Pontarlier

Pontarlier
Coat of arms
Pontarlier
Location within Franche-Comté region Pontarlier
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Department	Doubs
Arrondissement	Pontarlier
Canton	Pontarlier
Intercommunality	Grand Pontarlier
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Patrick Genre
Area1	41.35 km2 (15.97 sq mi)
Population (2015)2	18,409
• Density	450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	25462 / 25300
Elevation	811–1,320 m (2,661–4,331 ft) (avg. 837 m or 2,746 ft)
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.

Triumphal arch of the Porte Saint-Pierre

Pontarlier (French: [pɔ̃.taʁ.lje] ; Latin: Ariolica) is a commune and one of the two sub-prefectures of the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region near the Swiss border in eastern France.

History

Pontarlier occupies the ancient Roman station of Ariolica, in Gallia and is placed in the Tables on the road from Urba (modern Orbe, Canton Vaud, Switzerland), to Vesontio (modern Besançon). Although the distances in the Antonine Itinerary do not agree with the real distances, French geographer D'Anville recognized a transposition of the numbers. The Theodosian Tabula names the place "Abrolica", which William Smith states as a possible error of transcription.

After the Burgundian invasion in 5th, Pontarlier became an unavoidable way of trade from the kingdom of Burgundy to Switzerland, Germany or Lombardy. It was the easier way to cross Jura mountains until the 17th.

The city of Pontarlier is briefly mentioned in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. It was to this city that convict Jean Valjean was to report for his parole after being released from the galleys. Breaking these instructions is a major turning point in the novel, and also creates some major conflict for Valjean later in the story.

Pontarlier was famous for the production of absinthe until its ban in 1915. The distilleries switched over to producing pastis. With the ban partially lifted in the 1990s, distilleries are once again producing absinthe in Pontarlier.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	3,348	—
1800	3,771	+12.6%
1806	3,526	−6.5%
1821	4,254	+20.6%
1831	4,707	+10.6%
1836	4,922	+4.6%
1841	4,965	+0.9%
1846	5,136	+3.4%
1851	4,953	−3.6%
1856	4,909	−0.9%
1861	5,007	+2.0%
1866	4,945	−1.2%
1872	4,975	+0.6%
1876	5,714	+14.9%
1881	6,118	+7.1%
1886	8,098	+32.4%
1891	7,187	−11.2%
1896	7,577	+5.4%
1901	7,963	+5.1%
1906	8,776	+10.2%
1911	9,439	+7.6%
1921	10,203	+8.1%
1926	11,827	+15.9%
1931	11,984	+1.3%
1936	12,840	+7.1%
1946	12,722	−0.9%
1954	13,768	+8.2%
1962	15,382	+11.7%
1968	16,442	+6.9%
1975	17,983	+9.4%
1982	17,781	−1.1%
1990	18,104	+1.8%
1999	18,360	+1.4%
2008	18,639	+1.5%
2012	17,631	−5.4%

Personalities

• Edgar Faure, member of the Académie française, president of the city council, and mayor
• Philippe Grenier, physician and politician
• Xavier Marmier, writer and poet
• Robert Fernier, painter
• Pierre Bichet, painter
• Vincent Defrasne, biathlete
• Florence Baverel-Robert, biathlete

Sights

• Triumphal arch of the Porte Saint-Pierre (18th century) ;
• Gate of the ancient church of the Annonciades (18th century) ;
• Stained glass created in 1976 by painter Alfred Manessier for Saint-Bénigne Church;
• Municipal museum, place d'Arçon ;
• Fort de Joux beautiful castle (between 11th and 19th century) ;

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Twin towns – Sister cities

Pontarlier is twinned with:

• Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
• Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany
• Zarautz, Spain

See also

• Communes of the Doubs department

References

• INSEE

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

External links

• City council website (French)
• Aeroclub of Pontarlier WebSite (French)