Nontron

Nontron
Coat of arms of Nontron Coat of arms
Nontron
Location within Aquitaine region Nontron
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department	Dordogne
Arrondissement	Nontron
Canton	Nontron
Intercommunality	Périgord Nontronnais
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Pierre Giry
Area1	24.67 km2 (9.53 sq mi)
Population (2008)2	3,444
• Density	140/km2 (360/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	24311 / 24300
Elevation	183–274 m (600–899 ft) (avg. 200 m or 660 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.

Nontron (French: [nɔ̃.tʁɔ̃] ; 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). Over time, the placename has been spelt Natadun, Nattun, Nantrun and Nontroun, before the current Nontron.

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. In the eighth century, a Gallo-Roman castrum was built for the counts of Limoges and the Poitevin abbey of Charroux.

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. The town's railway station served passengers between 1891 and 1946, continuing to handle freight until 1970.

Population

Historical population
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

• Lapouge, Herve. Anciennes demures du Périgord.