As a seaport, prior to abolition, Nantes was the slave trade capital of France.
Formerly the capital of Brittany, Nantes was separated from it by the Vichy government in June 1941. Some people are willing to unify again Brittany as a French region, mostly for cultural reasons.
As the name indicates, Edict of Nantes was signed in this city in 1598 . This edict ended a war between Catholics and Protestants and was the first step towards religious freedom.
Nantes was home city of the politician Georges Clemenceau and the writer Jules Verne.
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