Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in
Northern France. It is a
sub-prefecture of the
department of
Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the
Côte d'Opale
The Opal Coast ( ; ) is a coastal region in northern France on the English Channel, popular with tourists.
Geography
The ''Côte d'Opale'' is a coastal region in northeastern France, in the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. It extends ...
, a touristic stretch of French coast on the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
between Calais and Normandy, and the most visited location in the region after the
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...
conurbation. Boulogne is its department's second-largest city after
Calais, and the 183rd-largest in France.
[Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017]
INSEE It is also the country's largest fishing port, specialising in
herring.
Boulogne is an ancient town and was the main
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
port for trade and communication with its
Province of Britain. After a period of Germanic presence following the collapse of the Empire, Boulogne was integrated into the
County of Boulogne
The County of Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France during the 9th to 15th centuries, centred on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was ruled by the counts of Flanders in the 10th century, but a separate House of Boulogne emerged duri ...
of the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...
during 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 ...
. It was occupied by the
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various History of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, ...
numerous times due to conflict between the two nations. In 1805 it was a staging area for
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's troops for several months during his
planned invasion of the United Kingdom.
The city's 12th-century belfry is recognised by
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. It ...
as a
World Heritage Site
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 ...
(along with other
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 indep ...
),
while another popular attraction is the marine conservation centre
Nausicaa.
Name
The
French name ''Boulogne'' derives from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''Bononia'', which was also the Roman name for
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
in Italy. Both places – and
Vindobona
Vindobona (from Gaulish ''windo-'' "white" and ''bona'' "base/bottom") was a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. The settlement area took on a new name in the 13th century, being changed to Berghof, or now si ...
(
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
) – are thought to have derived from native
Celtic placenames
Celtic toponymy is the study of place names wholly or partially of Celtic origin. These names are found throughout continental Europe, Britain, Ireland, Anatolia and, latterly, through various other parts of the globe not originally occupied by C ...
, with ''bona'' possibly meaning "foundation", "citadel", or "granary". The French epithet ''-
Mer'' ("on-the-sea") distinguishes the city from
Boulogne-Billancourt on the edge of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. In turn, the ''Boulogne'' in Boulogne-Billancourt originates from a church there dedicated to
Notre-Dame de Boulogne, "
Our Lady of Boulogne
sur-Mer.
History
Origin of the city
The foundation of the city known to the Romans as Gesoriacum is credited to the
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
Boii
The Boii (Latin plural, singular ''Boius''; grc, Βόιοι) were a Celtic tribe of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul ( Northern Italy), Pannonia (Hungary), parts of Bavaria, in and around Bohemia (after whom ...
. In the past, it was sometimes conflated with
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
's
Portus Itius
Itius Portus or Portus Itius was the ancient Roman name for a sea port on the English Channel in what is now Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, though its precise location is unknown. The main candidates have been Wissant and Boulogne (more usually called ...
, but that is now thought to have been a site near
Calais which has since silted up. A tall lighthouse was built at Gesoriacum circa 39 AD by order of the Emperor
Caligula, possibly in preparation for an invasion of Britain. Known as the Tour d'Ordre, coastal erosion caused it to topple into the sea in 1644.
![La Tour d'Odre en 1550, Boulogne-sur-Mer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/La_Tour_d%27Odre_en_1550%2C_Boulogne-sur-Mer..jpg)
From the time of
Claudius's
invasion
An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity aggressively enter territory (country subdivision), territory owned by another such entity, gen ...
in AD 43, Gesoriacum formed the major port connecting the rest of the empire to
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
. It was the chief base of the
Roman navy's
Britannic fleet until the
rebellion of its admiral
Carausius in 286. As part of the imperial response, the
junior emperor Constantius Chlorus
Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 ...
successfully besieged it by land and sea in 293.
The name of the settlement was changed to Bononia at some point between the sack of Gesoriacum and 310, possibly as a consequence of its refounding or possibly by the replacement of the sacked and lower-lying city by another nearby community.
The city was an important town of the
Morini
The Morini (Gaulish: "sea folk, sailors") were a Belgic coastal tribe dwelling in the modern Pas de Calais region, around present-day Boulogne-sur-Mer, during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Morini'' by Caesar ( ...
(the 'sea people'), and
Zosimus Zosimus, Zosimos, Zosima or Zosimas may refer to:
People
*
* Rufus and Zosimus (died 107), Christian saints
* Zosimus (martyr) (died 110), Christian martyr who was executed in Umbria, Italy
* Zosimos of Panopolis, also known as ''Zosimus Alchem ...
called it ''Germanorum'' ("Germanic-speaking") at the end of the 4th century.
Middle Ages
![Eustache de Boulogne-Bayeux](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Eustache_de_Boulogne-Bayeux.png)
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 ...
Boulogne was the capital of an
eponymous county, founded in the mid-9th century. An important Count,
Eustace II, assisted
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
in his conquest of England. His wife founded the city's
Notre Dame cathedral, which became a site of pilgrimage from the 12th century onwards, attended by fourteen French kings and five of England. It was an important whaling center prior to 1121. The city survived on herring fishing and received its municipal charter from Count
Renaud of Dammartin
Renaud de Dammartin (Reginald of Boulogne) (c. 1165 – 1227) was Count of Boulogne from 1190, Count of Dammartin from 1200 to 1214 and Count of Aumale from 1204 to 1214. He was son of Alberic III of Dammartin and Mathilde of Clermont.
B ...
in 1203.
The area was fought over by the French and the English, including several English occupations during the course of the
Hundred Years War. In 1492
Henry VII laid
siege to Boulogne before the conflict was ended by the
Peace of Étaples
The Peace of Étaples was signed on 3 November 1492 in Étaples between Charles VIII of France and Henry VII of England. Charles agreed to end his support for the Yorkist Pretender Perkin Warbeck, in return for being recognised as ruler of the D ...
.
Boulogne was again occupied by the English from 1544 to 1550. In 1550, The
Peace of Boulogne ended the war of England with Scotland and France. France bought back Boulogne for 400,000 crowns. A culture of smuggling was present in the city until 1659, when French gains in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
from the
Treaty of the Pyrenees
The Treaty of the Pyrenees (french: Traité des Pyrénées; es, Tratado de los Pirineos; ca, Tractat dels Pirineus) was signed on 7 November 1659 on Pheasant Island, and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635.
Negotiations were ...
moved the border northwards.
Napoleonic period
![Boulogne Colonne 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Boulogne_Colonne_01.JPG)
Boulogne received its current status as a
subprefecture
A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.
Albania
There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...
of the
Pas-de-Calais department in 1800 due to the territorial re-organisation in Revolutionary France. Three years later, it was given the title of an Imperial City ''(Ville Impériale)''.
The 19th century was a prosperous one for Boulogne, which became a bathing resort for wealthy Parisians after the completion of a railway line to the French capital.
In the 19th century, the
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Boulogne was reconstructed by the
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
Benoît Haffreingue, who claimed to have received a call from God to reconstruct the town's ruined
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
. During the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, Napoleon amassed
La Grande Armée
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
in Boulogne to invade the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in 1805. However, his plans were halted by other European matters and the supremacy of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
.
A nephew of Bonaparte, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, later
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
, returned to France in secret from his exile in Britain, passing through Boulogne in August 1840. He was later jailed for trying to lead a revolt in
Strasbourg.
World wars
![Memorabilia relating to H](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Memorabilia_relating_to_H.G._Bagster%2C_item_2.jpg)
During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, this was the entrepôt for the first unit of the
British Expeditionary Force to land in France and for many others thereafter. Boulogne was one of the three base ports most extensively used by the Commonwealth armies on the Western Front throughout the First World War. It was closed and cleared on 27 August 1914 when the Allies were forced to fall back ahead of the German advance, but was opened again in October and from that month to the end of the war, Boulogne and Wimereux formed one of the chief hospital areas.
Until June 1918, the dead from the hospitals at Boulogne were buried in the Cimetiere de L'Est, one of the town's cemeteries, the Commonwealth graves forming a long, narrow strip along the right hand edge of the cemetery. In the spring of 1918, it was found that space was running short in the Eastern Cemetery in spite of repeated extensions to the south and the site of the new cemetery at Terlincthun was chosen. It also was the site of an Allied (French and British) armaments production conference.
![BoulogneBarges1940](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/BoulogneBarges1940.jpg)
On 22 May 1940 during the
Battle of France, two British
Guards battalions and some
pioneers attempted to defend Boulogne against an attack by the German
2nd Panzer Division. Despite fierce fighting, the British were overwhelmed and the survivors were evacuated by
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
destroyers
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
while under direct German gunfire. On 15 June 1944, 297 aircraft (155
Avro Lancasters, 130
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.
The Halifax has its orig ...
es, and 12
De Havilland Mosquitos) of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
bombed Boulogne harbour to suppress German naval activity following
D-Day. Some of the Lancasters carried
Tallboy bomb
Tallboy or Bomb, Medium Capacity, 12,000 lb was an earthquake bomb developed by the British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis and used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War."Medium capacity" refers to the ratio of bomb ...
s and the harbour and the surrounding area were completely destroyed. In August 1944 the town was declared a "fortress" by
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
but it succumbed to
Operation Wellhit
Operation Wellhit (the Battle of Boulogne) from 17 to 22 September 1944, was an operation of the Second World War by the 3rd Canadian Division of the First Canadian Army to take the fortified port of Boulogne in northern France. The 9th Canadian ...
, the assault and liberation by the
3rd Canadian Infantry Division in September. In one incident, a French civilian guided the Canadians to a "secret passage" leading into the walled old town and by-passing the German defenders.
To replace the destroyed urban infrastructure, affordable housing and public facility projects in functional,
brutalist building styles were carried out in the 1950s and 60s.
Geography
Location
Boulogne-sur-Mer is in Northern France, at the edge of the Channel and in the mouth of the river "
Liane". In a direct line, Boulogne is approximately at from
Calais, from
Folkestone, from
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...
and
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 ...
, from
Rouen and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and from
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
.
Boulogne is a relatively important city of the North, exercising an influence on the "
Boulonnais" territory (74 towns and villages which surround Boulogne). The coast consists of important tourist natural sites, like the capes
Gris Nez and
Blanc Nez (which are the closest points of France to England), and attractive seaside resorts like
Wimereux
Wimereux (; vls, Wimeruwe) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Geography
Wimereux is a coastal town situated some north of Boulogne, at the junction of the D233 and the D940 roads, on the b ...
,
Wissant
Wissant (; from nl, Witzand, lang, “white sand”) is a seaside commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Geography
Wissant is a fishing port and farming village located approximately north of Boulog ...
,
Hardelot and
Le Touquet
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (; pcd, Ech Toutchet-Paris-Plache; vls, 't Oekske, older nl, Het Hoekske), commonly referred to as Le Touquet (), is a commune near Étaples, in the Pas-de-Calais department, northern France. It has a population of ...
. The hinterland is mainly rural and agricultural.
Transport
![Gare de Boulogne-Tintelleries (France)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Gare_de_Boulogne-Tintelleries_%28France%29.jpg)
Boulogne is close to the
A16 motorway (Paris-Amiens-Calais-Dunkerque). Metropolitan bus services are operated by "Marinéo". The company
Flixbus propose a bus line connecting Paris to Boulogne. There are coach services to Calais and Dunkerque.
The city has railway stations, which the most important is
Boulogne-Ville station, located in the south of the city.
Boulogne-Tintelleries station is used by regional trains. It is located near the university and the city centre. The former
Boulogne-Maritime and Boulogne-Aéroglisseurs stations served as a boat connection (to England) for the railway.
Boulogne has no cross channel ferry services since the closure of the route to
Dover by
LD Lines
LD Lines was a French shipping company, with both roro freight and passenger ferry operations. It was a subsidiary of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA), which engages in building, owning, operating, and managing vessels. LD Lines operated fer ...
in 2010.
The regional trains are
TER Hauts-de-France
TER Hauts-de-France is the regional rail network serving the region of Hauts-de-France, northern France. It is operated by the French national railway company SNCF. It was formed in 2017 from the previous TER networks TER Nord-Pas-de-Calais and ...
run by
SNCF. The principal service runs from
Gare de Boulogne-Ville
Boulogne-Ville is one of the railway stations serving the town Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais department, northern France. The other station is Boulogne-Tintelleries.
History
The railway reached Boulogne in 1848. Passengers had to use a goods ...
via
Gare de Calais-Fréthun Gare is the word for "station" in French and related languages, commonly meaning railway station
Gare can refer to:
People
* Gare (surname), surname
* The Gare Family, fictional characters in the novel '' Wild Geese'' by Martha Ostenso
Places
* ...
,
Gare de Calais-Ville
Calais-Ville station (French: ''Gare de Calais-Ville)'' is a railway station in the city centre of Calais, France.
History
Gare de Ville opened in 1849, replacing the temporary St. Pierre station which had opened in 1846 and subsequently became ...
to
Gare de Lille-Flandres.
Urbanization
![Boulognesurmer borddemer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Boulognesurmer_borddemer.jpg)
The city is divided into several parts :
* City centre : groups historic and administrative buildings, and also accommodations, stores, banks, churches, pedestrian streets and places.
* Fortified town : old-town where are a lot of historic monuments (the castle-museum, the basilica, the belfry, the imperial palace) and also the city hall and the courthouse. it is surrounded by 13th-century ramparts very appreciated today by walkers.
* Gambetta-Sainte-Beuve : tourist area situated in the northwest of the city, on the edge of the beach and the recreational harbour.
* Capécure : economic and industrial area, situated in the west of the city, around the harbour.
* Saint-Pierre (''Saint Peter'') : former neighborhood of the fishermen, destroyed during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and reconstructed after.
* Chemin Vert (''Green path'') : zone created in the 1950s, knowing today poverty and unemployment. it is the neighborhood of
Franck Ribéry
Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry (; born 7 April 1983) is a French former professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, preferably on the left side, and was known for his pace, energy, skill, and precise passing. Ribéry has been des ...
.
* Dernier Sou (''Last penny'') : residential area situated in the east of the city.
* Beaurepaire (''Beautiful hideout'') : residential area situated in the north of the city.
* Bréquerecque : residential area situated in the south of the city.
Climate
Boulogne-sur-Mer has an
oceanic climate that has chilly winters not far above freezing and cool summers tempered by its exposure to the sea. Considering its position, the climate is quite cold in relation to south and east coast locations in England year round. Precipitation is also higher than in said southern English locations.
Sights
![Boulognecastle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Boulognecastle.JPG)
Boulogne's 12th-century belfry is one of 56 listed
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 indep ...
, all in northeastern France and Belgium, with shared
World Heritage Site status because of their architecture and testimony to the rise of municipal power in the region.
It is the oldest building in the upper city of Boulogne, and currently serves as the home to a museum of Celtic remains from the Roman occupation. Founded as the Count's dungeon, the top floor was added in the 13th century. Damage by a fire in 1712 was built over by 1734.
Other than the belfry there are also the following sights:
*Medieval walls 1,500 metres long, with 4 gates and 17 towers from the 13th century
*Medieval castle, whose foundations date to Roman times. It houses an
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
ian art collection, and the ancient Greek
Suicide of Ajax Vase.
*
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
church of St Nicholas, housing several 15th-century statues
*
Cathedral basilica of Notre-Dame, with a dome standing at over 100 m. The crypt is one of the largest in France, and has Roman, Romanesque and Gothic elements.
*Opened in 1991,
Nausicaä – The French National Sea Centre is a science centre entirely dedicated to the relationship between mankind and the sea. It houses Aquaria, exhibitions on marine fauna, and the exploitation and management of marine resources (fisheries, aquaculture, coastal planning, maritime transport, exploitation of energies and mineral, tourism).
* The Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, created during the Great War
*
Colonne de la Grande Armée – Statue of Napoleon I
Official website: Tourism in Boulogne sur Merbr /
Official website: Tourism in Boulogne sur Mer and the Boulonnais region
Economy
Boulogne-sur-Mer is an important fishing port, with 7,000 inhabitants deriving part, or all, of their livelihoods from fishing.
IFREMER
IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer; ) is an oceanographic institution in Brest, France.
Scope of works
Ifremer focuses its research activities in the following areas:
* Monitoring, use and enhancement of coa ...
(the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) and the Pasteur Institute are located in Boulogne Port.
Certain brands, including
Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
and
Findus
Findus () is a frozen food brand which was first sold in Sweden in 1945. Findus products include ready meals, peas and Crispy Pancakes, the latter of which were invented in the early 1970s.
The Swiss food company Nestlé owned the Findus brand ...
, have regional offices in Boulogne.
Media
* Radio : France Bleu Nord, Virgin Radio
Côte d'Opale
The Opal Coast ( ; ) is a coastal region in northern France on the English Channel, popular with tourists.
Geography
The ''Côte d'Opale'' is a coastal region in northeastern France, in the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. It extends ...
* Television : France 3 Côte d'Opale
* Print :
La Voix du Nord (édition de Boulogne sur Mer), La Semaine dans le Boulonnais, Touzazimut
Events
In 1905, the first
World Esperanto Congress
The World Esperanto Congress ( eo, Universala Kongreso de Esperanto, UK) is an annual Esperanto convention. It has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run for 113 years. The congresses have be ...
was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where the historic
Declaration of Boulogne
The Declaration on the Essence of Esperantism ( eo, Deklaracio pri la esenco de Esperantismo), commonly referred to as the Declaration of Boulogne (''Bulonja Deklaracio''), is a historic document that establishes several important premises for th ...
was ratified.
L. L. Zamenhof
L. L. Zamenhof (15 December 185914 April 1917) was an ophthalmologist who lived for most of his life in Warsaw. He is best known as the creator of Esperanto, the most widely used constructed international auxiliary language.
Zamenhof first dev ...
, the creator of
Esperanto, was among the attendees. In 2005, there was an anniversary celebration to mark the centenary with more than 500 attendees.
Administration
* Boulogne is the seat of the
Communauté d'agglomération du Boulonnais
The Communauté d'agglomération du Boulonnais, created in January 2000, is a '' communauté d'agglomération'' (an intercommunal structure) centered on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It is located in the Pas-de-Calais department, in the Hauts-de ...
Population
In 2018, 40,664 people lived in the city, while its
metropolitan area had a population of 160,130.
[Comparateur de territoire]
INSEE, retrieved 20 June 2022.
Education
Boulogne-sur-Mer hosts one of the oldest ''Universités de l'été'' – summer courses in French language and culture. It is known as the
Université d'été de Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The Saint-Louis building of the University of the Côte d'Opale's Boulogne campus opened its doors in 1991, on the site of the former St. Louis Hospital, the front entrance to which remains a predominant architectural feature. Its 6 major specialisms are Modern Languages, French Literature, Sport, Law, History and Economics.
The university is situated in the town centre, about 5 minutes from the Boulogne Tintelleries railway station.
University
* Campus
University of the Littoral Opal Coast
The University of the Littoral Opal Coast (French: ''Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale''; ULCO) is a public university located in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments of northern France. Its namesake is the Opal Coast region, of which it i ...
(Saint-Louis, Grand-Rue and Capérure site), member of
Université Lille Nord de France
The Community of Universities and Institutions (COMUE) Lille Nord de France (formerly Université Lille Nord de France) was a French Groups of Universities and Institutions ( COMUE) spread over multiple campuses and centered in Lille (North - Hauts ...
.
Public primary and secondary
* High schools : Lycée Auguste Mariette, Edouard Branly, Cazin (professional).
* College : College Langevin, Angelier, Daunou.
Private primary and secondary
* High schools: Lycée Nazareth, Haffreingue, Saint-Joseph
* College: College Godefroy de Bouillon, Haffreingue, Nazareth, Saint-Joseph
Health
Two health centres are located in Boulogne, the public Hospital Duchenne and the private Clinique de la côte d'opale.
Sports
![Boulogne-sur-Mer Stade de la Liberation (5)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Boulogne-sur-Mer_Stade_de_la_Liberation_%285%29.jpg)
Boulogne's football club,
US Boulogne Côte d'Opale (US refers to Union Sportive), is one of the oldest in France due to the city's proximity to England, founded in 1898. The club currently play in the third tier, the
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National ( en, French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 18 clubs, ...
, and host home matches at the 14,500-capacity
Stade de la Libération. Boulogne native and
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
finalist
Franck Ribéry
Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry (; born 7 April 1983) is a French former professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, preferably on the left side, and was known for his pace, energy, skill, and precise passing. Ribéry has been des ...
began his career at the club.
Franck Ribéry – Goal.com
Basketball teams in Boulogne include Stade Olympique Maritime Boulonnais and ESSM Le Portel
Étoile Sportive Saint-Michel Le Portel Côte d'Opale, commonly known as ESSM Le Portel or simply Le Portel, is a professional basketball team based in Le Portel, France. The team currently plays in the Pro A, the first tier in France.
History
In ...
of Pro A (first-tier men's professional basketball league in France).
Culture
* The Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer (now a castle museum) of Boulogne, in the fortified town, houses the most important exhibition of masks from Alaska in the world, the second largest collection of Greek ceramics in France (after the Louvre), collections of Roman and medieval sculptures, paintings (15th–20th century), an Egyptian collection, African Arts etc. As these collections are exhibited in a medieval castle, one can also discover the Roman walls (in the underground) as well as rooms built in the 13th century (La Barbière, banqueting hall, chapel, covered parapet walk...)
* La Casa San Martin is currently a museum where José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and centr ...
the leader of independence struggle in Argentina (also Chile and Peru) died in 1850, from 1930 to 1967 this house was the consulate of Argentina in France. There is a statue dedicated to his colleague Simón Bolívar, other liberator of South America in the revolutions against Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
colonial rule in the 1810s. Bolivar planned to head in exile to this very part of France before his death in 1830. Historic emigration in the 19th century from the Nord-Pas de Calais region to Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
can explain some cultural ties with South America of the ''Boulognais'' and Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
/Ibero-American culture.
* Nausicaä, the French national sealife centre.
Food
As an international maritime port on the English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
(''La Manche''), the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer has European and American influences in local cuisine. They include:
* Welsh rarebit
Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit ( or ) is a dish consisting of a hot cheese-based sauce served over slices of toasted bread. The original 18th-century name of the dish was the jocular "Welsh rabbit", which was later reinterpreted as "rarebit", ...
(from Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, United Kingdom)
* Sandwich américain (an American sandwich introduced from the USA)
* Kipper (Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...
: smoked herring)
Notable people
Born in Boulogne
* Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda (c.1105 – 3 May 1152) was Countess of Boulogne in her own right from 1125 and Queen of England from the accession of her husband, Stephen, in 1136 until her death in 1152. She supported Stephen in his struggle for the English throne ...
(1105–1152), Countess of Boulogne and queen consort of England; the wife of Stephen, King of England
Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne ''jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 unti ...
(reigned 1135–1154)
* Michel Le Quien
Michel Le Quien (8 October 1661, Boulogne-sur-Mer – 12 March 1733, Paris) was a French historian and theologian. He studied at Plessis College, Paris, and at twenty entered the Dominican convent in Faubourg Saint-Germain, where he made his pr ...
(1661–1733), monk and historian.
* Pierre Claude François Daunou
Pierre Claude François Daunou (; 18 August 176120 June 1840) was a French statesman of the French Revolution and Empire. An author and historian, he served as the nation's archivist under both the Empire and the Restoration, contributed a vol ...
(1761–1840), politician and historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...
* Frédéric Sauvage (1786–1857), engineer and a pioneer of the propeller
* Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804–1869), literary critic and one of the major figures of French literary history
* Guillaume Duchenne
Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne (de Boulogne) (September 17, 1806 in Boulogne-sur-Mer – September 15, 1875 in Paris) was a French neurologist who revived Galvani's research and greatly advanced the science of electrophysiology. The era of m ...
(1806–1875), neurologist
Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal c ...
* Auguste Delacroix (1809-1868), painter
* Auguste Mariette (1821–1881), scholar and archaeologist, one of the foremost Egyptologists of his generation, and the founder of the Egyptian Museum
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum or the Cairo Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display a ...
in Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
* Joseph O'Kelly
Joseph O'Kelly (29 January 1828 – 9 January 1885), composer, pianist and choral conductor, was the most prominent member of a family of Irish musicians in 19th- and early 20th-century France. He wrote nine operas, four cantatas, numerous piano ...
(1828–1885), composer and pianist
* Auguste O'Kelly
Auguste O'Kelly (13 July 1829 – 16 February 1900) was a Franco-Irish music publisher in Paris between 1872 and 1888.
Life
Auguste O'Kelly was born as Louis Auguste Kelly in Boulogne-sur-Mer as the second son of the Dublin-born piano teacher Jose ...
(1829–1900), music publisher
Charles Frédéric O'Kelly
(1830–1897), managing director of Blanzy-Poure
* George O'Kelly
George Alexandre O'Kelly (12 October 1831 – 2 September 1914) was a Franco-Irish pianist and composer, who spent much of his career in Boulogne-sur-Mer. A member of a family of musicians, he was the only one with several orchestral scores to his ...
(1831–1914), pianist and composer
* Alexandre Guilmant
Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (; 12 March 1837 – 29 March 1911) was a French organist and composer. He was the organist of La Trinité from 1871 until 1901. A noted pedagogue, performer, and improviser, Guilmant helped found the Schola Cantor ...
(1837–1911), organist/composer
* Étienne-Prosper Berne-Bellecour (1838–1910), painter
* Benoît-Constant Coquelin (1841–1909), actor
* Ernest Hamy (1842–1908), anthropologist/ethnologist; created (in 1880) the museum of ethnography of Trocadéro (today known as the Musée de l'Homme, Trocadéro)
* Ernest Alexandre Honoré Coquelin (1848–1909), actor
* Olivier Latry (1962), Titular Organist of the Notre Dame de Paris, Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, and professor at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatory
* Henri Malo (1868–1948), writer and historian
* Léo Marjane (1912–2016), singer
* Georges Mathieu (1921–2012), famous painter, initiator of "lyrical abstraction" and informal art
* Michel Caffier (born 1930), writer and literary critic
* Sophie Daumier (1934–2004), film actress
* Estha Essombe (born 1963), judoka
* Jean-Pierre Papin (born 1963), footballer
* David Ringot (born 1969), footballer
* Mickaël Bourgain (born 1980), track cyclist
* Franck Ribéry
Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry (; born 7 April 1983) is a French former professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, preferably on the left side, and was known for his pace, energy, skill, and precise passing. Ribéry has been des ...
(born 1983), footballer
* Terence Makengo (born 1992), footballer
Others associated with Boulogne
* Godfrey of Bouillon (c.1060–1100), Count of Boulogne, prominent figure in the First Crusade
* Baldwin I of Jerusalem (c.1058–1118), Count of Boulogne, prominent figure in the First Crusade
* Blaise de Lassaran-Massencome, Seigneur de Montluc, Blaise de Monluc (1502–1577), Marshal of France
* Richard Martin (Irish politician), Richard Martin (1754–1834), Irish parliamentarian and animal rights campaigner; exiled to Boulogne in 1826, where he died
* Smithson Tennant (1761–1815), chemist, discoverer of osmium and iridium, died falling from a bridge in Boulogne
* Romeo Coates (1772–1848), amateur actor, fled from London to Boulogne to escape debtor's prison. He lived there for several years, and met his wife during this period.
* Adam Liszt (1776–1827), father of Franz Liszt, died from Typhoid fever while on a vacation
* José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and centr ...
(1778–1850), Argentine general who liberated Argentina, Chile and Peru; lived for two years in Boulogne and died there
* John Short Hewett (1781–1835), British cleric and academic, died there
* Benoît-Agathon Haffreingue (1785–1871), priest and builder of Boulogne's cathedral
* Félix Godefroid (1818–1897), Belgium-born composer, grew up in Boulogne
* Constant Coquelin (1841–1909), actor
* John McCrae (1872–1918), Canadian doctor, poet; author of ''In Flanders Field''
* Alfred-Georges Regner (1902–1987), painter-engraver
* Maurice Boitel (1919–2007), painter
* Olivier Latry (born 1962), musician, educator
* N'Golo Kanté (born 1991), footballer
International relations
Boulogne-sur-Mer is twin towns, twinned with:
*Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom
*La Plata, Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
*Safi, Morocco – since 2007
*Zweibrücken, Deux-Ponts (Zweibrücken), Germany – since 1959
See also
* Boulonnais (land area)
* First Siege of Boulogne
* Itius Portus
* Vieux-Boulogne
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
Website about Boulogne-sur-Mer
(English only)
IGN
Official website: Tourism in Boulogne sur Mer and the Boulonnais area
(in English)
Boulogne-sur-Mer city council website
(in French)
(English guide and tourist map)
NAUSICAÄ's official website
(in French and English)
Boulogne 2005 Esperanto
Universite d'ete de Boulogne-sur-Mer
The university library of ULCO
{{DEFAULTSORT:BOULOGNE SUR MER
Boulogne-sur-Mer,
Communes of Pas-de-Calais
Subprefectures in France
Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom
Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast
Ports and harbours of Hauts-de-France
Fortified settlements
Morini
Gallia Belgica