Orléans

Orléans, city in north central France, capital of the Loiret Department, on the Loire River. It is a transport and commercial centre, with factories producing chemicals, processed foods, textiles, and machinery. Tourism is also important to the city's economy; the Sainte-Croix Cathedral, destroyed by the Huguenots in 1567 and rebuilt by Henri IV and his successors, is a principal attraction. The University of Orléans (1971) is in the city.

Orléans is located on the site of Genabum, the Celtic town burned in 52 bc by the Roman general Gaius Julius Caesar. It was rebuilt by the Roman emperor Lucius Domitius Aurelian and named Aurelianum, whence its modern name. In the 6th and early 7th centuries it was the capital of a Frankish kingdom, and later a favoured residence of the kings of France. In 1428-1429 it was besieged by the English during the Hundred Years' War, but was liberated by the French heroine Joan of Arc, also known thereafter as the Maid of Orléans. The town was a headquarters for the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion of the 16th century. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, it was occupied by the Germans, and during World War II it was badly bombed. The city of Orléans lies within the Loire Valley World Heritage Site, designated by UNESCO in 2000. Population 113,500 (2005 estimate).