Nontron

Nontron
Nontron
Administration
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine
Department	Dordogne
Arrondissement	Nontron
Canton	Nontron
Intercommunality	Périgord Nontronnais
Mayor	Pierre Giry (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	183–274 m (600–899 ft) (avg. 200 m/660 ft)
Land area1	24.67 km2 (9.53 sq mi)
Population2	3,444  (2008)
- Density	140 /km2 (360 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	24311/ 24300
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 45°31′46″N 0°39′43″E / 45.5294444444°N 0.661944444444°E / 45.5294444444; 0.661944444444

Nontron (Occitan: Nontronh) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.

History

According to the historian Ribault de Laugardière, the name Nontron derives from the Tyrian language, from Nata (valley) and Dun (mountain).^[1] Over time, the placename has been spelt Natadun, Nattun, Nantrun and Nontroun, before the current Nontron.^[1]

The town has probably existed for around 1100 years and has been invaded or sacked several times, including by Saracens in the seventh century and by Normans in the ninth century.^[1] In the eighth century, a Gallo-Roman castrum was built for the counts of Limoges and the Poitevin abbey of Charroux.^[1]

Over the course of the centuries, the town changed hands several time until, after the French Revolution it became a subprefecture of the department of the Dordogne.^[1] The town's railway station served passengers between 1891 and 1946, continuing to handle freight until 1970.^[1]

The oldest surviving property in Nontron is the Château de La Mothe (The name meaning "chateau of the little hill") This historic Chateau dates from 1478, built for the sister of Francis I of France. The Château benefits from a pure fresh water spring, originally used by the whole town and still running today. The Château bears the rare symbol above its entrance of two crossed cannons under a cannon ball, bestowed by Royal command to a Royal Forge. Only four properties are known to survive in France with the same symbol. The Château has had many important owners over the centuries including Guilhaume Faure adviser to the King in 1583 and Marguerite de La Rocque who in the fifteenth century was a member of the voyages of discovery to Canada with her cousin Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, and Jacques Cartier and was marooned on the isle of demons of the coast off Quebec, living wild for almost two years before rescue by French trawlerman and subsequent return to France and Nontron at Château de la Mothe.^{[citation needed]}

Population

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	2,356	—
1800	2,809	+19.2%
1806	2,990	+6.4%
1821	2,865	−4.2%
1831	3,246	+13.3%
1836	3,573	+10.1%
1841	3,609	+1.0%
1846	3,692	+2.3%
1851	3,704	+0.3%
1856	3,546	−4.3%
1861	3,581	+1.0%
1866	3,557	−0.7%
1872	3,223	−9.4%
1876	3,427	+6.3%
1881	3,687	+7.6%
1886	4,151	+12.6%
1891	3,585	−13.6%
1896	3,657	+2.0%
1901	3,686	+0.8%
1906	3,426	−7.1%
1911	3,508	+2.4%
1921	3,059	−12.8%
1926	3,112	+1.7%
1931	3,019	−3.0%
1936	2,943	−2.5%
1946	3,204	+8.9%
1954	3,280	+2.4%
1962	3,593	+9.5%
1968	3,792	+5.5%
1975	3,954	+4.3%
1982	3,850	−2.6%
1990	3,558	−7.6%
1999	3,498	−1.7%
2008	3,444	−1.5%

See also

• Communes of the Dordogne department

References

• INSEE

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Nontron in the French Wikipedia; last accessed 4 March 2009

• Lapouge, Herve. Anciennes demures du Périgord.