View source for Pontarlier

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name                   = Pontarlier
|commune status         = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image                  = Pontarlier Sicht vom Montagne du Larmont 01 08.jpg
|caption                =
|image coat of arms     = Blason ville fr Pontarlier.svg
|arrondissement         = Pontarlier
|canton                 = Pontarlier
|INSEE                  = 25462
|postal code            = 25300
|mayor                  = Patrick Genre<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020|language=fr}}</ref>
|term                   = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality       = Grand Pontarlier
|coordinates            = {{coord|46.9067|6.3556|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m            = 837
|elevation min m        = 811
|elevation max m        = 1320
|area km2               = 41.35
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
|image flag=}}
'''Pontarlier''' ({{IPA|fr|pɔ̃.taʁ.lje|lang}} ; [[Latin]]: ''Ariolica'') is a [[Communes of France|commune]] and one of the two [[Subprefectures in France|sub-prefecture]]s of the [[Doubs]] [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Bourgogne-Franche-Comté]] [[Regions of France|region]] in eastern [[France]] near the Swiss border.
==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2020}}
Pontarlier occupies the ancient Roman station of '''Ariolica''', in [[Gallia]] and is placed in the ''Tables'' on the road from Urba (modern [[Orbe]], [[Vaud|Canton Vaud]], Switzerland), to Vesontio (modern [[Besançon]]). Although the distances in the [[Antonine Itinerary]] do not agree with the real distances, French geographer [[D'Anville]] recognized a transposition of the numbers. The Theodosian Tabula names the place "Abrolica", which [[William Smith (lexicographer)|William Smith]] states as a possible error of transcription.<ref>{{Cite DGRG|title=Ariolica|volume=1|page=215}}</ref>
After the Burgundian invasion in the 5th century, Pontarlier became an unavoidable way of trade from the [[kingdom of Burgundy]] to [[Switzerland]], [[Germany]] or [[Lombardy]]. Until the 17th century it lay on the easiest way to cross [[Jura Mountains|Jura mountains]].
Pontarlier is one of the staging posts from northern France, Britain and the Benelux countries for the [[Via Francigena]], now a walking route to Rome with a starting point in Canterbury, England.  It is recorded as being the stop on day 57 of [[Sigeric the Serious]], the then [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] on his return from Rome in 990 AD, having been given his [[pallium]], or token of rank.  Discussion continues as to whether he came over the Jura from the direction of [[Yverdon-les-Bains]] to the south-east or through a valley from [[Jougne]] to the south.
The city of Pontarlier is briefly mentioned in [[Victor Hugo]]'s ''[[Les Misérables]]''. It was to this city that convict Jean Valjean was to report for his parole after being released from the galleys. Breaking these instructions is a major turning point in the novel, and also creates some major conflict for Valjean later in the story. The city is also the main location of the 1962 French film ''[[The Seventh Juror]]''.
Pontarlier was famous for the production of [[absinthe]] until its ban in 1915.  The distilleries switched over to producing a particular type of [[pastis]], the "Pontarlier".  With the ban partially lifted in the 1990s, Pontarlier distilleries are once again producing absinthe.
==Population==
{{Historical populations
|align = none
|cols = 2
|percentages = pagr
|source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|27494|Pontarlier}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-25462#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |3348
|1800 |3771
|1806 |3526
|1821 |4254
|1831 |4707
|1836 |4922
|1841 |4965
|1846 |5136
|1851 |4953
|1856 |4909
|1861 |5007
|1866 |4945
|1872 |4975
|1876 |5714
|1881 |6118
|1886 |8098
|1891 |7187
|1896 |7577
|1901 |7963
|1906 |8776
|1911 |9439
|1921 |10203
|1926 |11827
|1931 |11984
|1936 |12840
|1946 |12722
|1954 |13768
|1962 |15382
|1968 |16442
|1975 |17983
|1982 |17781
|1990 |18104
|1999 |18360
|2007 |18939
|2012 |17631
|2017 |17197
}}
==Transportation==
The commune has a railway station, {{stn|Pontarlier}}, on the [[Frasne–Les Verrières railway|Frasne–Les Verrières]] and [[Neuchâtel-Pontarlier railway|Neuchâtel–Pontarlier line]]s between France and [[Switzerland]].
==Notable people==
{{category see also|People from Pontarlier}}
* [[Sébastien Rale]] (1652-1724), missionary and lexicographer
* [[Charles Antoine Morand]], Napoleonic general
* {{ill|Henri-Louis Pernod|fr}}, distiller
* [[Edgar Faure]], member of the [[Académie française]], president of the city council, and mayor
* [[Philippe Grenier]], physician and first Muslim member of French parliament
* [[Xavier Marmier]], writer and poet
* [[Robert Fernier]], painter
* {{ill|Pierre Bichet|fr}}, painter
* [[Vincent Defrasne]], biathlete
* [[Florence Baverel-Robert]], biathlete
==Sights==
[[File:Pontarlier4.jpg|thumb|left|Triumphal arch of the ''Porte Saint-Pierre''|248x248px]]
[[File:Pontarlier - église Saint-Bénigne.JPG|alt=Church of Saint-Bénigne view of bell tower, Pontarlier|thumb|283x283px|Church of Saint-Bénigne]]
* [[Triumphal arch]] of the ''Porte Saint-Pierre'' (18th century)
* [[Stained glass]] created in 1976 by painter [[Alfred Manessier]] in the Church of Saint-Bénigne, a 17th-century church that blends Romanesque, Gothic, and Franc-Comtois architectural styles. Originally built in the 11th century, it was largely rebuilt between 1651 and 1666 after being damaged during the Thirty Years' War. The church features a distinctive bell tower topped with an imperial dome, typical of the region. It remains an active place of worship and a historical monument.
* [[Fort de Joux]] (between 11th and 19th century)
==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}
Pontarlier is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
* {{flagicon|SUI}} [[Yverdon-les-Bains]], [[Switzerland]]<ref name="Swiss twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.asccre.ch/fr/N208/vaud-waadt-vaud.html|title=Association Suisse des Communes et Régions d'Europe|access-date=2013-07-20|work=L'Association suisse pour le Conseil des Communes et Régions d'Europe (ASCCRE)|language=fr|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724051705/http://www.asccre.ch/fr/N208/vaud-waadt-vaud.html|archive-date=2012-07-24}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Villingen-Schwenningen]], Germany
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Zarautz]], Spain
==Climate==
{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y
|collapsed = Y
|location =  Pontarlier (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present)
|Jan record high C = 20.1
|Feb record high C = 21.5
|Mar record high C = 24.9
|Apr record high C = 27.0
|May record high C = 33.0
|Jun record high C = 35.0
|Jul record high C = 38.0
|Aug record high C = 37.0
|Sep record high C = 32.8
|Oct record high C = 29.4
|Nov record high C = 23.5
|Dec record high C = 20.3
|Jan record low C = -32.0
|Feb record low C = -26.2
|Mar record low C = -21.7
|Apr record low C = -10.8
|May record low C = -6.0
|Jun record low C = -2.0
|Jul record low C = 0.8
|Aug record low C = 0.1
|Sep record low C = -3.3
|Oct record low C = -9.7
|Nov record low C = -16.4
|Dec record low C = -23.2
|Jan high C = 4.6
|Feb high C = 5.7
|Mar high C = 9.8
|Apr high C = 13.6
|May high C = 17.3
|Jun high C = 21.2
|Jul high C = 23.5
|Aug high C = 23.5
|Sep high C = 19.1
|Oct high C = 15.0
|Nov high C = 8.8
|Dec high C = 5.1
| year high C = 13.9
|Jan mean C = 0.5
|Feb mean C = 1.0
|Mar mean C = 4.6
|Apr mean C = 7.9
|May mean C = 11.8
|Jun mean C = 15.4
|Jul mean C = 17.5
|Aug mean C = 17.3
|Sep mean C = 13.4
|Oct mean C = 9.8
|Nov mean C = 4.6
|Dec mean C = 1.3
| year mean C = 8.8
|Jan low C = -3.6
|Feb low C = -3.7
|Mar low C = -0.6
|Apr low C = 2.2
|May low C = 6.2
|Jun low C = 9.7
|Jul low C = 11.4
|Aug low C = 11.1
|Sep low C = 7.7
|Oct low C = 4.6
|Nov low C = 0.3
|Dec low C = -2.5
| year low C = 3.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 115.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 105.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 107.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 105.0
|May precipitation mm = 139.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 124.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 123.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 121.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 113.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 128.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 131.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 147.7
|year precipitation mm = 1463.6
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 12.9
| Feb precipitation days = 11.8
| Mar precipitation days = 11.9
| Apr precipitation days = 12.2
| May precipitation days = 14.9
| Jun precipitation days = 12.3
| Jul precipitation days = 12.1
| Aug precipitation days = 11.1
| Sep precipitation days = 10.7
| Oct precipitation days = 13.0
| Nov precipitation days = 12.8
| Dec precipitation days = 14.0
| year precipitation days =149.7
|source 1 = Meteociel<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=25462001
|title=Normales et records pour Pontarlier (25)
|publisher=Meteociel
|access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref>}}
==See also==
* [[Communes of the Doubs department]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Pontarlier}}
* [http://www.ville-pontarlier.fr/ City council website] {{in lang|fr}}
* [http://www.aeroclub-pontarlier.org/ Aeroclub of Pontarlier WebSite] {{in lang|fr}}
{{Doubs communes}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Communes of Doubs]]
[[Category:Subprefectures in France]]
[[Category:Sequani]]