Laon
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Laon is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Aisne département. Population: 26,265.
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History
In Roman times it was known as Alaudanum or Lugdunum Clavatum.
Sights
The city contains many medieval buildings. One of the better known is the cathedral Notre-Dame of Laon.
Miscellaneous
Laon was the birthplace of:
- Bertrada of Laon (720-783), mother of Charlemagne
- Anselm of Laon (d. 1117), theologian
- Jacques Marquette, (1636-1675), Jesuit missionary
The town has the only fully automated municipal cable car system in the world, called the Poma 2000. It links the upper town (the historical center, located on a plateau) with the lower town, has three stations and runs on rubber tyres. In contrast, the San Francisco cable car system is manually operated, and all the other automated cable car systems have restricted operations within airports and hospitals.
External link
- City council website (http://www.ville-laon.fr)Template:France-geo-stub