Nantua

Not to be confused with Mantua.

Nantua Nantuat (Arpitan)
Subprefecture and commune
A view of Nantua
Coat of arms
Location of Nantua
Nantua Show map of France Nantua Show map of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Coordinates: 46°09′07″N5°36′28″E / 46.1519°N 5.6078°E / 46.1519; 5.6078
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Ain
Arrondissement	Nantua
Canton	Nantua
Intercommunality	Haut-Bugey Agglomération
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Jean-Pascal Thomasset [1] (DVD)
Area 1	12.79 km2 (4.94 sq mi)
Population  (2022) [2]	3,431
• Density	268.3/km2 (694.8/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	01269 /01130
Elevation	479 m (1,572 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Lake Nantua dominates the town

Nantua (French pronunciation: [nɑ̃tɥa] ^ⓘ ; Arpitan: Nantuat) is a commune in and subprefecture of the Ain département in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. The commune of Nantua comprises the glacial Lac de Nantua.

A40 motorway near Nantua

Located in the Haut-Bugey historical region, among the southern foothills of the Jura Mountains, it is famous for its fresh-water fish and crayfish. ^[3]

History

The town grew up around a Benedictine monastery founded in 671 by Amandus and the church of St Peter where the body of Charles the Bald was initially buried.

The priory of Nantua was sacked and burned in 1230 by Stephen I of Thoire-Villars. ^[4] Boniface of Savoy was selected prior in 1232. ^[4]

In 1944, a hundred men were arrested and deported and the local French Secret Army leader was shot dead by the Nazis in response to French resistance activities. ^[5]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	3,560	—
1975	3,440	−0.49%
1982	3,572	+0.54%
1990	3,602	+0.10%
1999	3,902	+0.89%
2009	3,639	−0.70%
2014	3,534	−0.58%
2020	3,453	−0.39%
Source: INSEE [6]

Climate

Nantua faces the small Lac de Nantua on its west side and is protected by high cliffs on its landward sides which gives rise to a relatively mild continental climate.

Twin towns — sister cities

Nantua is twinned with:

• Brembilla, Italy (2011)

See also

• Communes of the Ain department
• Sauce Nantua

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
2. "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
3. Waverley Root, The Food of France, p. 215
4. Eugene L. Cox, The Eagles of Savoy, (Princeton University Press, 1974), 17-18.
5. Matthew Cobbs, The Resistance, p. 181
6. Population en historique depuis 1968 Archived 20 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine , INSEE

External links

• Town council website (in French)
• Tourism office website (in French)