La Capelle 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

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.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 ...

in northern

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 Capellois (plural Capelloises).

Geography

La Capelle had a station on the Busigny-Hirson railway line, which operated from 1885 to 1959 (and 1977 for freight traffic between Le Nouvion and La Capelle).

Toponymy

The name of La Capelle comes from the Picard term designating a chapel. This chapel is dedicated to Saint Grimony.

History

The village was founded by Saint Grimony, a saint of Irish origin of the 4th century. The village was of strategic importance, defending the French border against Avesnes-sur-Helpe, which was Spanish. It is 16 km from the Belgian border. On November 7, 1918, at the end of World War I, it was at La Capelle that the German

plenipotentiaries A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word ' ...

(headed by

Matthias Erzberger Matthias Erzberger (20 September 1875 – 26 August 1921) was a German writer and politician (Centre Party), the minister of Finance from 1919 to 1920. Prominent in the Catholic Centre Party, he spoke out against World War I from 1917 and as a ...

), who had come to negotiate the armistice, crossed the front lines and met the commander Bourbon Busset. They were taken by car to

Homblières Homblières () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History According to Abbot Berner (''Bernerus Humolariensis Abbas'') who wrote the Vita of Hunegund (''Vita Sanctae Hunegundis Virginis Humolariensis ...

, then to

Tergnier Tergnier () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Its location on the Canal de Saint-Quentin and the Creil–Jeumont railway ( Tergnier station) supported its development as an industrial centre in the se ...

where a special train was waiting to bring them to the clearing of Rethondes in the forest of Compiègne where on the morning of the 8th

Marshal 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 Art ...

, with the allied delegation, was awaiting them in his command train. During World War II in 1940, during the

Phoney War The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germ ...

, General Paul Barbe installed at La Capelle the command post of his division, the 4th Light Cavalry Division.

Heraldry

The top half of the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

is azure with a silver crenelated wall, flanked by two towers of the same, with two gold lions facing away from each other, holding silver swords. The bottom half is in

gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depict ...

, with four gold bezants (coins).

Politics and Administration

Places and monuments

Sainte-Grimonie Church of La Capelle A Military bollard on the roadside of Avesnes-sur-Helpe is a Roman road marker. It is made of limestone and is cylindrical in shape. Renowned racecourse: the racecourse of La Capelle, created in 1874. The Villa Pasques 10, which was the place where the German plenipotentiary made contact with the allies to negotiate the armistice of 1918. Since 1992, the Villa Pasques has been the seat of the Community of Communes of the Thiérache Center.

Flower City

Two flowers awarded in 2009 by the Council of Towns and Villages Fleuris of France in the Contest of the towns and villages in bloom.

Population

References

Thiérache Communes of Aisne Aisne communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia {{Vervins-geo-stub