Nantes, city, western France, capital of Loire-Atlantique Department, on the Loire River, near the Bay of Biscay (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean). It is a major port and manufacturing center; products include chemicals, ships, aerospace equipment, clothing, and processed food. Among the points of interest in the city are the Cathedral of Saint Pierre (begun 15th century) and a castle (10th cent., rebuilt 15th cent.). The University of Nantes (1460, reestablished 1961 after being abolished during the French Revolution) and a noted art museum are here.
Nantes was the chief community of the Gallic tribe of the Namnetes, and it later became an important Roman commercial and administrative center. It was taken by the duke of Brittany in the 10th century and passed, with Brittany, to the French crown in 1532. In 1598Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes, assuring French Protestants of many rights. In 1793, during the French Revolution, large numbers of its inhabitants were executed by revolutionaries. The city suffered considerable damage during World War II, when it was occupied by the Germans. Population (1999) 270,251.
