Commercy () is a commune in the

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

department in

Grand Est Grand Est (; ) is an Regions of France, administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...

in north-eastern France.

History

Commercy dates back to the 9th century, and at that time its lords were dependent on the

bishop of Metz This is a list of bishops of the Roman Catholic diocese of Metz, which now lies in eastern France. To 500 * Clement of Metz (c. 280–300) * Celestius * Felix I * Patient * Victor I 344–346 * Victor II * Simeon * Sambace * Rufus of Metz * Ad ...

. In 1544 it was besieged by

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

in person. For some time the lordship was in the hands of

Jean François Paul de Gondi Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de Retz (20 September 1613 – 24 August 1679) was a French churchman, writer of memoirs, and agitator in the Fronde. The Florentine banking and noble Gondi family had been introduced into France by Catheri ...

, cardinal de Retz, who lived in the town for a number of years, and there composed his memoirs. From him it was purchased by

Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine Charles IV (5 April 1604 – 18 September 1675) was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 until his death in 1675, with a brief interruption in 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, Nicholas Francis. Life He came ...

. In 1744 it became the residence of

Stanisław Leszczyński Stanisław I Leszczyński (Stanisław Bogusław; 20 October 1677 – 23 February 1766), also Anglicized and Latinized as Stanislaus I, was twice King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and at various times Prince of Deux-Ponts, Duk ...

, king of Poland, who spent a great deal of care on the embellishment of the town, castle and neighbourhood. Commercy is the home of the Madeleines referred to by

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust ( ; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, literary critic, and essayist who wrote the novel (in French – translated in English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'' and more r ...

in ''

À la recherche du temps perdu ''In Search of Lost Time'' (), first translated into English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'', and sometimes referred to in French as ''La Recherche'' (''The Search''), is a novel in seven volumes by French author Marcel Proust. This early twen ...

''.

Population

People from Commercy

* Nicolas Durival (1723–1795), 18th-century Lorrain historian * Nicolas Alaidon (1738–1827), curé de

Toul Toul () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, Fra ...

, emigrated during the French Revolution, author of the ''Journal d'un prêtre pendant la Révolution''. (24 October 1738 – 1827). *

Henri Braconnot Henri Braconnot (; 29 May 178013 January 1855) was a French chemist and pharmacist. He was born in Commercy, his father being a counsel at the local parliament. At the death of his father, in 1787, Henri began his instruction in an elementary ...

(1780–1855), chemist *

Henri Brocard Pierre René Jean Baptiste Henri Brocard (; 12 May 1845 – 16 January 1922) was a French meteorologist and mathematician, in particular a geometer. His best-known achievement is the invention and discovery of the properties of the Brocard p ...

(1845–1922), mathematician * Georges Mangin (1873–1908), officer and explorer * Benno Vigny (1889–1965), German-French scriptwriter and director *

Maurice Cloche Maurice Cloche (17 June 1907, in Commercy, Meuse (department), Meuse – 20 March 1990, in Bordeaux, France) was a French people, French film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer. Best known for his Oscar-winning film ''Monsieur V ...

(1907–1990), movie director * Roger Lévy (1914–2006), Compagnon de la Libération * Élisabeth de Miribel (1915–2005), Française libre *

Dominique Desseigne Dominique Desseigne (born 19 August 1944) is a French businessperson and billionaire. He is the son-in-law of Lucien Barrière and was the chief executive of Groupe Lucien Barrière between 2001 and 2023, before being appointed Honorary Chairm ...

(1944), entrepreneur * Pascal Vigneron (born 23 June 1963), organist, trumpeter, conductor, director of the Toul Bach Festival. * Olivier Bluche (born 6 September 1958), French industrialist, philanthropist, landowner

In fiction

Commercy is the key location for action in the 1964 film '' The Train'' although this did not use the town for filming purposes.

Twin towns

It is twinned with the German town of

Hockenheim Hockenheim () is a town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 20 km south of Mannheim and 10 km west of Walldorf. It is located in the Upper Rhine Plain, Upper Rhine valley on the tourist theme routes "Baden Asparagus Route" ( ...

References

External links

Office de Tourisme du Pays de Commercy
(France)
Office de Tourisme du Pays de Commercy
(European Union) Communes of Meuse (department) Subprefectures in France {{Meuse-geo-stub