Stenay () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Meuse department in Grand Est in

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

-eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Its inhabitants are called ''Stenaisiens''.

History

In 679, the assassinated king Dagobert II was buried in the church of Saint-Remi in Stenay. In 872, King

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ...

had his body moved a newly built basilica dedicated to him. In 1069, the canons of the basilica were accused of laxness. Duke Godfrey the Bearded handed the basilica over to Gorze Abbey and it became a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

priory. The '' Vita Dagoberti'' was written there. In 1580, the basilica was secularized and the

cloisters A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against ...

demolished. In 1591, what remained was sacked by Huguenots. Stenay was one of the last villages to experience fighting during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The village was captured on 11 November 1918 by the U.S. 89th Division, commanded by Major General William M. Wright, only hours before the

Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

went into effect. The 89th Division lost 365 men, mainly to enemy howitzer fire.

Toponymy

According to local tradition in antiquity, the village is named after a local temple of Saturn. The name has changed significantly over time, starting with Sathanagium and Astenidum, and, through natural language change, resulting in Stenay. The progression of names is as follows: *Sathanagium, Sathonagium (714) *Astenidum (877) *Astanid (888) *Satenaium (900s) *Sathaniacum (900s) *Sathinidium (1036) *Sathanacum (1069) *Setunia (1000s) *Sathanacum villam (1079) *Satiniacum, Sathiniacum (1086) *Sathanaco (1108) *Sathanacensi (1157) *Sathaniaco (1159) *Sathanai (1173) *Sethenac (1208) *Settenai (1243) *Sethenai (1264) *Sathenay (1276, 1399, 1463, 1483, 1549, 1558, 1585) *Sathanay (1284) *Satenay (1399) *Astenæum (1580) *Satanagus (1630) *Satanay, Sthenay (1643) *Stenay (1793).

Population

Tourism

The European Beer Museum (Musée Européen de la bière), founded in 1986, is considered the largest of its kind on the continent.

History

Toponymy

Population

Tourism

See also