Chalon-sur-Saône

Chalon-sur-Saône, commercial city and regional centre of the Saône Valley in east-central France, in the Saône-et-Loire Department, 320 km (200 mi) south-east of Paris. Chalon has a harbour on the west bank of the River Saône, and the city is a crossroads for river and rail traffic. The city has many old buildings including the 14th-century church of St Vincent, and the 15th-century episcopal palace.

Known as Cabillonum by the Romans, it had previously been an important town of the Aedui tribe. In the 6th century, Chalon was chosen as the capital of Burgundy, and in 1256, Henry IV, Duke of Burgundy, granted it a charter. Chalon owes its more recent significance to its location on the Saône, and the convergence of the canals linking the Saône to the Loire, Marne, and Rhine rivers. In the 19th century, the completion of this canal system made Chalon an important river port and attracted a variety of industries to the city. Before the existence of the railway, travellers from Paris journeyed to Chalon by coach to take the riverboat to Lyon. When the main Paris to Lyon railway was built, a station was located in the Chalon suburb of St Cosme. The population of Chalon rose from 12,000 in 1821 to 30,000 in 1896. By 1936, however, it had declined to 27,000. The expansion of industry since 1945 has stimulated subsequent growth. Population 46,800 (2005 estimate).