Sens () is a commune in the Yonne

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, ...

in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km from Paris. Sens is a

sub-prefecture 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 subprefecture ...

and the second city of the department, the sixth in the region. It is crossed by the Yonne and the

Vanne Vanne () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Haute-Saône department The following is a list of the 539 communes in the French department of Haut ...

, which empties into the Yonne here.

History

The city is said to have been one of the oppida of the Senones, one of the oldest Celtic tribes living in Gaul. It is mentioned as Agedincum 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, and ...

several times in his '' Commentarii de Bello Gallico''. The Roman city was built during the first century BC and surrounded by walls during the third (notable parts of the walls still remain, with alterations along the centuries). It still retains today the skeleton of its Roman street plan. The site was referred to by Ammianus Marcellinus as ''Senones'' (''oppidum Senonas''), where the future emperor

Julian Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (give ...

faced an Alamannic siege for a few months, but it did not become an administrative center until after the reorganization of the Roman Empire in 375, when it was the chief town of Lugdunensis Quarta. During the Middle Ages its archbishops held the prestigious role of primate of Gaul and Germany. The bishop of Sens became an

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

as early as the mid-5th century, but the cult of the traditional founders Savinian and Potentian, not mentioned by

Gregory of Tours Gregory of Tours (30 November 538 – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of the area that had been previously referred to as Gaul by the Romans. He was born Georgius Florenti ...

, did not appear until the 8th century, when they were added to the local recension of the Seventy Apostles. The

Hôtel de Sens The Hôtel de Sens () or Hôtel des archevêques de Sens is a 16th-century ''hôtel particulier'', or private mansion, in the Marais, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It nowadays houses the . History The ''hôtel'' was built to serve ...

in Paris was their official residence in that city. The Archdiocese of Sens ruled over the dioceses of

Chartres Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...

, Auxerre, Meaux, Paris, Orléans, Nevers and

Troyes Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...

, summarized by the acronym CAMPONT. This city was conquered by a Muslim army in 725 AD, but was abandoned quickly after the death of the commander of the army, Anbasa ibn Suhaym al-Kalbi, from natural causes. Starting from 1135, the

cathedral of Sens Sens Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Sens) is a Catholic cathedral in Sens in Burgundy, eastern France. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen, is the seat of the Archbishop of Sens. Sens was the first cathedral to be built ...

, dedicated to Saint Stephen, was rebuilt as one of the first Gothic cathedrals. There, in 1234,

Louis IX of France Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the ...

celebrated his wedding to

Marguerite of Provence Margaret of Provence (french: Marguerite; 1221 – 20 December 1295) was Queen of France by marriage to Louis IX of France, King Louis IX. Early life Margaret was born in the spring of 1221 in Forcalquier. She was the eldest of four daughters o ...

. Sens witnessed the trial of

Peter Abelard Peter Abelard (; french: link=no, Pierre Abélard; la, Petrus Abaelardus or ''Abailardus''; 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, poet, composer and musician. This source has a detailed desc ...

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...

sojourned for some time in the city, and Thomas Becket spent part of his exile between 1162 and 1165. The Archdiocese of Sens hosted a number of church councils and the first Archbishop of Uppsala was consecrated there. William of Sens was the principal architect of Canterbury Cathedral. Sens experienced troublesome times during the Wars of Religion. In 1562, 100 of the town’s Huguenot population were killed in the

Massacre of Sens The Massacre of Sens was a religious riot that occurred in 1562 during the opening weeks of the French Wars of Religion. With the death of 100 Huguenots, it was one of the most fatal popular massacres of the French Wars of Religion until the St. ...

. The city declined after Paris was elevated to archdiocese in 1622. Since 2002, Sens remains an archbishopric (though the incumbent resides in Auxerre since 1929?) but with no metropolitical function (no pallium or marriage appeals). Despite the creation of new regions, Sens remains subject to the Paris cour d'appel.

Population

Main sights

* The Cathedral, one of the first Gothic edifices in France *Archbishops' Palace *Church of St. Maurice * Church of St. Pierre le Rond *House of Abraham *Museum *

Serres municipales de Sens The Serres municipales de Sens (600 m2) are municipal greenhouses located in the Parc du Moulin à Tan at 28, Chemin de Babie, Sens, Yonne, Bourgogne, France. They are open every afternoon without charge. The greenhouses were constructed circa 1 ...

, municipal

greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...

Notable people

* Samo (ca.600–ca.658), Frankish merchant and later king (''rex'') of the 7th century Slavic state known as Samo's Empire * Aprus of Sens, 7thC French priest and hermit. * Thomas Becket (ca.1119 – 1170),

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...

, he took refuge in Sens in 1164, where

was sheltered; venerated as a saint. * William of Sens (died 1180) 12thC French master mason and architect *

Samson ben Abraham of Sens Samson ben Abraham of Sens (שמשון בן אברהם משאנץ; c. 1150 – c. 1230),was one of the leading French Tosafists in the second half of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries. He was the most outstanding student and the s ...

(ca.1150 – ca.1230) rabbi and notable Tosafist. *

Joseph ben Nathan Official Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

, 13thC French-Jewish controversialist, probably lived in Sens. * Jacques Almain (d. 1515), theologian at ''Collège de Navarre'', defended conciliarism *

Jacques-François Courtin Jacques François Courtin (1672–1752) was a French painter who was particularly adept at translating genre scenes based on Dutch Golden Age examples into a contemporary setting through the use of staging and costume. He was one of the most pop ...

(1672–1752) a French ''

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

'' painter *

Victor Scipion Charles Auguste de La Garde de Chambonas Victor Scipion Charles Auguste de La Garde de Chambonas (1750–1830) was a mayor of Sens, brigadier general, and French foreign minister, at the beginning of the French Revolution. He was born in Paris, the son of Scipion Louis Joseph de La ...

(1750–1830), mayor of Sens, brigadier general and French foreign minister at the beginning of the French Revolution. * Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne (1769–1834) diplomat, close relationship with

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 ...

Bonaparte. *

Louis Jacques Thénard Louis Jacques Thénard (4 May 177721 June 1857) was a French chemist. Life He was born in a farm cottage near Nogent-sur-Seine in the Champagne district the son of a farm worker. In the post-Revolution French educational system , most boys rec ...

(1777–1857), French chemist, educated at the academy of Sens. *

Édouard Charton Édouard Charton (11 May 1807 – 27 February 1890) was an eminent French literary figure who was the founder and, for fifty-five years (1833–88), editor-in-chief of the publication '' Le Magazin pittoresque'', in addition to serving for thi ...

(1807–1890), an eminent French literary figure. *

Adolphe Vuitry Adolphe Vuitry (, 31 March 1813 – 23 June 1885) was a French lawyer, economist and politician. He became recognized as an expert on finance. He was governor of the Banque de France from 1863 to 1864, then Minister-President of the Conseil d'Eta ...

(1813–1885) lawyer, economist and politician; governor of the

Banque de France The Bank of France ( French: ''Banque de France''), headquartered in Paris, is the central bank of France. Founded in 1800, it began as a private institution for managing state debts and issuing notes. It is responsible for the accounts of the F ...

, 1863/1864 *

Charles Levert Charles-Alphonse Levert (11 June 1825 – 6 April 1899) was a French public servant and politician. During the Second French Empire he was a prefect of various departments. During the French Third Republic he served as deputy for Pas-de-Calais be ...

(1825–1899), French public servant and politician * Maurice Prou (1861–1930) archivist, paleographer, numismatist and historian. *

Étienne Mimard Étienne Mimard (1862 in Sens – 1944) was a French arms manufacturer who, with Pierre Blachon, another arms manufacturer, founded the Manufacture Française d'Armes et Cycles de Saint-Étienne, which became Manufrance in 1947. Some years af ...

(1862–1944), French arms manufacturer *

Augusta Hure Augusta Hure (September 8, 1870 - January 12, 1953) was the first woman appointed to museum curator in France. She was nicknamed the "Master of Sénonais Archeology." Biography Born in Sens in 1870, Augusta Hure began working as a milliner with ...

(1870-1953) the first woman appointed as museum curator in France *

Saturnin Fabre Saturnin Fabre (4 April 1884 – 4 October 1961) was a French film actor. Selected filmography * ''La rafale'' (1920) - comte de Bréchebel * ''Mademoiselle de La Seiglière'' (1921) * ''The Road Is Fine'' (1930) - Le professeur Pique * ''L ...

(1884–1961), French film actor.

Sport

Guy Chevalier Guy Camille James Chevalier (5 December 1910 – 17 April 1949) was a French field hockey player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics, in the 1936 Summer Olympics and in the 1948 Summer Olympics. He was born in Sens Sens () is a Communes o ...

(1910–1949) field hockey player, competed in the 1928, 1936 &

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

. *

Bacary Sagna Bacary Sagna (born 14 February 1983) is a French former professional footballer who played as a right back and is mostly known for his time at Arsenal. He also played for the France national football team. Sagna's former manager at Arsenal, ...

(born 1983), footballer with 439 club caps and 65 for France. *

Florian Fritz Florian Fritz (born 17 January 1984) is a former French rugby union rugby player. His usual position was in the centre. He most played most of his career for Stade Toulousain in the Top 14 club competition in France. Fritz has also played for Fra ...

(born 1984) former rugby union player with over 400 club caps and 34 for France. * Clément Chantôme (born 1987), footballer with about 300 club caps * Chris Malonga (born 1987), footballer with over 350 club caps and 26 for

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

Orlann Ombissa-Dzangue Orlann Oliere (née Ombissa-Dzangue; born 26 May 1991) is a French sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres. As a relay runner she won a silver medal at the 2011 European U23 Championships, and competed without reaching the final at the 2017 ...

(born 1991) sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres. *

Jean Ambrose Jean Ambrose (born 27 September 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender. Born in France, he plays for the Haiti national team at international level. Club career Ambrose joined Girondins de Bordeaux in 2014 from AS Moulins ...

(born 1993), footballer with about 70 club caps and 1 for

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

Twin towns

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

, United Kingdom * Lörrach,

Loerrach International Loerrach International e.V. (Registered_association_(Germany), registered association) is an association of citizens, educational, sport and cultural institutions, service clubs, municipal administration and local council in Lörrach in southwester ...

Germany * Senigallia, Italy * Vyshhorod, Ukraine * Fafe, Portugal

References

External links

* *
Tourist Office

Official website

Richard Stillwell, ed. ''Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites'', 1976:
"Agedincum (Sens), Yonne, France" {{authority control Communes of Yonne Subprefectures in France Senones Gallia Lugdunensis Champagne (province) People from Sens