Autun

Autun is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Roman capital to the Gallic people Aedui, who had Bibracte as their political centre. In Roman times the city may have been home to 30,000 to 100,000 people, according to different estimates. Nowadays, the commune has a population of about 13,000. A pioneer of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century with the early exploitation of oil shale and fluorine, in the 20th century, Autun experienced a renewed dynamism which made it a production site for several international companies. It contains one of the six French military high schools (Lycée militaire d'Autun). The city, due to its ancient and medieval past, possesses a rich heritage which makes it one of the most important tourist sites in the heart of Burgundy, just southeast of the Morvan. It is on the Arroux river.