Nantes

Nantes, city in western France, capital of the Loire-Atlantique Department, on the River Loire near the Bay of Biscay. It is a major port and manufacturing centre; products include chemicals, ships, aerospace equipment, clothing, and processed food. Among the points of interest in the city are the cathedral of St Pierre (begun 15th century) and a castle (10th century, rebuilt in the 15th century). The University of Nantes (1460, re-established 1961 after being abolished during the French Revolution) and a noted art museum are here.

Nantes was the chief community of the Gallic tribe of the Namnetes, and it later became an important Roman commercial and administrative settlement. It was taken by the Duke of Brittany in the 10th century and passed, together with Brittany, to the French Crown in 1532. In 1598 Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes giving partial religious freedom to the Huguenots (French Protestants). In 1793, during the French Revolution, large numbers of inhabitants were executed by revolutionaries with bestial cruelty. The city suffered considerable damage during World War II, when it was occupied by the Germans. Population 281,800 (2005 estimate).