Associated districts and communes
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Town centre[edit]
Mâcon Cathedral (Cathédrale le Vieux Saint-Vincent)
Saint-Pierre Church (1859–1865)
The Hôtel-Dieu, built in the 18th century by Melchior Munet, a student of Soufflot
Mâcon's town center of extends from Place Gardon, in the north, to the Roundabout of Europe in the south, from Place de la Barre, in the west, to the banks along the Saône to the east.
The quarters of the town's centre are varied:
The center by the town hall is the town's shopping area (rue Carnot, rue Dufour, rue Sigorgne, rue Philibert-Laguiche, rue Dombert, rue Franche, the quay Lamartine, the esplanade Lamartine and rue de la Barre). Most landmarks are in this conventional centre-ville including the Cathedral of Saint-Vincent, the Church of Saint Pierre and the town's two museums.
The Saint-Antoine district is centred around the Place aux Herbes and the historic heart despite its relative distance from the town hall. This district covers the northern part of the town centre; it is crossed by the rue de Strasbourg and consists of narrow lanes. There is the prefecture (district headquarters) of Saône-et-Loire and the old Saint-Vincent Cathedral (Vieux Saint-Vincent).
West lies the Square de la Paix, bordered by the Hôtel-Dieu, the Palais de Justice, Saint-Vincent Cathedral, plus the Vallon des Rigollettes and the Héritan district.
From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, the esplanade Lamartine underwent extensive redevelopment and upgrades. The winding car park and damaged cobblestones were replaced by an underground car park on three levels, a larger and brighter esplanade, bars, and a stage on the water (of the Saône river) which now accommodates various events, concerts and shows. The Statue Lamartine, which sits proudly on the esplanade, was completely renovated. Small gardens now brighten up the immense space that Mâcon's Esplanade Lamartine occupies. All along, one can find an extract from the famous poem by Lamartine, "Le Lac": "Time, halt in your flight... " engraved in the ground in silver letters.
North of Mâcon[edit]
The north of Mâcon is split, with the Neustadt roundabout marking the boundary between the two sections. Flacé-lès-Mâcon, a village built in the city, constitutes the north-west of Mâcon. In addition to the adjoining Town Hall, church and small downtown area, Flacé consists entirely of residential areas.
The north-east of Mâcon is composed of various residential areas and the town's sport centres (Physical Activity Training Course (P.A.P.A), public swimming pool, Centre for Sports Education, rowing, sailing and water skiing clubs, several football fields and clubs, and the Sports Palace). The residential areas consist mainly of low-rent council estates (HLM) with districts such as the priority development areas (ZUP) of Mâcon or the boulevard des États-Unis (road belonging administratively to the Saugeraies district).
South of Mâcon[edit]
The south of Mâcon is composed of three major areas.
The first area is the Saint-Clément/Les Blanchettes block, also called Percée Sud. Saint-Clément only accounts for a small area but it is southern Mâcon's main business area with the Europe roundabout. Les Blanchettes is a district of low-rent council estates (HLM) passing through Édouard-Herriot Avenue. It is a very woody area, which includes most notably the Parc des Allumettes and its numerous games for children. The Romanesque church is in Saint-Clément, bearing the name of this town.
The second area is the largest in this part of the town; it is the industrial area south of Mâcon (the largest metropolitan area) which is composed of the Port River at Mâcon (6 in France).
The third and final area in the south of Mâcon is the Chanaye / Fontenailles and is southwest of the town. Fontenailles is a residential area consisting of detached houses. La Chanaye (pronounced "Chanai") is an area of low-rent council estates (HLM) bordered by the greenhouses of Mâcon. This district, along with the Boulevard des États-Unis, Saint-Clément/les Blanchettes and priority development areas (ZUP) of Mâcon, belongs to the sensitive urban zones (French ZUS).
West of Mâcon[edit]
The west of Mâcon is the least populated part of the town. This hosts Mâcon's lycées (René Cassin, Lamartine, Alexandre Dumaine and Ozanam) and most of the colleges, along with some residential areas merged with those of Charnay-lès-Mâcon, the Hospital of Mâcon and the historic working class area of Mâcon, Bioux.
Flacé[edit]
Formerly an independent commune, Flacé-lès-Mâcon was re-attached to Mâcon in 1965. It is now a residential area with a very prominent village atmosphere.
Associated communes[edit]
Loché[edit]
Loché is an associated commune of Mâcon. The fusion-association dates from 1972. Mâcon Loché-TGV station is in this wine-producing village.
Saint-Jean-le-Priche[edit]
Saint-Jean-le-Priche is an associated commune of Mâcon. The merging association dates from 1972.
Sennecé-lès-Mâcon[edit]
Sennecé-lès-Mâcon is an associated commune of Mâcon. The merging association dates from 1972.