CHARLOTTESVILLE SISTER CITY:  
BESANÇON, FRANCE

Due to cultural, historic and even geographical similarities, the sister cities of Besançon and Charlottesville are alike in several ways.

A sister city agreement between both cities was signed on October 20th, 2006. However, exchanges between the two cities have been taking place for a quarter of a century. 

Besançon and Charlottesville exchange students have been welcomed in their respective cities by organizations and host families. A delegation of L'Alliance Française of Charlottesville visited Besançon to meet city officials. The mayor of Besançon, Jean-Louis Fousseret has visited Charlottesville several times to assist cultural events.    

For more information on the Sister City program, click here.

 

 

INTERESTING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OUR TWO SISTER CITIES:

BESANÇON

  • Population: 123 000 inhabitants

  • Distance to the Capital: 2.5 hours from Paris

  • University: The University of Franche-Comté (20 000 students)

  • Town Center: Remarkable architecture and a pedestrian Main street

  • Town of Bibliophiles: Record number of bookshops per capita in France

  • Politics: Traditionally Socialist

  • Writers: Association of authors of the Franche-Comté region

  • Cinema: Home town of the Lumière brothers

  • Engineering: Hilaire de Chardonnet's place of birth

  • Horticulture: Floralies Celebration

  • Forests: Surrounded by the forest of Chailluz

CHARLOTTESVILLE

  • Population: 120 000 inhabitants

  • Distance to the Capital: 2.5 hours from Washington

  • University: The University of Virginia (20 000 students)

  • Town Center: Remarkable architecture and a pedestrian Main street

  • Town of Bibliophiles: Record number of books per capita in the United States

  • Politics: Traditionally Democrat

  • Writers: Writers Club of Charlotteville

  • Cinema: Home of the Virginia Film Festival

  • Engineering: Textile Institute of Technology

  • Horticulture: Dogwood Festival

  • Forests: Surrounded by the Shenandoah forest