Monsures () 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 in Hauts-de-France in northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Geography

Monsures is situated on the D210 and the D109 roads, some south 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 ...

, in the southernmost point of the département, in the valley of the Selle river and surrounded by woods and forests. Junction 7 of the A16 autoroute is just away

Population

History

A fort existed here at the end of the 9th century. Originally known as ''Monsulae'', in the 12th century, it belonged to the seigneurs of the nearby commune of

Conty Conty () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Origin of the name Conty comes from ''cond'' (confluence) (of the rivers and streams in the valley). The Princes of Conti, a minor branch of French royalty, to ...

. The Beauvais –

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

once passed through the commune. Used for freight and passengers from 1876 until 1939, but never reopened following

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 ...

. On 14 May 1923, a Farman F.60 Goliath of

Air Union Air Union was a French airline established January 1, 1923, as the result of a merger between the airlines ''Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes'' and '' Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens''. Air Union was merged with four other French airli ...

crashed "Crashed" is the third U.S. rock Single (music), single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stat ...

at Monsures following structural failure of a wing in flight. All six people on board were killed.

Places of interest

* The château-fort entrance and its 15th-century towers, on the promontory at the west of the village. * Church of Saint Leger, bishop of Autun (616–678). First documented in 1127. The present building dates form the end of the 15th century and is built of local stone. The tower underwent restoration in 1731 and the present bells were installed in 1821 and 1868. * The old sacristy. On the south side of the church and along with the nearby presbytery, built in the second half of the 19th century. Since December 1998, it has housed the Mairie. * The early 16th century chapel of ''Notre-Dame du Bon Secours'' at Estocq, a hamlet of the commune. It originally belonged to the Thierry family,

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...

s of ''Argenlieu'' - an old commune now occupied by Monsures and by Rogy, to the edge of the commune of Gouy-les-Groseillers. The stone quarried from the locality was used to build the old manor and the chapel at Estocq. * The chapel of ''Notre-Dame des Victoires'' was built in 1858 by Charlemagne Boyeldieu, a descendant of General Louis-Léger Boyeldieu, who was born at Monsures in 1774. Since 2004, the chapel has housed the commune's multi-media library. * The ''Coulée verte''. A nature trail for hikers and riders, based on the route of the old railway, wends its way along the valley of the Selle river for about 20 miles, from Crèvecœur-le-Grand to Vers-sur-Selles.

Personalities

* Louis Léger Boyeldieu

References

External links

Monsures commune website

Le site de Stéphanie Collonvillé et Stéphane Lehodey, à Monsures
Communes of Somme (department) {{Amiens-geo-stub