The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Nevers

NEVERS, a town of France, capital of the department of Nièvre, on the Loire, at the junction of the Nièvre, 130 m. S. S. E. of Paris; pop. in 1872, 22,276. Cæsar mentions the town in his “Commentaries” under the name of Noviodunum. It was formerly the capital of the province of Nivernais. In the middle ages it was ruled by counts and afterward by dukes, and was annexed to the French crown in the 17th century. It is the seat of a bishop, and has a lyceum, an episcopal seminary, a theatre, and a picture gallery. The old city walls and towers still remain. The cathedral of St. Cyr is much dilapidated, but contains a famous flamboyant doorway and a remarkable spiral staircase. The palace of justice, formerly that of the dukes of Nevers, is a stately building, and the hôtel de ville contains a museum of Gallo-Roman antiquities and pottery. This industry employs more than 700 persons. The iron works are extensive, and there is a cannon foundery here for the navy.