Montbard

Montbard (French: [mɔ̃.baʁ]) is a commune and subprefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.

Montbard
Subprefecture and commune
Brenne river
Coat of arms
Location of Montbard
Montbard Montbard
Coordinates: 47°37′25″N 4°20′16″E
Country	France
Region	Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Department	Côte-d'Or
Arrondissement	Montbard
Canton	Montbard
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Christelle Silvestre
Area ^1	46.37 km^2 (17.90 sq mi)
Population  (2017-01-01)[1]	5,160
• Density	110/km^2 (290/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	21425 /21500
Elevation	202–366 m (663–1,201 ft) (avg. 221 m or 725 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Montbard is a small industrial town on the river Brenne. The Forges de Buffon, ironworks established by Buffon, are located in the nearby village of Buffon. There has been a cricket team in the town since 1993.

History

Montbard is near the site of the Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.

The chateau was the scene of the marriage of Anne de Bourgogne and John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford in 1423. It was acquired by the naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, who was born in Montbard.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1793	2,316	—
1800	2,118	−8.5%
1806	2,061	−2.7%
1821	1,875	−9.0%
1836	2,123	+13.2%
1841	2,215	+4.3%
1846	2,315	+4.5%
1851	2,697	+16.5%
1856	2,428	−10.0%
1861	2,617	+7.8%
1866	2,713	+3.7%
1872	2,628	−3.1%
1876	2,653	+1.0%
1881	2,607	−1.7%
1886	2,571	−1.4%
1891	2,509	−2.4%
1896	2,653	+5.7%
1901	2,632	−0.8%
1906	3,824	+45.3%
1911	3,957	+3.5%
1921	4,863	+22.9%
1926	4,193	−13.8%
1931	4,423	+5.5%
1936	4,097	−7.4%
1946	4,455	+8.7%
1954	4,871	+9.3%
1962	6,386	+31.1%
1968	7,050	+10.4%
1975	7,513	+6.6%
1982	7,707	+2.6%
1990	7,108	−7.8%
1999	6,300	−11.4%
2008	5,554	−11.8%

Attractions

• Abbey of Fontenay
• Buffon

Transportation

Some TGV express trains between Paris and Dijon stop at Montbard.

The Burgundy Canal also passes through the town.

Personalities

Births

Montbard was the birthplace of:

• Jean Bardin (1732–1809), historical painter
• Pierre Daubenton (1703–1776), lawyer, politician, author and Encyclopédiste
• Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707–1788), naturalist and mathematician
• Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, (1716–1800), naturalist and collaborator of Buffon
• Benjamin Guérard (1797–1854), historian and librarian
• Eugène Guillaume (1822–1905), sculptor
• George Montbard (1841–1905), caricaturist and author

Deaths

• Jean-Andoche Junot (1771–1813), general during the First French Empire, committed suicide in Montbard
• Pierre Daubenton (see births)

See also

• Communes of the Côte-d'Or department

References

1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.