Doullens (; pcd, Dourlin; former nl, Dorland) 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 Somme

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost Regions of France, region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its Prefectu ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Its inhabitants are called ''Doullennais'' and ''Doullennaises''.

Geography

Doullens is situated on the N25 road, in the northern part of the department, straddling the river Authie, the border with the

Pas-de-Calais Pas-de-Calais (, " strait of Calais"; pcd, Pas-Calés; also nl, Nauw van Kales) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments ...

. Doullens is practically mid-way on the intersection of these axes : *

Abbeville Abbeville (, vls, Abbekerke, pcd, Advile) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is the chef-lieu of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of ...

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

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 ...

Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise (, literally ''Saint-Pol on Ternoise''; vls, Sint-Pols-aan-de-Ternas) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is the seat of the canton of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise. The population of the town is 4, ...

Crécy-en-Ponthieu Crécy-en-Ponthieu (), known in archaic English as Cressy, is a commune located south of Calais in the northern French department of Somme. It gives its name to Crécy Forest, which starts about two kilometres to the south-west of the town and ...

Bapaume Bapaume (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The inhabitants of this commune are known as ''Bapalmois'' or ''Bapalmoises''. Geography Bapaume is a farmi ...

Auxi-le-Château Auxi-le-Château (; pcd, Aussi-ch’Catiau) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in northern France. Geography A farming town located 28 miles (45 km) west south west of Arras at the juncti ...

Acheux-en-Amiénois Acheux-en-Amiénois is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The commune is a farming village found at the junction of the departmental roads D938 and D114. History The earlier spelling of the name ...

History

* Doullens, the ancient ''Dulincum'', was seat of a viscountship under the counts of Vermandois then of Ponthieu (Hare) and an important stronghold 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 a ...

. * In 1225, the town became part of France. * In 1475 it was burnt by

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

for openly siding with the

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

. It received its name ''Doullens-le-Hardi'' from its gallant defense in 1523 against the Anglo-Burgundian army. * In 1595 it was besieged and occupied by the Spaniards, who massacred the entire population. It was restored to France by the

Peace of Vervins The Peace of Vervins or Treaty of Vervins was signed between the representatives of Henry IV of France and Philip II of Spain under the auspices of the papal legates of Clement VIII, on 2 May 1598 at the small town of Vervins in Picardy, northern ...

(1598). * On 26 March 1918, orders giving General

Foch Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders and Ar ...

overall command of the allied forces on the western front were signed in a room in the town hall. A link to those orders can be found in the May 22, 1928 edition of 'The Times' of London, foun
here

Sites and monuments

Sites and monuments include: * the ruins of Saint-Pierre, partly of the 13th century, used as a barn in the nineteenth century (Hare). * Notre-Dame church. * An early 17th century brick belfry. In 2005, the belfry was inscribed on the

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 ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

as part of the

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 ...

site, because of its architecture and historical testimony to the rise of municipal power in the area. * the citadel, possibly built by Vauban or Jean Errard, which has often served as a state prison, and later, a reformatory for girls.

Town motto

''Infinita decus lilia mihi prestant''

Population

Notable residents

*The artist Édouard Traviès was born in Doullens in 1809. *

Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine (31 March 1670 – 14 May 1736) was an illegitimate son of Louis XIV and his official mistress, Madame de Montespan. The king's favourite son, he was the founder of the semi-royal House of Bourbon-Maine name ...

was imprisoned in the Doullens citadel from 1718 until 1720 for his part in the Cellamare conspiracy. *The nobleman

Emmanuel Marie Michel Philippe Fréteau de Saint-Just Emmanuel Marie Michel Philippe Fréteau de Saint-Just (28 March 1745 – 14 June 1794) was a French nobleman and an elected representative of the Second Estate during the French Revolution. He was a politically liberal deputy to the Estates-Gen ...

was imprisoned in the citadel in 1788. Assemblée nationale de Francebr>"Emmanuel, Marie, Michel, Philippe Fréteau de Saint-Just"
Retrieved 15 May 2017

Gallery

Image:Doullens église-St-Pierre 1.jpg, Church of St-Pierre Image:Doullens église-Notre-Dame 1.jpg, Notre-Dame church Image:Doullens beffroi-1.jpg, Belfry and Tourist office Image:Doullens citadelle (intérieur) 2.jpg, Interior of the Citadelle Image:Doullens panorama-1.jpg, Notre-Dame church seen from the Citadelle Image:DOULLENS - Rue du Bourg.JPG, Doullens belfry, in the 19th century Image:Doullens citadelle parcours sportif.jpg, Information placard of the Citadelle Image:Doullens (27 juin 2009) carnaval 085.jpg, Summer Carnival in Doullens (2009)

External links

Official commune site

Site of the tourist office

Photos
{{Authority control Communes of Somme (department) Picardy