Besançon

Besançon (French and Arpitan: [bəzɑ̃sɔ̃]; archaic German: Bisanz, Latin: Vesontio) is the capital of the department of Doubs and of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, close to the border with Switzerland. In 2012, it had a population of 116,353.

Once proclaimed first green city of France, it has been labeled a "Town of Art and History" since 1986. Since 2008, Besançon's Vauban citadel has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

Toponymy

The city is first recorded in 58 BC as Vesontio in the Book I of Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico. The etymology of Vesontio is uncertain. The most common explanation is that the name is of Celtic origin, derived from wes, meaning 'mountain'. During the 4th century, the letter B took the place of the V, and the city name changed to Besontio or Bisontion and then underwent several transformations to become Besançon in 1243.

Ancient history

The city sits within an oxbow of the Doubs River (a tributary of the Saône River); a mountain closes the fourth side. During the Bronze Age, c.1500 BCE, tribes of Gauls settled the oxbow.