Bar-le-Duc (), formerly known as Bar, is a commune 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 It superseded three former administrat ...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, 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 Fr ...

, 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, 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. Though probably of ancient origin, the town was unimportant until the 10th century when it was fortified by Frederick I of Upper Lorraine. Bar was an independent duchy from 1354 to 1480, when it was acquired by Duchy of Lorraine. 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, 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 The Cadaver Tomb of René of Chalon (french: Transi de René de Chalon, also known as the Memorial to the Heart of René de Chalon or ''The Skeleton'') is a Gothic art, late Gothic period Funerary art, funerary monument, known as a ''Cadaver mon ...

, 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 feminine ...

(died 1544), and is the work of 16th-century artist Ligier Richier, 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 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 Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...

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 Jean de Lorraine (9 April 1498 – c. 18 May 1550) was the third son of the ruling Duke of Lorraine, and a French cardinal, who was (at one time or another) archbishop of Reims (1532–1538), Lyon (1537–1539), and Narbonne (1524–1550), bishop ...

(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 resident ...

(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 Sant ...

(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 (1834–1886), mathematician *

Albert Cim Albert-Antoine Cimochowski, called Albert Cim, (22 October 1845 – 8 May 1924) was a French novelist, literary critic and bibliographer. Biography Born to a French mother and a Polish officer who fled to France after the 1830 November Uprisin ...

(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 (1903–2003), canon and organist * Jean Dries (1905–1973), painter * Michel Bernard (born 1958), writer and senior official *

Benjamin Compaoré Benjamin Compaoré (born 5 August 1987) is a French athlete specialising in the triple jump. He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Compaoré won the gold medal at the 2014 European Championships and the bronz ...

(1987–), athlete * Anaïs Delva (born 1986), singer and actress Other notable residents were: * Jean-François Jacqueminot (1787–1865), who established a great silk factory * Ernest Bradfer (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 Ornain Statue d'Ernest Bradfer.JPG, Statue of Ernest Bradfer (1833–1882)

Twin cities

Bar-le-Duc is twinned with: * Tambov, 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