Narbonne, city in southern France, in Aude Department, near the Gulf of Lion. Narbonne is a wine-trade, transportation, and manufacturing center; products include clothing, pottery and tile, machinery, and fertilizer. Among the points of interest are Roman ruins; the Cathedral of Saint Just (begun 1272); and the former archiepiscopal palace (begun 13th century), now housing the city hall and museums of art and archaeology.
In 118 BC Narbonne became the site of Narbo Martius, the first Roman colony founded beyond the Alps. An archiepiscopal see from the 4th century to 1801, the city was captured by the Visigoths in 413 and by the Saracens in 719. It was a major port until the early 14th century, when its harbor silted up. Narbonne passed to the French crown in 1507. Population (1999) 46,510.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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