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Encyclopedia > Arras
Commune of Arras

Petite Place in Arras
Location
Longitude 02° 46' 51" E
Latitude 50° 17' 23" N
Administration
Country France
Région Nord-Pas de Calais
Département Pas-de-Calais (préfecture)
Arrondissement Arras
Canton Chief town of 3 cantons
Intercommunality Communauté urbaine d'Arras
Mayor Jean-Marie Vanlerenberghe
(2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude 52 m–99 m
(avg. 72 m)
Land area¹ 11.63 km²
Population²
(1999)
40,590
 - Density (1999) 3,490/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 62041/ 62000
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).
France

Arras (Dutch: Atrecht) is a town and commune in northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pas-de-Calais département. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is nonetheless characterized as a Picarde dialect. Unlike many French words, the final "s" in the name should be pronounced. Image File history File links Arras_Petite_place. ... Longitude, sometimes denoted by the Greek letter λ, describes the location of a place on Earth east or west of a north-south line called the Prime Meridian. ... Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter φ, gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the Equator. ... This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including both internationally recognized and generally unrecognized independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... {{ Haute-Normandie ... Capital Lille Area 12,414 km² Regional President Daniel Percheron (PS) (since 2001) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 4th) 4,026,000 3,996,588 324/km² (2004) Arrondissements 13 Cantons 156 Communes 1,546 Départements Nord Pas-de-Calais Nord-Pas de Calais is one of... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to British counties. ... Pas-de-Calais is a département in northern France named after the strait which it borders. ... In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a département. ... The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ... The arrondissement of Arras is an arrondissement of France, located in the Pas-de-Calais département, of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais région. ... The canton is an administrative division of France. ... The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ... now. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... INSEE is the French abbreviation for the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (French: Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques). ... Postal codes were introduced in France in 1972, when La Poste introduced automated sorting. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ... In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a département. ... Pas-de-Calais is a département in northern France named after the strait which it borders. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ... Picard is a language closely related to French, and as such is one of the larger group of Romance languages. ...

The position of Arras
Enlarge
The position of Arras

Contents

Image File history File links Arras-Position. ... Image File history File links Arras-Position. ...

History

Originally settled by the Celtic tribe of the Atrebates, it later became a Roman garrison town known as Atrebatum. A Celtic cross. ... The Atrebates (meaning settlers) were a Belgic tribe of Gaul and Britain before the Roman conquests. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...


It is located in the former Dutch and French province of Artois. For many centuries, Arras was on the border between France and the Low Countries and it frequently changed hands before firmly becoming French in the late 17th century, the fortifications upgraded by Vauban helping keep it in French hands. The town was closely linked to the trade of Flanders and later became an important centre for sugar beet farming and processing as well as a prosperous market centre. The Kingdom of France was organized into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. ... Artois is a former province of northern France. ... The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban (May 15, 1633 - March 30, 1707), commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for both his skill to design fortifications and to break through them. ... Flanders (Dutch: ) has several main meanings: the social, cultural and linguistical, scientific and educational, economical and political community of the Flemings; some prefer to call this the Flemish community (others refer to this as the Flemish nation) which is, with over 6 million inhabitants, the majority of all Belgians; a... Two sugar beets - the one on the left has been cultivated to be smoother than the traditional beet, so that it traps less soil. ...


The Union of Atrecht (the Dutch name for Arras) was signed here in January 1579 by the Catholic principalities of the Low Countries that remained loyal to king Philip II of Habsburg; it provoked the declaration of the Union of Utrecht later the same month. Map of the Spanish Netherlands, the Union of Utrecht and the Union of Arras (1579) The Union of Atrecht (French: Arras) was an accord signed on January 6, 1579 in Atrecht (Arras), under which the southern states of the Spanish Netherlands, today in Wallonia and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais... Events January 6 - The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. ... The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Philip II of Spain. ... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy; also used as the flag of the Austrian Empire until the Ausgleich of 1867. ... The Union of Utrecht (Dutch: Unie van Utrecht) is a treaty signed on January 23, 1579 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under control of Spain. ...

The Town Square, Arras. February, 1919
The Town Square, Arras. February, 1919

During the First World War, Arras was near the front and a long series of battles fought nearby are known as the Battle of Arras in which a series of medieval tunnels beneath the city, unknown to the Germans, became a decisive factor in the French holding the city. The city, however, was heavily damaged and had to be rebuilt after the war. In the Second World War the town was occupied by the Germans and 240 suspected French Resistance members were executed in the Arras citadel. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1431x400, 162 KB)The Town Square, Arras, France. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1431x400, 162 KB)The Town Square, Arras, France. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul... The Battle of Arras took place from 9 April to 16 May 1917. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Bold textItalic textLink title // Headline text Headline text Headline text == The cross of Lorraine used by the French Resistance as a symbolic reference to Joan of Arc. ...


Ecclesiastical history

Bishopric of Arras (Atrebatum)

The diocese comprises the Department of Pas-de-Calais. On the occasion of the Napoleonic Concordat, the three Dioceses of Arras, Saint-Omer and Boulogne were united to make the one Diocese of Arras. It was a suffragan of the Archbishopric of Paris from 1802 to 1841, in which year Cambrai again became an archdiocese and Arras returned to it as suffragan. Pas-de-Calais is a département in northern France named after the strait which it borders. ... The Concordat of 1801 reaffirmed the Catholic Church as the major religion of France and restored some of its civil status. ... Saint-Omer, a town and commune of Artois in northern France, sous-préfecture of the Pas-de-Calais département, 42 miles west-north-west of Lille on the railway to Calais. ... Boulogne is the name of several communes in France: Boulogne in the Vendée département Boulogne-Billancourt, in the Hauts-de-Seine département Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the Pas_de_Calais département This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... A bishop is an ordained person who holds a specific position of authority in any of a number of Christian churches. ... The archbishop of Paris is one of twenty-three archbishops in France. ... Cambrai (Dutch: Kamerijk) is a French city and commune, in the Nord département, of which it is a sous_préfecture. ...


At the beginning of the sixth century St. Remi (Remigius), Archbishop of Reims, placed in the See of Arras St. Vedastus (St. Vaast) (d. c. 540), who had been the teacher of the Merovingian king Clovis after the victory of Tolbiac. His successors, Dominicus and Vedulphus, are also both venerated as saints. After the death of the latter, the See of Arras was transferred to Cambrai, and it was not until 1093 that Arras again became a diocese. The ordination of Saint Vedast Saint Vedast or Vedastus, also known as Saint Vaast or Saint Waast (in Dutch), (died c. ... Clovis may refer to the following: The personal name of Germanic origin that primarily saw use in Europe before the year 1000 AD. Several locales and persons of historical importance have borne this name. ... Zülpich is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany between Aachen and Bonn. ...


Among the bishops of Arras are Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, Councillor of the emperor Charles V, Bishop of Arras from 1545 to 1562, later Archbishop of Malines and Viceroy of Naples; François Richardot, a celebrated preacher, Bishop of Arras from 1562 to 1575; Monseigneur Parisis (d. 1866), who figured prominently in the political assemblies of 1848. Granvelle, portrait by Antonio Moro (1549) Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (August 20, 1517 _ September 21, 1586) was one of the most influential of the church leaders during the time which immediately followed the appearance of Protestantism in Europe. ... Charles (February 24, 1500 – September 21, 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor (as Charles V) from 1519-1558; he was also King of Spain from 1516-1556, officially as Charles I of Spain, although often referred to as Charles V (Carlos Quinto or Carlos V) in Spain and Latin America. ... Mechelen-Brussel is the Dutch name of the only archbishopric in Belgium, and its ecclesiastical province that coincides with the country. ... A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ...


Two famous relics were long greatly venerated at Arras: the "sacred manna", said to have fallen from heaven in 371 during a severe famine, and the "holy candle", a wax taper said to have been given to Bishop Lambert in 1105 by the Blessed Virgin, to stop an epidemic. Not far from Arras, the city of Saint-Omer, a diocese till the Revolution, perpetuates the memory of St. Audomare, or Omer, Bishop of Thérouanne, the apostle of the Morini in the sixth century. Its cathedral, a Gothic monument of the fourteenth century, was built over the saint's tomb. The ruins of St. Vaast at Arras, and of St. Bertin at Saint-Omer, keep alive the memory of two celebrated abbeys of the same name; the Abbey of St. Bertin (founded in the seventh century) gave twenty-two saints to the Church. Manna (sometimes or archaically spelled mana) is the name of the food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus. ... Saint Audomare (d. ... Thérouanne is a commune of northern France. ... Morini was a tribe of gauls-page not finished Categories: Articles to be expanded | Gauls ...


The Diocese of Arras at the end of 1905 contained 955,391 inhabitants, 52 parishes, 690 churches of the second class, and 53 vicariates formerly with state subventions.


Councils of Arras

In 1025 a council was held at Arras against certain Manichaean (dualistic) heretics who rejected the sacraments of the Church. The Catholic Faith in the Blessed Eucharist was proclaimed with special insistence. Manichaeism was one of the major ancient religions. ...


In 1097, two councils, presided over by Lambert of Arras, dealt with questions concerning monasteries and persons consecrated to God.


Sights

The town hall
The town hall

The centre of the town is marked by two large squares. The Grande Place and the Place des Heros. These are surrounded by buildings restored to the pre-war conditions. Most notable are the gothic town hall (rebuilt in concrete on a slightly less ambitious scale after the war) and the cathedral. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (640x640, 65 KB) Modifications: image cropped, obstruction removed File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Arras ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (640x640, 65 KB) Modifications: image cropped, obstruction removed File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Arras ... See also Gothic art. ... A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Anglican, Catholic and some Lutheran churches, which serves as the central church of a diocese, and thus as a bishops seat. ...


The old cathedral of Arras, constructed between 1030 and 1396, and dedicated to St. Vaast, was one of the most beautiful Gothic structures in northern France. It was destroyed in the Revolution.


The current Cathedral is on the site of the old gothic Abbey. This was dismantled in the early eigtheenth century to follow the vogue in more classical structures. The design, was chosen, it would appear, to save money by the Abbot de St. Vaast, the Cardinal de Rohan, (he of "the affair of the necklace" fame) and is one of the dullest churches ever built, though the statues inside it are worth a look. The Church houses a number of relics among which are the relics of Thomas a Becket! Vimy Memorial is a memorial just north of the town honouring a major WW I Canadian battle. The Canadian National Vimy Memorial Vimy Memorial The mourning mother (Canada) The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is one of Canadas most important overseas war memorials to those who served their country in World War I and risked or gave their lives during the war. ...


Transport

Arras is served by the LGV Nord high speed railway. The LGV Nord is a French 333 km-long high speed rail line that connects Paris to the Belgian border and the Channel Tunnel via Lille; it opened in 1993. ...


Miscellaneous

In literature

Arras is a setting in several famous works of French literature:

Statue dedicated to Edmond Rostand in Cambo-les-Bains Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (April 1, 1868 - December 2, 1918), French poet and dramatist. ... Cyrano de Bergerac is a play by Edmond Rostand based on the life of the real Cyrano de Bergerac. ... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Victor-Marie Hugo (26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, visual artist, statesman and human rights campaigner, recognized as the most influential Realist writer of the 19th century. ... Les Misérables (translated variously from French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Victims) (1862) is a novel by French author Victor Hugo. ... Sculpture of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the little prince in Lyon Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (June 29, 1900 – July 31, 1944) was a French writer and aviator. ... Flight to Arras (French: Pilote de Guerre) is a book by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. ...

Births

Arras was the birthplace of:

Audefroi le Bâtard, French trouvère, flourished at the end of the 12th century and was born at Arras. ... Trouvère is the Northern French (langue doïl) version of troubador (langue doc), and refers to poet-composers who were roughly contemporary with and influenced by the troubadors but who composed their works in the northern dialects of France. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Adam de la Halle (also known as Adam le Bossu (Adam the Hunchback) 1237?-1288) was a French-born trouvère, poet and musician, who broke with the long-established tradition of writing liturgical poetry and music to be an early founder of secular theater in France. ... // Events Thomas II of Savoy becomes count of Flanders. ... Events February 22 - Nicholas IV becomes Pope. ... Trouvère is the Northern French (langue doïl) version of troubador (langue doc), and refers to poet-composers who were roughly contemporary with and influenced by the troubadors but who composed their works in the northern dialects of France. ... A poet is someone who writes poetry. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... Matthias of Arras (1290? Arras - 1352 Prague), sometimes spelled as Matthew of Arras, was a French architect, famed for his work on Saint Vitus Cathedral in Prague. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Events June 4 - Glarus joins the Swiss Confederation. ... St. ... Prague (Czech: Praha (IPA: ), see also other names) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ... Antoine de Févin (c. ... Events May 15 - Charles VIII of Sweden who had served three terms as King of Sweden dies. ... 1511 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1512 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Renaissance music is European classical music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 to 1600. ... Nymphaea from Rariorum plantarum historia Charles de lÉcluse, LEscluse, or Carolus Clusius (Arras, February 19, 1526 - Leiden April 4, 1609), seigneur de Watènes, was the Flemish doctor and pioneering botanist, perhaps the most influential of all 16th century scientific horticulturists. ... Events January 14 - Treaty of Madrid. ... // Events April 4 – King of Spain signs an edit of expulsion of all moriscos from Spain April 9 – Spain recognizes Dutch independence May 23 - Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia. ... Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Anonymous Portrait of Maximilien Robespierre c. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The French Revolution (1789–1799/1804) was a vital period in the history of French, European and Western civilization. ... Joseph le Bon (29 September 1765 - 10 October 1795) was a French politician. ... 1765 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Eugène François Vidocq (July 23, 1775 – May 11, 1857) was a French criminal who later became a first director of Sûreté Nationale and one of the founders of the modern criminal investigation. ... ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Gabriel Hanot was a French journalist (the editor of LÉquipe) who came up with the idea of having a Europe-wide football club competition. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... LEquipe logo LÉquipe (French for the team) is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports. ... Violette Leduc (April 7, 1907 - May 28, 1972), French author, was born in Arras, Pas de Calais, France, the illegitimate daughter of a servant girl, Berthe. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Jean-Christophe Novelli (born 22 February 1961) is a French celebrity chef who works in England. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ...

See also

The Battle of Arras is the name of a number of battles near the town of Arras in Artois, France: Battle of Arras (1654) Battle of Arras (1917) - British offensive during the First World War. ... St. ...

Sources and external links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Arras

  Results from FactBites:
 
Arras - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (542 words)
Arras (Dutch: Atrecht) is a town and commune in northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pas-de-Calais département.
For many centuries, Arras was on the border between France and the Netherlands and it frequently changed hands before firmly becoming French in the late 17th century, the fortifications upgraded by Vauban helping keep it in French hands.
During the First World War, Arras was near the front and a long series of battles fought nearby are known as the Battle of Arras in which a series of medieval tunnels beneath the city, unknown to the Germans, became a decisive factor in the French holding the city.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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