Bayonne

Bayonne is a fortified town in southwestern France. This trading and manufacturing town is situated in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (formerly in the dep. of Basses-Pyrénées), in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, at the confluence of the Adour and Nive, 4 miles from the Bay of Biscay. It is noted for its strong citadel, constructed by Vauban, and one of his 'chef-d'oeuvres', and its 12th-century cathedral church. It belonged to the English from 1152 to 1451. The town gave its name to a short stabbing dagger called Bayonet.