "Le Lac": "Time, halt in your flight... " engraved in the ground in silver letters.

North of Mâcon

The north of Mâcon is split, with the Neusdadt roundabout marking the boundary between the two sections. ''Flacé-lès-Mâcon'', a village built in the city, constitutes the north-west of Mâcon. In addition to the adjoining Town Hall, church and small downtown area, ''Flacé'' consists entirely of residential areas.
The north-east of Mâcon is composed of various residential areas and the town's sport centres (Physical Activity Training Course (P.A.P.A), public swimming pool, Centre for Sports Education, rowing, sailing and water skiing clubs, several football fields and clubs, and the Sports Palace). The residential areas consist mainly of low-rent council estates ( HLM) with districts such as the priority development areas (ZUP) of Mâcon or the boulevard des États-Unis (road belonging administratively to the Saugeraies district).

South of Mâcon

The south of Mâcon is composed of three major areas. #The first area is the ''Saint-Clément/Les Blanchettes'' block, also called ''Percée Sud''. ''Saint-Clément'' only accounts for a small area but it is southern Mâcon's main business area with the Europe roundabout. ''Les Blanchettes'' is a district of low-rent council estates (HLM) passing through Édouard-Herriot Avenue. It is a very woody area, which includes most notably the ''Parc des Allumettes'' and its numerous games for children. The Romanesque church is in ''Saint-Clément'', bearing the name of this town. #The second area is the largest in this part of the town; it is the industrial area south of Mâcon (the largest metropolitan area) which is composed of the Port River at Mâcon (6 in France). #The third and final area in the south of Mâcon is the ''Chanaye / Fontenailles'' and is southwest of the town. ''Fontenailles'' is a residential area consisting of detached houses. ''La Chanaye'' (pronounced "Chanai") is an area of low-rent council estates (HLM) bordered by the greenhouses of Mâcon. This district, along with the Boulevard des États-Unis, Saint-Clément/les Blanchettes and priority development areas (ZUP) of Mâcon, belongs to the sensitive urban zones (French ZUS).

West of Mâcon

The west of Mâcon is the least populated part of the town. This hosts Mâcon's ''lycées'' (

René Cassin René Samuel Cassin (5 October 1887 – 20 February 1976) was a French jurist known for co-authoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Born in Bayonne, Cassin served as a soldier in the First Wo ...

, Lamartine, Alexandre Dumaine and Ozanam) and most of the colleges, along with some residential areas merged with those of Charnay-lès-Mâcon, the Hospital of Mâcon and the historic working class area of Mâcon,''Bioux''.

Flacé

Formerly an independent commune, Flacé-lès-Mâcon was re-attached to Mâcon in 1965. It is now a residential area with a very prominent village atmosphere.

Associated communes

Loché

Loché is an associated commune of Mâcon. The fusion-association dates from 1972. Mâcon Loché-TGV station is in this wine-producing village.

Saint-Jean-le-Priche

Saint-Jean-le-Priche is an associated commune of Mâcon. The merging association dates from 1972.

Sennecé-lès-Mâcon

Sennecé-lès-Mâcon is an associated commune of Mâcon. The merging association dates from 1972.

Wine

The area west and north of Mâcon produces well-known wines from the Chardonnay grape. The best known appellation of the Mâconnais is Pouilly-Fuissé.

Tourism

In Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, you can see: * The

Arboretum de Pézanin The Arboretum de Pézanin or Arboretum Domanial de Pézanin (''Federal Arboretum of Pézanin'') is an arboretum located in Dompierre-les-Ormes, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France. It is one of the oldest and richest forest collections in France, ...

, one of the richest tree collections in France, near Mâcon, * The

Rock of Solutré The Rock of Solutré (French: ''Roche de Solutré'') is a limestone escarpment west of Mâcon, France, overlooking the commune of Solutré-Pouilly. It is an iconic site in the department of Saône-et-Loire, in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Prote ...

, * Cluny abbey of vast size and complex elevations and its medieval city of small proportions. * Charolles and its breed of cattle, "le boeuf charolais". *

Paray-le-Monial Paray-le-Monial is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Since 2004 is Paray-le-Monial part of the Charolais-Brionnais Country. It is nicknamed the "city of the Sacred Heart ...

with its church modelled as a smaller version of Cluny abbey, cloistered garden, basilica, museum and ornate town hall.

Economy

Viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...

and maturing * Industrial River Port * Metallurgy * Logistics and road transport * Boating Mâcon holds the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Saône-et-Loire, which manages the river port of Mâcon through Aproport, the Automotive Training Center (CFA Automobile) and the Mâcon-Charnay airport. The headquarters for the Chamber of Agriculture of Saône-et-Loire is also based in Mâcon.

Culture

The "Eté frappé" Festival, a free art and music festival, takes place every summer from June to August all over the town (notably on the Lamartine esplanade alongside the river

) featuring many concerts of a wide range of musical styles (classical, French song, jazz, rock, folk, hip-hop, rap), many shows (dance, comedy), open air film shows, open air plays, sporting events. In 2011, 48.000 people attended the festival. Every year in July, the Crescent Jazz Club holds a jazz festival during three days (as part of the "Eté frappé" Festival) featuring international jazz musicians.

Sports and leisure

Mâcon has 73 clubs with 55 organisations, 40 different sports to play, and members of a sports association (42% of the population). It was elected the most sportive town in France in 2001. * The A.S Mâcon rugby club is now progressing to 'Fédérale 1' (the third division in the rugby union club championship). They reached the highest level in 1987–1988 (ASM appeared in the Pool league with

Biarritz Olympique Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque (; ), usually known simply as Biarritz, is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine which competes in the Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. Biarritz p ...

's Serge Blanco, the US Dax, Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier and Lavelanet). * The rowing club (the Régates Mâconnaises) is a leading sport clubs in the town. Each year it organises several major events (regional, national championships) and sends many of its rowers to the biggest competitions. Similarly, each year, the Stade Nautique Mâconnais sends swimmers to the France N1 swimming championships. * A motor boating Grand Prix is held annually in late September (part of the speed championship of France in categories S2000 and S3000). * The Municipal Band of Mâcon. * The Mâcon Academy is extensive and nationally recognised. * Ski club and barefoot in Mâcon * UF Mâconnais is the football club of Mâcon. It was the first club of footballer

Antoine Griezmann Antoine Griezmann (; born 21 March 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the France national team. A versatile player, Griezmann is known for his attacking, passing, and supporti ...

Notable people

* Jean-Baptiste Drouet (1763–1824), revolutionary who died in Mâcon. * Claude-Philibert Barthelot de Rambuteau (1781–1869), politician * Pierre Boitard (1789–1859), botanist and geologist *

(1790-1869), writer, poet and politician. * Antonio Damirón (1794-1875), French-Venezuelan printer * Antoinette Henriette Clémence Robert (1797–1872), writer of poetry, stage plays and short stories. * Alfred Lacroix (1863–1948), geologist and mineralogist. * Georges Lecomte (1867–1958), writer, novelist and playwright * Georges Duby (1919–1996), historian of the social and economic history of the

. * Alain Digbeu (born 1975), basketball player *

(born 1991), football player * Marine Lorphelin (born 1993), Miss France 2013 and 1st Runner-Up to Miss World 2013, was born and raised in Mâcon

In popular culture

*''

The Baby of Mâcon ''The Baby of Mâcon'' is a 1993 historical drama film written and directed by Peter Greenaway, and starring Ralph Fiennes, Julia Ormond and Philip Stone. The film is set in France during the mid-17th century, in the court of Cosimo III de' Med ...

'' is a 1993 film directed by

Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular. Common traits in his films are th ...

. *Mâcon is the hometown of petulant waitress Jessica ( Cécile de France) in ''

Avenue Montaigne Avenue Montaigne () is a street in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Origin of the name Avenue Montaigne was originally called the Allée des Veuves (widows' alley) because women in mourning gathered there, but the street has changed muc ...

'', Danièle Thompson's 2006 film.

International relations

Mâcon is twinned with: * Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany, since 26 June 1956 *

Overijse Overijse () is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, Belgium. It is a suburb of the wider Brussels metropolitan area. The municipality comprises the town of Overijse, and the communities of Eizer, Maleizen, Jezus-Eik, T ...

, Belgium, since 28 August 1960 * Macon, United States, since 1972 *

Lecco Lecco (, , ; lmo, label= Lecchese, Lècch ) is a city of 48,131 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como (the branch is named ''Branch of Lecco'' / ''Ramo di Lecco''). ...

, Italy, since 12 May 1973 * Alcázar de San Juan, Spain, since 15 March 1980 *

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque bui ...

, Hungary, since 11 May 1985 * Pori, Finland, since 11 May 1990 *

Santo Tirso Santo Tirso () is a city and municipality located in the north of Porto Metropolitan Area, 25 km from central Porto, Portugal. In the region, the Ave Valley, there is a large center of textile industry. The population in 2011 was 71,530, in ...

, Portugal, since 20 June 1992

Culinary specialties

* Mâcon's sugary specialties are a cake made of

meringue Meringue (, ; ) is a type of dessert or candy, often associated with Swiss, French, Polish and Italian cuisines, traditionally made from whipped egg whites and sugar, and occasionally an acidic ingredient such as lemon, vinegar, or cream o ...

and filled with butter cream named "l'idéal mâconnais", and a sugary pâtisserie made of a very thin cigarette-shaped waffle named "la gaufrette mâconnaise" ("gaufrette" meaning "little waffle" in French). * Mâcon is surrounded by a vineyard of acres which produces 49 million bottles of wine including the famous crus like Saint-Véran or Pouilly-Fuissé. * West of Mâcon, there is the Charolais area famous for its white-coated cattle. * East of Mâcon, on the other side of the Saône river, there is Bresse, famous for its white poultry, the only ones to have received an

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...

(AOC) stamp.

Bibliography

* Pierre Goujon (éd.), ''Histoire de Mâcon'', Toulouse, 2000. It consists of: ** Jean Combier, "De la préhistoire aux Burgondes", pp. 17–44 ** Alain Guerreau, "Mâcon, 380–1239 : la cité épiscopale", pp. 45–79 ** Isabelle Vernus, "Prospérités et affrontements, 1239–1600", pp. 81–112 ** Christine Lamarre, "De l'époque classique aux transformations révolutionnaires. La ville classique des XVIIme et XVIIIme siècles", pp. 113–139 ** Jean-François Garmier, "L'Essor et les transformations de la ville (17me – 19me siècles)", pp. 141–154 ** Pierre Lévêque, "Au temps de Lamartine", pp. 155–196 ** Pierre Goujon, "Mâcon dans la deuxième moitié du 19me siècle : une ville en symbiose avec sa région ", pp. 197–238 ** Lucien Delpeuch, "Une ville moyenne face aux défis du 20me siècle : Mâcon de 1914 à 1945", pp. 219–263 ** Annie Bleton-Ruget et Nicole Commerçon, "Mâcon, une ville moyenne ordinaire?", pp. 265–300. **