Description
Historic port in southwestern France, at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, near the Spanish border and the Bay of Biscay, with commercial, fishing, and shipbuilding activity.
Year of Foundation or Oldest Source
Roman occupation (Lapurdum). Important port in the Middle Ages.
Country (State or Region)
France
Location
Bayonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques (French Basque Country), on the Nive and Adour rivers.
Structuring
River/Estuarine port. Development of quays along the rivers. Its riverside avenues (Allées) served as inspiration for urban projects in other ports, such as Bilbao.
Notes
Port with a long history, benefiting from its strategic location near Spain and the Atlantic. Active in regional and international trade, fishing (including whaling in earlier times), and shipbuilding. Had secondary participation in the slave trade.
Sources
OXFORD BIBLIOGRAPHIES. French Port Cities. 2011.; VIVAS ZIARRUSTA, I.; LEKERIKABEASKOA GAZTAÑAGA, A. Una ciudad marítima: Donostia-San Sebastián. [s.d.].; WIKIPEDIA. Traite négrière à Nantes. [s.d.].
