Autun

Autun, city of Art and History, with an architectural heritage of more than 2000 years, is located in Burgundy. In January 1779, Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Autun, led by their father. They entered the town's secondary school, nowadays Bonaparte Highschool, but the future Emperor of the French left in April for the military school in Brienne. Napoleon I then made two visits to Autun. In 1805, when he went to Milan, then in 1815, during the Hundred Days.

In 1805, Napoleon made a stopover in Autun on his way to Milan, where he was to be crowned King of Italy. The municipality thought it was doing the right thing by welcoming him at the Porte d'Arroux as the "new Caesar". But, thinking of the tragic end of the Roman emperor, Napoleon saw this as a bad omen. In 1815, on his return from Elba during the Hundred Days, Napoleon stopped off at the Hôtel de la Poste.

The city of Autun is also remarkable for its Gallo-Roman remains. Founded by the Emperor Augustus around 15 BC, it has kept many traces of this period, such as the Janus temple, the gates of Arroux and Saint-André, the roman theatre and the Couhard Pyramid. In the Middle Ages, the town became an important pilgrimage place, as evidenced by the Saint-Lazare cathedral, a Romanesque church of Cluniac inspiration.