Nyons

For the olive sometimes called Nyons, see Tanche.

Nyons Niòns (Occitan)
Subprefecture and commune
A general view of Nyons
Coat of arms
Location of Nyons
Nyons Nyons
Coordinates: 44°21′37″N 5°08′23″E
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Drôme
Arrondissement	Nyons
Canton	Nyons et Baronnies
Intercommunality	CC des Baronnies en Drôme provençale
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Pierre Combes
Area 1	23.45 km2 (9.05 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	6,771
• Density	290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Demonym	Nyonsais
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	26220 /26110
Elevation	234–940 m (768–3,084 ft) (avg. 270 m or 890 ft)
Website	www.nyons.com
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Nyons (French pronunciation: [njɔ̃s]; Occitan: Niòns) is a subprefecture of the Drôme department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. In 2021, the commune had a population of 6,771.

History

Roman bridge near Nyons

Nyons was settled in the 6th century BC as Nyrax by a Gallic tribe, probably the Segusiavi or the Sequani. Hecataeus of Miletus mentioned Nyrax around 500 BC when writing about the Celts. It is situated next to the river Aigues or Eygues, which is crossed by an ancient bridge.

Nyons has a very mild microclimate, which makes it a good place for people suffering from respiratory problems, for which there is a special clinic. It is famed for its olives (which have PDO status).

Nyons is a sub-prefecture of the department. It features two collèges and a lycée; as well as important shopping facilities and touristic attractions. Villages that are facilitated by Nyons are situated within an area of about 20 to 30 km (19 mi), such as Les Pilles, Aubres, Venterol and Mirabel-aux-Baronnies.

Geography

Nyons is located close to the boundary of the Vaucluse department.

The commune is situated around 70 km south of Valence, the prefecture of the Drôme department, 40 km south-east of Montélimar, 45 km north-east of Orange, and 70 km north of Avignon, the prefecture of the Vaucluse department.

A map of the commune.

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 2,700 —     1800 2,724 +0.13% 1806 2,744 +0.12% 1821 3,040 +0.69% 1831 3,397 +1.12% 1836 3,208 −1.14% 1841 3,251 +0.27% 1846 3,450 +1.20% 1851 3,590 +0.80% 1856 3,633 +0.24% 1861 3,653 +0.11% 1866 3,611 −0.23% 1872 3,623 +0.06% 1876 3,579 −0.31% 1881 3,222 −2.08% 1886 3,534 +1.87% 1891 3,349 −1.07% 1896 3,611 +1.52% 1901 3,638 +0.15%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1906 3,514 −0.69% 1911 3,507 −0.04% 1921 3,150 −1.07% 1926 3,157 +0.04% 1931 3,246 +0.56% 1936 3,500 +1.52% 1946 3,576 +0.22% 1954 3,637 +0.21% 1962 4,270 +2.03% 1968 4,982 +2.60% 1975 5,607 +1.70% 1982 6,061 +1.12% 1990 6,353 +0.59% 1999 6,723 +0.63% 2007 7,109 +0.70% 2012 6,632 −1.38% 2017 6,793 +0.48% 2020 6,737 −0.28%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2020)

Sights

• Jardin des Arômes
• Nyons Bridge

International relations

Nyons is twinned with:

• Manciano, Tuscany, Italy
• Mechernich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
• Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland
• Nules, Castellón, Spain
• Borca, Neamț, Romania

Notable people

• Philis de La Charce (1645-1703) : a French war hero in the Dauphiné region of France during the Nine Years' War, which was waged 1688–1697.
• Joseph Roumanille (1818-1891) : Provençal poet, he lived in Nyons from 1843 to 1844.
• Clair Tisseur (1827-1896) : French architect whose best known work is Église du Bon-Pasteur, a prominent Romanesque Revival church in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon. He is also remembered as a historian, linguist, biographer, poet, novelist, journalist, moralist, and satirist.
• Adrien Bertrand (1888-1917) : Novelist known for his surrealist anti-war novels, awarded the Prix Goncourt for his novel L'Appel du sol.
• René Barjavel (1911-1985) : Author, journalist and critic, best known as a science fiction author.

See also

• Baronnies
• Communes of the Drôme department