Rethel () 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 Ardennes department 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 ...

. It is a sub-prefecture and third-most important city and economic center in the department. It is situated on the river Aisne, near the northern border of

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

and 37 km from Reims. Its inhabitants are called ''Rethélois''.

History

According to legend, the city was founded by

Julius 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, ...

, who established a camp on the site of the city during his campaigns. The parents of St. Arnulf of Metz were said to have given all they owned ''in villa Reistete'' (in the city of Rethel) to St. Remigius, bishop of Reims, so that their prayers for a child would be answered. The city belonged to the

Abbey of Saint-Remi An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conc ...

and was administered by its advocati. One of them, Manasses I, became the first

Count of Rethel This is a list of counts and dukes of Rethel. The first counts of Rethel ruled independently, before the county passed first to the Counts of Nevers, then to the Counts of Flanders, and finally to the Dukes of Burgundy. In 1405 the County became pa ...

. In 1481 the county, with Rethel as its seat, was elevated to the

Peerage of France The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...

; it was elevated to a duchy in 1581 and in 1663 it became the Duchy of Mazarin. During the Franco-Spanish War it was captured by Spanish forces under Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé on October 30, 1652 after a four-year siege, but was retaken by the French in July 1653. In 1814 Spanish prisoners of war from 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 ...

introduced

typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...

to the city. Jean-Baptiste Reberotte-Labesse cared for the soldiers who were ill. Cholera epidemics occurred in 1832 and 1849, while

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

ravaged the city in 1839, with an average of thirty deaths a day. 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 ...

Rethel was the site of heavy combat from May to June 1940 during the Battle of France. French troops under Jean de Lattre de Tassigny repelled German assaults on the town for a month before it fell.

Population

Personalities

Rethel was the birthplace of: *

Jacques Boucher de Crèvecœur de Perthes Jacques Boucher de Crèvecœur de Perthes (; 10 September 1788 – 5 August 1868), sometimes referred to as Boucher de Perthes ( ), was a French archaeologist and antiquary notable for his discovery, in about 1830, of flint tools in the gravels of ...

(1788–1868),

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althoug ...

and antiquary * Louis Christophe François Hachette (1800–1864),

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

. * Maurice Maillot (1906–1968), film and theater actor.

History

Population

Personalities

See also