Nevers

Nevers (nəvĕr`), city (1991 pop. 43,889), capital of Nièvre dept., central France, on the Loire and Nièvre rivers. It is noted for its pottery and china industries. Other manufactures include metal products, mechanical and electrical equipment, chemicals, textiles, and printed matter. Nevers became the seat of a bishopric in the 6th cent. and was long the capital of the duchy and province of Nivernais. Among the points of interest are the ducal palace (15th–16th cent.), now a courthouse; the Church of St. Étienne (11th cent.), a gem of Romanesque architecture; the cathedral (13th–16th cent.); and the Church of St. Bernadette-du-Banlay (1966). In the Convent of St. Gildard are the remains of St. Bernadette, who lived there from 1860 to 1879.