Bar-le-Duc (), formerly known as Bar, is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) 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 t ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...

, of which it is the capital. The department is in

Grand Est Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administrat ...

in northeastern France.INSEE commune file for Bar-le-Duc
/ref> The lower, more modern and busier part of the town extends along a narrow valley, shut in by wooded or

vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...

-clad hills, and is traversed throughout its length by the

Ornain The Ornain () is a 116 km long river in northeastern France, right tributary of the Saulx (Seine basin). It is formed near the village Gondrecourt-le-Château by the confluence of the small rivers Ognon and Maldite. It flows generally nort ...

, which is crossed by several bridges. It is limited towards the north-east by the

Marne–Rhine Canal The Canal de la Marne au Rhin (Marne–Rhine Canal) is a canal in north-eastern France. It connects the river Marne and the Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne in Vitry-le-François with the port of Strasbourg on the Rhine. The original objective ...

, on the south-west by a small arm of the Ornain, called the ''Canal des Usines'', on the left bank of which the upper town (''Ville Haute'') is situated. The highly rarefied

Bar-le-duc jelly Bar-le-duc jelly () is a highly regarded preparation of jelly originally composed of select whole seeded currants, typically white currants or red currants. The name ''Bar-le-duc'' refers to the geographical origin of the preparation in the ...

, also known as Lorraine jelly, is a spreadable preparation of

white currant The white currant or whitecurrant is a group of cultivars of the red currant (''Ribes rubrum''), a species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to Europe. It is sometimes mislabelled as '' Ribes glandulosum'',Darina Allen ...

red currant Red currant is a common name for several plants and may refer to: * ''Ribes rubrum'', a shrub native to western Europe and widely cultivated * ''Ribes sanguineum ''Ribes sanguineum'', the flowering currant, redflower currant, red-flowering curra ...

fruit preserves Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the method ...

, hailing from this town. First referenced in the historical record in 1344, it is also colloquially referred to as "Bar caviar".

History

Bar-le-Duc was at one time the seat of the county, from 1354 the

Duchy of Bar The County of Bar, later Duchy of Bar, was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire encompassing the '' pays de Barrois'' and centred on the city of Bar-le-Duc. It was held by the House of Montbéliard from the 11th century. Part of the county, t ...

. Though probably of ancient origin, the town was unimportant until the 10th century when it was fortified by

Frederick I of Upper Lorraine Frederick I (c. 912 – 18 May 978) was the count of Bar and duke of Upper Lorraine. He was a son of Wigeric, count of Bidgau, also count palatine of Lorraine, and Cunigunda, and thus a sixth-generation descendant of Charlemagne. In 954, he ma ...

. Bar was an independent duchy from 1354 to 1480, when it was acquired by

Duchy of Lorraine The Duchy of Lorraine (french: Lorraine ; german: Lothringen ), originally Upper Lorraine, was a duchy now included in the larger present-day region of Lorraine in northeastern France. Its capital was Nancy. It was founded in 959 following t ...

. The ''Ville Haute'', which is reached by staircases and steep narrow thoroughfares, is intersected by a long, quiet street, bordered by houses of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. In this quarter are the remains (16th-century) of the château of the

dukes of Bar Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

, dismantled in 1670, the old clock-tower, and the college, built in the latter half of the 16th century. Its church of Saint-Étienne (constructed during the 14th and 15th centuries) contains the Cadaver Tomb of René of Chalon, a skillfully carved effigy in white stone of a half-decayed corpse. It was erected to the memory of

René of Châlon René (''born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name ( Renée being the feminin ...

(died 1544), and is the work of 16th-century artist

Ligier Richier Ligier Richier (c. 1500–1567) was a French sculptor active in Saint-Mihiel in north-eastern France. Richier primarily worked in the churches of his native Saint-Mihiel and from 1530 he enjoyed the protection of Duke Antoine of Lorraine, for w ...

, a pupil of

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

. The lower town contains the official buildings and the churches of Notre-Dame, the most ancient in the town, and St. Antony, with 14th-century frescoes. Among the statues of distinguished natives of the town is one of

Nicolas Oudinot Nicolas Charles Oudinot, 1st Count Oudinot, 1st Duke of Reggio (25 April 1767 in Bar-le-Duc – 13 September 1847 in Paris), was a Marshal of the Empire. He is known to have been wounded 34 times in battle, being hit by artillery shells, sabers, ...

, whose house serves as the '' hôtel-de-ville''. Other sights include the Notre-Dame Bridge, with five arches surmounted by a chapel in the middle. Bar-le-Duc served as the assembly point for essential supplies going to the besieged city of

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

during the

Battle of Verdun The Battle of Verdun (french: Bataille de Verdun ; german: Schlacht um Verdun ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...

in 1916. Thousands of trucks, carrying men, equipment and food, traveled north, around the clock, on the road linking Bar-le-Duc to Verdun. The route was given the name

Voie Sacrée The Voie Sacrée ("Sacred Way") is a road that connects Bar-le-Duc to Verdun (Meuse), France. It was given its name because of the vital role it played during the Battle of Verdun in World War I. Use during WWI After March 1916, along the of ...

, which translates to Sacred Way, by the writer and politician Maurice Barres in April 1916, a reference to the ancient Roman ''

Sacra Via The Via Sacra (, "''Sacred Street''") was the main street of ancient Rome, leading from the top of the Capitoline Hill, through some of the most important religious sites of the Forum (where it is the widest street), to the Colosseum. The road ...

'', leading to triumph.

Population

Notable residents

Bar-le-Duc was the birthplace of: * Jean de Lorraine (1498–1550), Cardinal de Lorraine, Bishop of Metz, Archbishop of Narbonne *

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

(1515–1560), queen consort of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and mother of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

Francis, Duke of Guise Francis de Lorraine II, the first Prince of Joinville, also Duke of Guise and Duke of Aumale (french: François de Lorraine; 17 February 1519 – 24 February 1563), was a French general and statesman. A prominent leader during the Italian War of ...

(1519–1563), soldier and politician *

Louis Joblot Louis Joblot (9 August 1645 – 27 April 1723) was a French naturalist. He was born in Bar-le-Duc and died, aged 57, in Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents ...

(1645–1723), mathematician and microscopist *

(1767–1847),

marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1 ...

Jean-Joseph Regnault-Warin Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Junbient Philadelphe Regnault-Warin (28 December 1773, Bar-le-Duc – 4 November 1844, Paris) was an 18th–19th-century French novelist, playwright and pamphleteer Pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or ...

(1773–1844), writer, pamphleteer *

Rémi Joseph Isidore Exelmans The Remi were an ancient Belgic tribe. Remi may also refer to: People * Georges Prosper Remi (1907–1983), a Belgian comic book writer and artist, best known for his comic ''The Adventures of Tintin'', better known as "Hergé" * Jose Vega San ...

(1775–1852),

Pierre Michaux Pierre Michaux (June 25, 1813 – 1883) was a blacksmith who furnished parts for the carriage trade in Paris during the 1850s and 1860s. He may have become the inventor of the bicycle when he added pedals to a draisine to form the Michaudin ...

(1813–1883) inventor *

Edmond Laguerre Edmond Nicolas Laguerre (9 April 1834, Bar-le-Duc – 14 August 1886, Bar-le-Duc) was a French mathematician and a member of the Académie des sciences (1885). His main works were in the areas of geometry and complex analysis. He also investigate ...

(1834–1886), mathematician * Albert Cim (1845–1924), novelist, literary critic and bibliographer *

Job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...

(1858–1931), illustrator *

Raymond Poincaré Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (, ; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. Trained in law, Poincaré was elected deputy in 1 ...

(1860–1934), statesman *

Pierre de Bréville Pierre Eugène Onfroy de Bréville (21 February 1861 – 24 September 1949) was a French composer. Biography Pierre de Bréville was born in Bar-le-Duc, Meuse (department), Meuse. Following the wishes of his parents, he studied law with the goal ...

(1861–1944), composer *

Pierre Camonin Pierre Camonin (25 February 1903 – 14 November 2003) was a French organist, composer and improviser. Biography Born in Bar-le-Duc, Camonin was a student of Marcel Ciampi for the piano at the conservatoire de Paris. He studied pipe organ wit ...

(1903–2003), canon and organist *

Jean Dries Jean Dries was the name used by the artist Jean Driesbach, who was born on October 19, 1905, in Bar-le-Duc in Meuse, France and died in Paris on February 26, 1973. He was a Lorrain painter by birth and was born the year Fauvism appeared at the Sa ...

(1905–1973), painter * Michel Bernard (born 1958), writer and senior official * Benjamin Compaoré (1987–), athlete *

Anaïs Delva Anaïs Delva (; born 15 May 1986) is a French singer and actress. She is mainly known for portraying the role of Lucy Westenra in the French stage musical '' Dracula, l'amour plus fort que la mort'' and for providing Disney's character Elsa, fro ...

(born 1986), singer and actress Other notable residents were: *

Jean-François Jacqueminot Jean François Jacqueminot, viscount of Ham (23 May 1787 – 3 March 1865) was a French general and political leader. He was born at Nancy, studied at the École Militaire, entered the army in 1803, and distinguished himself at the battles of A ...

(1787–1865), who established a great silk factory *

Ernest Bradfer Jean-Baptiste Christophe Ernest Bradfer (29 March 1833 – 9 June 1882) was a French iron master and politician who was active in local politics in Bar-le-Duc, Meuse. Life Ernest Bradfer was born in Nantois on 29 March 1833. His father was Jean- ...

(1833–1882), who established a major iron works in the town.

Gallery

Bar-le-Duc Place Saint-Pierre.jpg, Saint-Étienne Church and the court house (right) on the Saint-Pierre Square in Bar-le-Duc Pont Notre-Dame, Bar-le-Duc 01 09.jpg, Notre-Dame Bridge over the

Statue d'Ernest Bradfer.JPG, Statue of

(1833–1882)

Twin cities

Bar-le-Duc is twinned with: *

Tambov Tambov (, ; rus, Тамбов, p=tɐmˈbof) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Central Federal District, central Russia, at the confluence of the Tsna River (Moksha basin), Tsna and ...

, Russia * Griesheim, Germany, since 1978. *

Wilkau-Haßlau Wilkau-Haßlau is a town in the Zwickau district, in Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; h ...

, Germany, since 1994. *

Gyönk Gyönk (german: Jink) is a village in Tolna County, Hungary. History Gyönk was mentioned for the first time in 1280, but the neighborhood (and Gyönk) was already a populated area by then. The village was inhabited by Turks for some time, and by ...

, Hungary, since 1995.

References

External links

Official Bar-le-Duc website

Barleduc55.net: photos of Bar-le-Duc
{{Authority control Communes of Meuse (department) Prefectures in France Duchy of Bar