Toul () is a
commune in the
Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
It is a
sub-prefecture
A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.
Albania
There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...
of the department.
Geography
Toul is between
Commercy and
Nancy, and the river
Moselle
The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A ...
and
Canal de la Marne au Rhin.
Climate
Toul has a
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Toul is . The average annual rainfall is with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Toul was on 11 August 1998; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 9 January 1985.
History
Toul was known to the
Romans as , and was the capital of the
Gaulish
Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switze ...
tribe of the
Leuci.
In 550, King
Theudebald convoked a
synod at Toul. In 612, King
Theudebert II
Theudebert II () (c.585-612), King of Austrasia (595–612 AD), was the son and heir of Childebert II. He received the kingdom of Austrasia plus the cities (''civitates'') of Poitiers, Tours, Le Puy-en-Velay, Bordeaux, and Châteaudun, as w ...
of
Austrasia
Austrasia was a territory which formed the north-eastern section of the Merovingian Kingdom of the Franks during the 6th to 8th centuries. It was centred on the Meuse, Middle Rhine and the Moselle rivers, and was the original territory of the ...
was defeated by King
Theuderic II of Burgundy near Toul. By the
Treaty of Meerssen of 870, Toul became part of
East Francia
East Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's empire ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was created through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided the former empire int ...
, the later Holy Roman Empire. During the High Middle Ages, it became a
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
. Toul was annexed to France by King
Henry II in 1552; this was recognized by the Holy Roman Empire in the
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pe ...
of 1648. It then was a part of the French province of the
Three Bishoprics.
Toul was the seat of the
bishops of Toul
The Diocese of Toul was a Roman Catholic diocese seated at Toul in present-day France. It existed from 365 until 1802. From 1048 until 1552 ('' de jure'' until 1648), it was also a state of the Holy Roman Empire.
History
The diocese was ...
; the diocese was founded around 365 and existed until 1807.
During the
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
of 1870 during the
Franco-Prussian War, the last time that Toul's defenses were used as a classic fortress, 64 guns opened fire at 6:00 a.m. on 23 September, and the fortress surrendered at 3:00 p.m. after 2,433 shells had been fired.
The city was also the primary base of the
Air Service, United States Army, a predecessor organization of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. As such, it was a base for many of the 45 wartime squadrons of the
First Army Air Service, including the squadrons of the
1st Pursuit Group,
First Army Observation Group
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
and others. The Americans referred to the area around Toul as the Toul Sector. Two large operations were launched from this area: the
St. Mihiel Offensive and the
Meuse-Argonne Offensive, both in September 1918. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the American
358th Fighter Group used
Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield
Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield is a former military airfield which is located approximately northeast of Toul (Département de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine); east of Paris.
The airfield had its probable origins as early as 1912, as an ''Aéronau ...
(A-90) during the fall of 1944 and spring of 1945, and
Toul-Rosières Air Base (BA 136) was an American
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
air base during the 1950s and 1960s.
Population
Sights
The most striking features are the impressive stone
rampart
Rampart may refer to:
* Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement
Rampart may also refer to:
* "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from " The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the ...
s. Those that exist today are the work of
Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, Seigneur de Vauban, later Marquis de Vauban (baptised 15 May 163330 March 1707), commonly referred to as ''Vauban'' (), was a French military engineer who worked under Louis XIV. He is generally considered the ...
,
Louis XIV
Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...
's military engineer. In 1698 he designed a new enclosure and work began in 1699-1700. Several of
Vauban's fortifications in France are listed as a combined
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
. Although the fortifications at Toul are not in that list they do follow the general
defiladed fortification pattern for which
Vauban is known.
There appears to have been a fortified town at this location since the earliest recorded history. Today, the ramparts encircle and define the old town. They are built of dressed white stone, and topped with grass, and in places are over five metres high.
There is a great deal of
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
archæology in the area and allegedly some in the town. The Roman
fortified town of
Grand
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and comm ...
is some 30 km away, with its great
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
and temple to the
Cult of Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
.
The old town's architecture is dominated by past glories in various states of decay, including a major Gothic
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
, which is in a poor condition and is being slowly restored. Many of the houses were built as canonical residences in the
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Ren ...
and bear vestiges in the form of ornamental stonework. The gothic chapel of the Knights Templar
Commandery of Libdeau is undergoing a major restoration.
There is no trace of the monastery, however its wine-cellars still exist, under the shops on the north side of the Rue Gambetta. (Access is possible via the Camera Shop).
Transportation
Toul is at the intersection of the river
Moselle
The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A ...
(which divides into the river proper and the ''Moselle Canalisée'' just outside the town) with the
Canal de la Marne au Rhin, and was once, consequently, an important port. The barges known as ''péniches'' still navigate these watercourses commercially, typically carrying steel, though in the summer much more of the water traffic is for pleasure.
There is a main-line railway station at Toul, the last major station before the (once vast, and still very large) marshalling yards at
Nancy. However, the Paris-Strasbourg
TGV line, completed in 2016, passes about 20 km north of Toul, approximately midway between
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...
and Nancy.
Economy
The surrounding countryside is a wine-growing region, in which the
AOC Côtes de Toul
Côtes de Toul is an '' Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) for French wine produced in the département of Meurthe-et-Moselle in the Lorraine ''région''. The Côtes de Toul vineyards cover in an area close to Toul, to the west of the cit ...
vintage is produced. Particularly notable is the ''Gris de Toul''.
Administration
Toul is the seat and part of the
canton of Toul, and of the
arrondissement of Toul
The arrondissement of Toul is an arrondissement of France in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the Grand Est region. It has 111 communes. Its population is 69,151 (2016), and its area is .
Composition
The communes of the arrondissement of Tou ...
.
Twin towns
*
Hamm
Hamm (, Latin: ''Hammona'') is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of 2016 its population was 179,397. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway. Hamm railwa ...
, Germany, since 1987
*
Jaroměř
Jaroměř (; german: Jermer) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. It is known for the Josefov Fortress. Josefov is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban ...
, Czech republic, since 2017
Notable people
* Saint
Gerard of Toul, bishop
*
Antoine Augustin Calmet, monk
*
Marcel Bigeard, French Army General
*
Anne-Laure Blin, politician
*
Mickaël Causse, Neuroscientist
*
Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr, military leader
*
Rachid Hamdani
Rachid Hamdani ( ar, رشيد حمداني; born 8 April 1985) is a footballer who last played as a midfielder for Asteras Tripoli. Born in France, he represented Morocco at international level.
Club career
Hamdani started his career in France ...
, footballer
*
Louis Majorelle, furniture designer and manufacturer
*
Pascal Vigneron
Pascal Vigneron (born 23 June 1963) is a French classical musician, both trumpeter, organist, and conductor.
Life
Born in Commercy (Lorraine), Vigneron's genealogy goes back to 1841, when his ancestors lived in the town of Bruley. He has bee ...
, musician and director of the Bach Toul Festival
Gallery
Toul Mairie.JPG
Apothicaire Toul.JPG
Monument 02113.JPG
France Grand Est 54 Toul 01.jpg
France Grand Est 54 Toul 06.jpg
Toul Meurthe-et-Moselle Fontaine Louis Curel.JPG
Façade du Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Toul.jpg
Cathédrale de Toul-Façade.JPG, Facade
Collégiale_Saint-Gengoult_de_Toul.jpg
France Grand Est 54 Toul 03.jpg
Toul église saint evre.JPG
Toul église Saint-Paul croix de Metz.JPG
Toul chapelle Notre-Dame.JPG
Toul chapelle Lidbeau.JPG
Toul chapelle gare cou.JPG
Toul Chapelle saint charles hôpital.JPG
Toul chapelle abbaye saint mansuy.JPG
Toul abbaye saint mansuy.JPG
Toul église saint mansuy.JPG
Toul Temple.JPG
Synagogue Toul.JPG
See also
*
Toul-Rosieres Air Base
References
External links
Official siteToul tourism officeToul stronghold 1870 - 1915
USAS in France interactive Google Map of bases, etc. at www.usaww1.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toul
1552 disestablishments
Communes of Meurthe-et-Moselle
Leuci
Subprefectures in France
Former republics
Free imperial cities
Vauban fortifications in France
Three Bishoprics