Dijon

Dijon, city in east central France, capital of the Côte-d'Or Department, a port at the confluence of the Ouche and Suzon rivers and on the Burgundy Canal. It is an important shipping point for Burgundy wine, and a commercial and manufacturing centre; products include machinery, electronic equipment, processed food (notably mustard and gingerbread), brandy, and metal goods.

Among the numerous points of interest in Dijon are the city hall (12th century, rebuilt 17th-18th century; formerly the ducal palace), housing a museum with fine statues by the Dutch sculptor Claus Sluter; the cathedral of St Bénigne (chiefly 14th century) and the church of Notre Dame (13th century), both in Burgundian Gothic style; the Renaissance church of St Michel (15th century); and the Palace of Justice (15th-16th century), once the seat of the parliament of Burgundy. The University of Dijon (1722) is also here.

An ancient transport and commercial centre, Dijon, established by the 9th century, was known in Roman times as Castrum Divionense. It became the capital of the duchy of Burgundy in the early 11th century and flourished as an artistic centre under the Valois ducal dynasty (1364-1477). Dijon continued to prosper after passing to the French Crown in 1477, and in the 18th century it was a noted intellectual centre: in 1749 the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau contributed a famous essay to a contest sponsored by the Academy of Dijon. The great French Baroque composer Jean Philippe Rameau was born here in 1683. The city's modern industrial growth dates from the mid-19th century. Population 150,800 (2005 estimate).