Somme __NOTOC__
Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places
*Somme (department), a department of France
* Somme, Queensland, Australia
* Canal de la Somme, a canal in France
*Somme (river), a river in France
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Somme'' (book), ...
Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France (; ; ), also referred to in English as Upper France, is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Its inhabitants are called ''Doullennais'' and ''Doullennaises''.
Geography
Doullens is situated on the N25 road, in the northern part of the department, straddling the river Authie, the border with the
Pas-de-Calais
The Pas-de-Calais (, ' strait of Calais'; ; ) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of France, with 890, and is the ...
. Doullens is practically mid-way on the intersection of these axes :
*
Abbeville
Abbeville (; ; ) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
It is the of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of Ponthieu.
Geography
Location
A ...
-
Arras
Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...
*
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...
Bapaume
Bapaume (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region of northern France.
Geography
Bapaume is a farming and light indus ...
*
Auxi-le-Château
Auxi-le-Château (; ) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.
Geography
A farming town located 28 miles (45 km) west south west of Arras at the junction of the D938, D933 and D941 roads. The Authie river flows th ...
* Doullens, the ancient ''Dulincum'', was seat of a viscountship under the counts of Vermandois then of Ponthieu and an important stronghold in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
.
* In 1225, the town became part of France.
* In 1475 it was burnt by
Louis XI
Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...
for openly siding with the
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...
. It received its name ''Doullens-le-Hardi'' from its gallant defense in 1523 against the Anglo-Burgundian army.
* In 1595 it was besieged and occupied by the Spaniards, who massacred the entire population. It was restored to France by the Peace of Vervins (1598).
* On 26 March 1918, orders giving General Foch overall command of the allied forces on the western front were signed at the Doullens Conference in the Hôtel de Ville (town hall). The orders were subsequently published in ''The Times'' of London.
Sites and monuments
Sites and monuments include:
* the ruins of Saint-Pierre, partly of the 13th century, used as a barn in the nineteenth century.
* Notre-Dame church.
* An early 17th century brick
belfry
The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...
. In 2005, the belfry was inscribed on the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage List
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
as part of the
Belfries of Belgium and France
The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) Belfry (architecture), belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of ...
site, because of its architecture and historical testimony to the rise of municipal power in the area.
* the citadel, possibly built by Vauban or Jean Errard, which has often served as a state prison, and later, a reformatory for girls.
Summer Carnival
The Summer Carnaval (Dutch language, Dutch: Zomercarnaval) is an annual event in the Dutch city Rotterdam. It mimics the Carnival, Carnaval of Latin America and the Dutch Caribbean, Dutch Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao). The Summer Carnival ...