Editing Nyon (section)

==History==
Nyon is first mentioned around 367–407 as ''civitas Equestrium id est Noiodunus'' (in the "[[Notitia Galliarum]]"). In 1236, it was mentioned as ''Neveduni'' and in 1292 as ''Nyons''.<ref name=HDS/>

===Pre-Roman settlements===
A few scattered [[neolithic]] items were discovered in the 19th century. North of the city, some bronze rings and the ruins of a [[Bronze Age]] settlement were discovered.<ref name=HDS/>

===Noviodunum===
{{main|Noviodunum (Switzerland)}}
It was founded by the Romans between 50 and 44 BC under the name of Colonia Iulia Equestris or Colonia Equestris Noiodunum, the urban center of which was called Noviodunum.<ref name=HDS_Colonia>{{HDS|12283|Colonia Iulia Equestris}}</ref> It grew to be one of the most important Roman colonies in modern-day Switzerland, with a [[forum (Roman)|forum]], a [[basilica]] and an [[amphitheater]] that was discovered only recently, in 1996, when digging for the construction of a new building.

At Roman contact, the country round the town was held by the [[Helvetii]]. The town's importance is reflected in its numerous mentions in ancient sources.  The [[Antonine Itineraries]] place the town on the road from Geneva to [[Lacus Lausonius]] (near [[Lausanne]]). It is first mentioned by [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] (''H.N.'', iv. 7), and then by [[Ptolemy]] (ii. 9), who assigns it to the [[Sequani]]. Pliny and Ptolemy simply name it Equestris; and so it is named in the Itineraries. On some inscriptions it is called ''Civ. Equestrium'' (short for Civitas Equestrium), and ''Col. Julia Equ.'' (short for Colonia Julia Equestris) from which some have concluded that it was founded by [[Julius Caesar]]. In the [[Notitia Dignitatum|Notitia]] it is called ''Civ. Equestrium Noiodunum'' (short for Civitas Equestrium Noiodunum). The district in which Nyon stands is called ''Pagus Equestricus'' in a document of the year 1011; and it is said that the people of the country as of the 18th century still called this district ''Enquestre''. ([[D'Anville]], Notice, &c.; Walckenaer, Géographie, &c., des Gaules, vol. ii. p.&nbsp;316.)

Noviodunum was part of a loose network of settlements that radiated out from [[Lugdunum]] (modern [[Lyon]], France) and helped to control the Rhone Valley. It served, along with other Roman colonies in the area, to control the Helvetii who were settled in the area against their will after their defeat at the [[Battle of Bibracte]] in 58 BC.

A rectangular grid pattern divided the area of the wall-less city. A monumental center, housing everything needed for the economic, religious and social life of the colony, was established. Only portions of this first forum have been discovered. At its east end was a two-story basilica. Grid-like residential streets radiated out from the center.<ref name=HDS_Colonia/>

Under [[Tiberius]], the forum was expanded and redesigned into a familiar pattern for the provinces. The sacred area was surrounded on three sides by [[colonnade]]s, which were built on half-sunken [[Cryptoporticus]]. Two outbuildings, including most likely the seat of the [[Curia]], flanked the building.  A market building ([[macellum]]) with a central courtyard around which were the sales rooms, and the baths ([[tepidarium]] with geometric shapes and [[mosaic]]s) were renovated. The forum witnessed further transformations, particularly the establishment of another large building.  During the same building phase a large mosaic on the central part of the north portico was built.<ref name=HDS_Colonia/>

The amphitheater, which was discovered in 1996, was probably built in the early 2nd century AD. Its [[arena]], which was flanked by two prisons and provided with sewers, is about {{convert|50|by|36|m|ft}}. The ruins of the theater, that should have been in the Colonia, have not been discovered.<ref name=HDS_Colonia/> The residential quarters consisted of modest homes, in addition to some [[domus|domi]] with gardens and pools. The buildings were originally made of wood and clay, but after the mid-1st century AD were built from masonry. Some [[villa suburbana]] stood in the west of the village, while the artisan and merchant quarter, presumably, developed in the southwest. A {{convert|10|km|mi|0|abbr=off|adj=mid|-long|spell=on}} [[Roman aqueduct|aqueduct]], which ran from the Divonne area to the colony, provided the water supply. Sewage canals, that followed the road networks, dumped sewage into the lake.<ref name="HDS_Colonia" />

===Decline of the Roman colonia===
After a long period of peace and prosperity, signs of crisis and general insecurity were increasing in the early 3rd century. As a result of [[Alamanni]] invasions of 259 or 260 AD, the forum and the public buildings in the city were razed. The stone blocks were scattered all over the Lake Geneva region. The stones were re-used as building material, especially in Geneva, where about 300 were used in the construction of the wall. But the settlement was not abandoned. Nyon-Noviodunum, which had already lost much of its prestige and reputation was as a regional capital, now separated from [[Geneva]]. Geneva became the center and seat of the diocese which initially fought to administer the territory that had been part of the Colonia.<ref name=HDS_Colonia/>

===Medieval Nyon===
[[File:NyonCastle02.JPG|thumb|upright|Nyon Castle]]
[[File:Nyon Narrow Street.jpg|thumb|upright|Narrow streets in Nyon]]
During the [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] era, Nyon belonged to the county of Geneva. In a 926 charter, [[Rudolph II of Burgundy]] mentioned that this area was under a ''comes de pago Equestrico''. During the [[Second Kingdom of Burgundy]], Nyon became independent from Geneva. In 1032, [[Rudolph III of Burgundy|Rudolf III]] granted Nyon to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Besançon|Archbishop of Besançon]]. The bishop granted Nyon to the Lord of [[Prangins]] as a [[fief]]. After 1130, [[:fr:Famille de Cossonay|Humbert de Cossonay]], the Lord of Prangins, held his court in Nyon. A market was built in 1211. In 1272, the Archbishop of Besançon confirmed [[Philip I, Count of Savoy|Philip of Savoy]]'s right to administer [[high justice]] in Nyon. In 1279, Aymon of Prangins unsuccessfully rebelled against the counts of Savoy, but was forced to acknowledge Savoy authority over him and Nyon.<ref name=HDS_Mid>{{HDS|2516<!--Section 1-1-->|Medieval Nyon}}</ref>

The Castle is first mentioned in 1272, but probably dates back to the Lords of Prangins. It was rebuilt by [[Louis, Duke of Savoy|Louis I of Savoy]] in 1463. The rectangular edifice was built in a variety of styles. Around the same time, the square César Tower or Tour de Rive (now a residence), was built to defend the city.<ref name=HDS_Mid/>

In 1293, [[Amadeus V, Count of Savoy]], and his brother [[Louis I, Baron of Vaud]], conquered the city by besieging it from both the land and the lake. They confirmed the [[town rights]] which had been granted to Nyon by Aymon of Prangins, and extended further rights and freedoms. It became one of the four ''bonnes villes'' of Canton Vaud. In 1294, Louis I began to expand Nyon as a center of his power after Amadeus granted his share of the conquest to Louis. He created a court and a mint, which minted coins for the lords of Vaud between 1286 and 1350. In 1323 Louis II, granted the so-called mountains of Nyon, i.e. pastures and forests in the area of [[Arzier]] and [[Saint-Cergue]], to Nyon. In 1359 Nyon lost importance after [[Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy|Amadeus VI]] acquired rights over the entire Vaud. In 1364 the [[town charter]] of [[Morges]] replaced the charter in Nyon. This change was reconfirmed in 1439. Under the new charter, the town gained greater self-sufficiency. The mint in Nyon reopened in 1430. In 1530 the [[Old Swiss Confederacy|Swiss Confederation]] invaded Vaud and acquired Nyon. Then in 1536, Nyon surrendered again to [[Bern]] without a fight as Bernese troops marched through to support Geneva.<ref name="HDS_Mid"/>

Starting in 1323, the municipal government was composed of eight procurators and a mayor. A little later the government was replaced by a community meeting which was headed by two mayors (Syndics). The Town Hall is first mentioned in 1508.
[[File:Interior of Temple of Nyon (HDR+tone mapped).jpg|thumb|Interior of the Church of Notre-Dame]]
A [[Benedictine]] [[priory]] was founded in the first half of the 12th century in Nyon. In 1244 it was given to the [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] order. The last [[Prior (ecclesiastical)|prior]], before the [[Reformation]] in 1535 was Aymon de Gingins, who was also the abbot of Bonmont and the selected [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg|Bishop of Geneva]].

In 1295–96, [[Louis, Duke of Savoy|Louis I, Duke of Savoy]], built a [[Franciscan]] monastery under the patronage of [[Francis of Assisi|St. Francis]], in which several members of the House of Savoy were buried. In 1530, Bern and [[Fribourg]] plundered the monastery for the first time, and Bern destroyed all the pictures of saints. In 1536, it was burned by the withdrawing Savoy garrison.

In 1110 Geneva granted authority over the church of Notre-Dame to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Oyend ([[Saint-Claude, Jura|Saint-Claude]]). The church was built with material from the Roman period and replaced an earlier Christian church. The [[choir (architecture)|choir]] dates from the 12th century, and the [[nave]] was built in 1448. The vault and the side chapels were built in 1470–81.

Situated outside the city walls was the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, also known as Corps-Saints. The church is first mentioned in 1346. By 1412, it was administered by the Augustinian Priory. Until the Reformation it was a [[pilgrimage]] site where the [[relic]]s of the martyrs of the [[Theban Legion]] were revered. Bern ordered the church destroyed in 1537.<ref name="HDS_Mid"/>

===Early Modern Nyon===
[[File:Nyon in 1642.jpg|thumb|Nyon in 1642]]
Nyon was raised to the status of administrative center of a ''[[Vogt]]ei'' of [[history of Bern|Bern]] in 1536. It remained the seat of the vogt until the Vaud revolution of 1798. In 1568, a yearly market took place for the first time. In 1574–80 the castle was converted into the seat of the [[bailiff]]. It was renovated several times in the following centuries. The municipal government added a Council of Fifty in 1558 and in 1578, an inner council of Twenty-four. The inner council was made up of nobles, [[burgher (social class)|burgher]]s and inhabitants. Later the councils became a Council of Twelve and a council of Twenty-Four, which was headed by a [[knight banneret]].<ref name=HDS_Early>{{HDS|2516<!--Section 1-2-->|Ancien Régime Nyon}}</ref>

In 1570, [[Theodore Beza]] headed the regional assembly of Protestant refugee clergymen in Nyon.  After the revocation of the [[Edict of Nantes]] in 1685, many [[Huguenots]] fled to Nyon. In 1688, they founded the ''Bourse française'' to help other refugees.

Nyon remained an important transhipment point for trade along Lake Geneva and from France and Italy. Grain and wood came from Burgundy and [[Franche-Comté]] through the [[Col de la Givrine]] and [[Saint-Cergue]] on to Geneva. In 1537–76, the customs post of Nyon was the most profitable in the bailiwick. Over the following centuries, trade through Nyon remained very profitable and by 1772–73, it was again the highest in the region. In the 18th century, trade and commerce grew strongly. The flow of goods allowed four (after 1738, five) yearly markets. A granary was built in the 18th century. The Bernese rebuilt the Asse canal system to drive tanneries, sawmills and mills. The Faïencerie Baylon earthenware factory was founded in 1769. It was followed by the Jacob Dortu and Ferdinand Müller porcelain factory in 1781, both of which contributed Nyon's reputation for fine ceramics.

With the profits of the Early Modern era, many of the public buildings of Nyon were rebuilt or expanded. Following the suppression of the monasteries, in 1539, the town hospital moved into the offices of the Augustinian convent and received money from the closed monasteries. Hans-Ulrich Heldt rebuilt the college, the original building was from 1559, in 1786 in a [[neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] style. The church of Notre-Dame was rebuilt several times between 1661 and 1718. The medieval city walls and gates were demolished in 1718. The town hall was rebuilt in 1773. In 1720, Louis de Saint-Georges, a minister of the English king, built Changins Castle.<ref name=HDS_Early/>

The city was one of the most active centers of the revolutionary movement in the Vaud region. The councils of Nyon formed an oversight committee and refused to pay homage to Bern on 10 January 1798. A few days later, they secured the support of the French General {{interlanguage link|Philippe Romain Ménard|fr}}  in support of the independence of Canton Vaud. When this proclamation of support was brought from Nyon to Lausanne, on 24 January 1798, it finally led to the Vaudois revolution.<ref name=HDS_Early/> From 1798 to 1803, it was in the [[canton of Léman]] of the [[Helvetic Republic]] as district capital.

===Modern Nyon===
In the first half of the 19th century, the city continued with the demolition of the fortifications, but left wall remains at the Promenade des Marronniers and by the tower of Notre Dame. During the 19th century the Reformed [[parish church]] was rebuilt several times. The Catholic Church was consecrated in 1839, and a chapel for the ''Église libre'' (Free Church) was finished in 1872.<ref name=HDS_modern>{{HDS|2516<!--Section 1-3-->|Nyon after 1798}}</ref>

In 1858, a station of the railway line Lausanne–Geneva was built in north of Nyon. New housing developments sprung up around this station, and the city began to spread. The railroads Nyon–Crassier–Divonne (1905) and Nyon–Saint-Cergue–Morez (1916) connected Nyon with its hinterland. To meet the needs of the economy, the shipping industry and the emerging tourism industry, a port was built in 1838 and a quay was added in 1873. By the middle of the 19th century, a major source of income was the sale of timber from the [[commons]] forest. Other industries included tanneries (closed in 1925), carpentry, saw mills (until 1935), mills (including Andre & Cie.), cooperages and a soap factory. The Faïencerie Baylon closed in 1828. The porcelain factory, Müller et Dortu temporarily closed in 1813, then resumed production of ceramics in the [[Art Nouveau]] style in 1878. From then on until 1980 they produced Stoneware. Other industries in Nyon include the pasta factory Sangal SA (1860–1996), Zyma (1906, since 1996, Swiss Novartis Consumer Health), Stellram (hard metal treatment, 1940–99), Cherix et Filanosa SA (printing and graphic arts, 1932) and several tool factories. Starting in 1966, the companies stopped using the local locks and dams for hydropower and by 1974 they had disappeared from the Asse river.<ref name=HDS_modern/>

In 1937, it hosted the [[Nyon Conference]].