Narbonne City Map Poster

About Narbonne

The commune of Narbonne is part of the Aude department and borders the departments of Pyrénées-Orientales, Ariège, Haute-Garonne, Tarn. The first known human settlement in what is now Narbonne dates from approximately 400 BC. It was at this time that the area became a port giving access to trade routes across the Mediterranean Sea.[2] The Romans established a presence there and named it "Narbo Martius", which was subsequently shortened to "Narbona". After his death in 496 AD, Nîmes was also sometimes known as "Narbōna" (or Arbūna) after him.[3] In 1144,[4][5] Raymond IV granted several rights on territory belonging to his possessions: Saint Mary's Church (in Occitan Sant Miquel de la Catedral),[6][7][8] where he built its bell tower;[9]:p.