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Encyclopedia > Laon
Commune of Laon
Location
Coordinates 49°33′50″N, 03°37′28″E
Administration
Country France
Region Picardie
Department Aisne
(préfecture)
Arrondissement Laon
Canton Chief town of 2 cantons
Intercommunality Communauté de Communes du Laonnois
Mayor Antoine Lefèvre  (UMP)
(2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude 63 m–183 m
(avg. 83 m)
Land area¹ 42.00 km²
Population²
(1999)
26,265
 - Density (1999) 625/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 02408/ 02000
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² 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

Laon is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Aisne département. Population: 26,265. Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including independent states (both those that are internationally recognised and generally unrecognised), inhabited dependent territories and areas of special sovereignty. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... (Region flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Amiens Regional President Claude Gewerc (PS) (since 2004) Departments Aisne Oise Somme Arrondissements 13 Cantons 129 Communes 2,292 Statistics Land area1 19,399 km² Population (Ranked 12th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... Departments (French: départements) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ... Aisne is a département in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River. ... In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a département. ... The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ... The arrondissement of Laon is an arrondissement of France, located in the Aisne département, in the Picardie région. ... The cantons of France are administrative divisions subdividing arrondissements and départements. ... The commune is an administrative division of France. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... The Union for a Popular Movement (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire, UMP), initially named the Union for the Presidential Majority (Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle), is the main French conservative political party. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... This page lists English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations, such as and . ... 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. ... Aisne is a département in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ...

Contents

History

The hilly district of Laon has always had some strategic importance. In the time of Julius Caesar there was a Gallic village where the Remis (inhabitants of the country round Reims) had to meet the onset of the confederated Belgae. Whatever may have been the precise locality of that battlefield, Laon was fortified by the Romans, and successively checked the invasions of the Franks, Burgundians, Vandals, Alans and Huns. At that time it was known as Alaudanum or Lugdunum Clavatum. Gaius Julius Caesar [1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC), often simply referred to as Julius Caesar, was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ... The Remi were a Belgic tribe of north-eastern Gaul in the 1st century BC. They occupied the northern Champagne plain, on the southern fringes of the Forest of Ardennes, between the rivers Mosa (Meuse) and Matrona (Marne), and along the river valleys of the Aisne and its tributaries the... Reims (English traditionally Rheims) (pronounced in French) is a city of northern France, 144 km (89 miles) east-northeast of Paris. ... The Belgae were a group of nations or tribes living in north-eastern Gaul, on the west bank of the Rhine, in the 1st century BC, and later also attested in Britain. ... For other uses, see Franks (disambiguation). ... The Burgundians or Burgundes were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr (the Island of the Burgundians), and from here to mainland Europe. ... The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. ... The Alans, Alani, Alauni or Halani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of varied backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and to a large extent shared a common culture. ... The Huns were a confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads. ...


St Remigius, the archbishop of Reims who baptized Clovis, was born in the Laonnais, and it was he who, at the end of the 5th century, instituted the bishopric of the town. Thenceforward Laon was one of the principal towns of the kingdom of the Franks, and the possession of it was often disputed. Charles the Bald had enriched its church with the gift of very numerous domains. After the fall of the Carolingians Laon took the part of Charles of Lorraine, their heir, and Hugh Capet only succeeded in making himself master of the town by the connivance of the bishop, who, in return for this service, was made second ecclesiastical peer of the kingdom. St Remigius (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. ... In some Christian churches, the diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, sometimes also referred to as a bishopric or episcopal see, though more often the term episcopal see means the office held by the bishop. ... Charles the Bald - Detail from a painting in the First Bible of Charles the Bald, painted ca. ... The Carolingians were a dynasty of rulers that eventually controlled the Frankish realm and its successors from the 8th to the 10th century, officially taking over the kingdom from the Merovingian dynasty in 751. ... -1...


Early in the 12th century the communes of France set about emancipating themselves, and the history of the commune of Laon is one of the richest and most varied. The citizens had profited by a temporary absence of Bishop Gaudry to secure from his representatives a communal charter, but he, on his return, purchased from the king of France the revocation of this document, and recommenced his oppressions. The consequence was a revolt, in which the episcopal palace was burnt and the bishop and several of his partisans were put to death (25 april 1112 . The fire spread to the cathedral, and reduced it to ashes. Uneasy at the result of their victory, the rioters went into hiding outside the town, which was anew pillaged by the people of the neighborhood, eager to avenge the death of their bishop. Events The people of Laon, France, proclaim a commune and murder their bishop Salzwedel, Germany is founded The German state of Baden is founded Afonso I becomes Count of Portugal Otto of Ballenstedt is made Duke of Saxony by Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor Births Deaths October 5 - Sigebert of...

Notre-Dame of Laon.
Notre-Dame of Laon.

The king alternately interfered in favor of the bishop and of the inhabitants till 1239. After that date the liberties of Laon were no more contested till 1331, when the commune was abolished. During the Hundred Years' War it was attacked and taken by the Burgundians, who gave it up to the English, to be retaken by the French after the consecration of Charles VII. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Interior of the cathedral Notre-Dame of Laon is a cathedral located in Laon, France. ... // Events Births June 17 - King Edward I of England (died 1307) December 17 - Kujo Yoritsugu, Japanese shogun (died 1256) Peter III of Aragon (died 1285) John II, Duke of Brittany (died 1305) Ippen, Japanese monk (died 1289) Deaths March 3 - Vladimir III Rurikovich, Grand Prince of Kiev (born 1187) March... Events September 8 - Stefan Dusan declares himself king of Serbia Start of the reign of Emperor Kogon of Japan, first of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Births Coluccio Salutati, Florentine political leader (died 1406) Deaths January 14 - Odoric, Italian explorer October 27 - Abulfeda, Arab historian and geographer (born 1273) Categories: 1331... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainault Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... Charles VII the Victorious, a. ...


Under the League, Laon took the part of the Leaguers, and was taken by Henry IV. During the campaign of 1814 Napoleon tried in vain to dislodge von Blücher from it in the Battle of Laon. Henry IV (French: Henri IV; December 13, 1553 – May 14, 1610), was the first monarch of the Bourbon dynasty in France. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (December 16, 1742 in Rostock (Mecklenburg) - September 12, 1819 in Krieblowitz (Silesia) (now Krobielowice in Poland)), Graf (Count), later elevated to Fürst von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian general who led his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of... The Battle of Laon was fought on March 9 and March 10 of 1814 between the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Prussian army of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. ...


In 1870 an engineer blew up the powder magazine of the citadel at the moment when the German troops were entering the town. Many lives were lost; and the cathedral and the old episcopal palace were damaged. At the Revolution Laon permanently lost its rank as a bishopric. The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on...


Sights

A watercolour depicting Laon by Adolf Hitler
A watercolour depicting Laon by Adolf Hitler

The city contains many medieval buildings. The most important of these is the cathedral Notre-Dame of Laon, dating mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries. The chapter-house and the cloister contain beautiful specimens of the architecture of the beginning of the 13th century. The old episcopal palace, contiguous to the cathedral, is now used as a court-house. The front, flanked by turrets, is pierced by great pointed windows. There is also a Gothic cloister and an old chapel of two storeys, of a date anterior to the cathedral. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (448x604, 103 KB) Summary How could one have known that such an evil person was capable of such exqusite art. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (448x604, 103 KB) Summary How could one have known that such an evil person was capable of such exqusite art. ... Hitler redirects here. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... A cathedral is a religious building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican and some Lutheran churches, which serves as a bishops seat, and thus as the central church of a diocese. ... Interior of the cathedral Notre-Dame of Laon is a cathedral located in Laon, France. ... A chapter house is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. ... Cloister of Saint Trophimus, in Arles, France A cloister (from latin claustrum) is a part of cathedral, monastic and abbey architecture. ... The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ... Corbelled corner turrets at Newark Castle, Port Glasgow. ...


The church of St Martin dates from the middle of the 12th century. The old abbey buildings of the same foundation are now used as the hospital. The museum of Laon had collections of sculpture and painting. In its garden there is a chapel of the Templars belonging to the 12th century. The church of the suburb of Vaux near the railway station dates from the 11th and 12th centuries. This article is about the medieval military order. ...


Transportation

See also A26 autoroute.
The town has the only fully automated municipal cable car system in the world, called the Poma 2000. It links the upper town (the historical center, located on a plateau) with the lower town, has three stations and runs on rubber tyres. In contrast, the San Francisco cable car system is manually operated, and all the other automated cable car systems have restricted operations within airports and hospitals. The A26 is a 394 km (245 mile) long French motorway connecting Calais and Troyes. ... Cable Car in San Francisco A San Francisco cable car A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail cars that are propelled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. ... The Poma 2000 in Laon, France, is a fully automatic cable-driven mini-metro between the railway station and the city hall (1. ... San Francisco Cable Car No. ...


Miscellaneous

Laon was the birthplace of:

Laon is twinned with the city of Winchester in England. Bertrada of Laon, also called Bertha of the Big Foot, (720 - July 12, 783) was a Frankish queen. ... A portrait of Charlemagne by Albrecht Dürer that was painted several centuries after Charlemagnes death. ... Anselm of Laon (died 1117) was a French theologian. ... Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογια, logia, words, sayings, or discourse) is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Father Jacques Marquette (French: Père Jacques Marquette) (June 10, 1637–May 18, 1675) and Louis Jolliet were the first Europeans to see and map the Mississippi River. ... Seal of the Society of Jesus. ... A missionary is traditionally defined as a propagator of religion who works to convert those outside that community; someone who proselytizes. ... Pierre François André Méchain (August 16, 1744 – September 20, 1804) was a French astronomer. ... Winchester is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40,000 within a 3 mile radius of its centre. ...


Laon is featured in the book Pursuit of Passy by D. M. Crook.


External link and reference

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  • (English) Welcome on the site not Official of LAON, Medievale City
  • City council website
  • This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

  Results from FactBites:
 
Laon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (760 words)
Laon is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Aisne département.
Thenceforward Laon was one of the principal towns of the kingdom of the Franks, and the possession of it was often disputed.
After the fall of the Carolingians Laon took the part of Charles of Lorraine, their heir, and Hugh Capet only succeeded in making himself master of the town by the connivance of the bishop, who, in return for this service, was made second ecclesiastical peer of the kingdom.
LAON - LoveToKnow Article on LAON (1130 words)
From the railway station, situated in the plain to the north, a straight staircase of several hundred steps leads to the gate of the town, and all the roads connecting Laon with the surrounding district are cut in zigzags on the steep slopes, which are crowned by promenades on the site of the old ramparts.
Laon is the seat of a prefect and a court of assizes, and possesses a tribunal of first instance, a lyce for boys, a college for girls, a school of agriculture and training colleges.
After the fall of the Carolingians Laon took the part of Charles of Lorraine, their heir, and Hugh Capet only succeeded in makir.g himself master of the town by the connivance of the bishop, who, in return for this service, was made second ecclesiastical peer of the kingdom.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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