Doullens (; pcd, Dourlin; former nl, Dorland) is a commune in the
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), a ...
Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''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. The ...
,
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 ar ...
.
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
. Doullens is practically mid-way on the intersection of these axes :
*
Abbeville
Abbeville (, vls, Abbekerke, pcd, Advile) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
It is the chef-lieu of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital o ...
-
Arras
Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) 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 ...
*
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
Bapaume
Bapaume (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.
The inhabitants of this commune are known as ''Bapalmois'' or ''Bapalmoises''.
Geography
Bapaume is a far ...
* Doullens, the ancient ''Dulincum'', was seat of a viscountship under the counts of Vermandois then of Ponthieu (Hare) and an important stronghold in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
.
* 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" (french: le 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 revol ...
for openly siding with the
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsbu ...
. 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 Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
*Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
were signed in a room in the town hall. A link to those orders can be found in the May 22, 1928 edition of 'The Times' of London, foun here
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 (Hare).
* Notre-Dame church.
* An early 17th century brick belfry. In 2005, the belfry was inscribed on the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
World Heritage List
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 h ...
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 a World Heritage Site, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of emerging civic ind ...
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.
Town motto
''Infinita decus lilia mihi prestant''
Population
Notable residents
*The artist
Édouard Traviès
Édouard Traviès de Villers (24 March 1809 – 18 November 1876) was a French watercolourist, lithographer and illustrator. He regularly exhibited works at the Paris Salon
The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Par ...
Summer Carnival
The Summer Carnaval (Dutch: Zomercarnaval) is an annual event the Dutch city Rotterdam. It mimics the Carnaval of Latin America and the Dutch Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao). The Summer Carnival offers people an opportunity to celebrate Car ...
in Doullens (2009)
See also
*
Communes of the Somme department
The following is a list of the 772 communes of the Somme department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):Augustus Hare, ''North-eastern France'' 1896:76.