Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Nevers

NEVERS (nē-ver′), the capital of the French department of Nièvre, formerly of the province of Nivernais. It is picturesquely seated on a hillside, 600 feet above sea-level, at the influx of the Nièvre to the Loire, 159 miles S. S. E. of Paris. The Noviodunum of Cæsar, it has been the seat of a bishop since 506; its beautiful cathedral, restored in 1879, belongs mainly to the 13th century. The stately court house, dating from 1475, was formerly the castle of the Dukes of Nevers. The city contains a fine public garden, a bridge of 14 arches over the Loire, a medieval gateway, and a triumphal arch (1746) commemorating Fontenoy. The industries comprise the manufacture of cannon, iron cables and chains, porcelain (introduced by Italians about 1565). Pop. about 28,000.