Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in

Northern France Northern France may refer to: *the north of France, especially: **the region of Hauts-de-France **the former region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais **Nord (French department) Nord (; officially french: département du Nord; pcd, départémint dech Nord ...

. It 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 ...

of the department of

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 ...

. Boulogne lies on the Côte d'Opale, a touristic stretch of French coast on the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or (Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kan ...

between Calais and Normandy, and the most visited location in the region after the

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord ...

conurbation. Boulogne is its department's second-largest city after

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. The p ...

, and the 183rd-largest in France.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017
INSEE It is also the country's largest fishing port, specialising in

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocea ...

. Boulogne is an ancient town and was the main Roman port for trade and communication with its

Province of Britain Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...

. After a period of Germanic presence following the collapse of the Empire, Boulogne was integrated into the County of Boulogne of the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

during 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 ...

. It was occupied by the

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. On ...

numerous times due to conflict between the two nations. In 1805 it was a staging area for Napoleon's troops for several months during his planned invasion of the United Kingdom. The city's 12th-century belfry is recognised by

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. I ...

as a

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

(along with other

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 ind ...

), while another popular attraction is the marine conservation centre Nausicaa.

Name

The

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

name ''Boulogne'' derives from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

''Bononia'', which was also the Roman name for

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

in Italy. Both places – and

Vindobona Vindobona (from Gaulish ''windo-'' "white" and ''bona'' "base/bottom") was a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. The settlement area took on a new name in the 13th century, being changed to Berghof, or now si ...

(

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) – are thought to have derived from native Celtic placenames, with ''bona'' possibly meaning "foundation", "citadel", or "granary". The French epithet ''- Mer'' ("on-the-sea") distinguishes the city from Boulogne-Billancourt on the edge of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

. In turn, the ''Boulogne'' in Boulogne-Billancourt originates from a church there dedicated to Notre-Dame de Boulogne, "

Our Lady of A shrine to the Virgin Mary (or Marian shrine) is a shrine marking an apparition or other miracle ascribed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a site on which is centered a historically strong Marian devotion. Such locales are often the destination ...

Boulogne sur-Mer.

History

Origin of the city

The foundation of the city known to the Romans as Gesoriacum is credited to the Celtic Boii. In the past, it was sometimes conflated with

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, an ...

's Portus Itius, but that is now thought to have been a site near

which has since silted up. A tall lighthouse was built at Gesoriacum circa 39 AD by order of the Emperor

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanic ...

, possibly in preparation for an invasion of Britain. Known as the Tour d'Ordre, coastal erosion caused it to topple into the sea in 1644. La Tour d'Odre en 1550, Boulogne-sur-Mer

La Tour d'Odre en 1550, Boulogne-sur-Mer

From the time of Claudius's invasion in AD 43, Gesoriacum formed the major port connecting the rest of the empire to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

. It was the chief base of the Roman navy's Britannic fleet until the

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

of its admiral Carausius in 286. As part of the imperial response, the junior emperor

Constantius Chlorus Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 ...

successfully besieged it by land and sea in 293. The name of the settlement was changed to Bononia at some point between the sack of Gesoriacum and 310, possibly as a consequence of its refounding or possibly by the replacement of the sacked and lower-lying city by another nearby community. The city was an important town of the Morini (the 'sea people'), and Zosimus called it ''Germanorum'' ("Germanic-speaking") at the end of the 4th century.

Middle Ages

In the

Boulogne was the capital of an eponymous county, founded in the mid-9th century. An important Count,

Eustace II Eustace II, (), also known as Eustace aux Grenons ("Eustace with long moustaches"),Heather J. Tanner, 'Eustace (II), count of Boulogne (d. c.1087)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. was Count of Boulogne fro ...

, assisted

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, ...

in his conquest of England. His wife founded the city's

Notre Dame Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to: * Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France * University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States ** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, th ...

cathedral, which became a site of pilgrimage from the 12th century onwards, attended by fourteen French kings and five of England. It was an important whaling center prior to 1121. The city survived on herring fishing and received its municipal charter from Count Renaud of Dammartin in 1203. The area was fought over by the French and the English, including several English occupations during the course of the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantage ...

. In 1492 Henry VII laid siege to Boulogne before the conflict was ended by the Peace of Étaples. Boulogne was again occupied by the English from 1544 to 1550. In 1550, The Peace of Boulogne ended the war of England with Scotland and France. France bought back Boulogne for 400,000 crowns. A culture of smuggling was present in the city until 1659, when French gains in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

from the Treaty of the Pyrenees moved the border northwards.

Napoleonic period

Boulogne received its current status as a subprefecture of the

department in 1800 due to the territorial re-organisation in Revolutionary France. Three years later, it was given the title of an Imperial City ''(Ville Impériale)''. The 19th century was a prosperous one for Boulogne, which became a bathing resort for wealthy Parisians after the completion of a railway line to the French capital. In the 19th century, the

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Boulogne The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Boulogne, otherwise the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (french: Notre-Dame de Boulogne; ''Basilique Notre-Dame-de-l'Immaculée-Conception''), is a minor basilica located in Boulogne-sur-Mer in the Pa ...

was reconstructed by the

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

Benoît Haffreingue, who claimed to have received a call from God to reconstruct the town's ruined

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

. During 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 ...

, Napoleon amassed La Grande Armée in Boulogne to invade the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1805. However, his plans were halted by other European matters and the supremacy of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

. A nephew of Bonaparte, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, later

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...

, returned to France in secret from his exile in Britain, passing through Boulogne in August 1840. He was later jailed for trying to lead a revolt in Strasbourg.

World wars

During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

, this was the entrepôt for the first unit of the British Expeditionary Force to land in France and for many others thereafter. Boulogne was one of the three base ports most extensively used by the Commonwealth armies on the Western Front throughout the First World War. It was closed and cleared on 27 August 1914 when the Allies were forced to fall back ahead of the German advance, but was opened again in October and from that month to the end of the war, Boulogne and Wimereux formed one of the chief hospital areas. Until June 1918, the dead from the hospitals at Boulogne were buried in the Cimetiere de L'Est, one of the town's cemeteries, the Commonwealth graves forming a long, narrow strip along the right hand edge of the cemetery. In the spring of 1918, it was found that space was running short in the Eastern Cemetery in spite of repeated extensions to the south and the site of the new cemetery at Terlincthun was chosen. It also was the site of an Allied (French and British) armaments production conference. BoulogneBarges1940

On 22 May 1940 during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

, two British Guards battalions and some pioneers attempted to defend Boulogne against an attack by the German 2nd Panzer Division. Despite fierce fighting, the British were overwhelmed and the survivors were evacuated by

destroyers while under direct German gunfire. On 15 June 1944, 297 aircraft (155

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British World War II, Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the S ...

s, 130 Handley Page Halifaxes, and 12

De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, shoulder-winged, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the World War II, Second World War. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden ...

s) of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

bombed Boulogne harbour to suppress German naval activity following D-Day. Some of the Lancasters carried Tallboy bombs and the harbour and the surrounding area were completely destroyed. In August 1944 the town was declared a "fortress" by

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

but it succumbed to Operation Wellhit, the assault and liberation by the

3rd Canadian Infantry Division The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as all units extending westwards from th ...

in September. In one incident, a French civilian guided the Canadians to a "secret passage" leading into the walled old town and by-passing the German defenders. To replace the destroyed urban infrastructure, affordable housing and public facility projects in functional, brutalist building styles were carried out in the 1950s and 60s.

Geography

Location

Boulogne-sur-Mer is in Northern France, at the edge of the Channel and in the mouth of the river " Liane". In a direct line, Boulogne is approximately at from

, from Folkestone, from

and

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 ...

, from

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the population ...

and

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and from

. Boulogne is a relatively important city of the North, exercising an influence on the " Boulonnais" territory (74 towns and villages which surround Boulogne). The coast consists of important tourist natural sites, like the capes Gris Nez and

Blanc Nez Cap Blanc-Nez (french: kap blɑ̃ ne, literally "Cape White Nose" in English; from Dutch ''Blankenesse'', white headland) is a cape on the Côte d'Opale, in the Pas-de-Calais ''département'', in northern France, culminating at 134 m. The cl ...

(which are the closest points of France to England), and attractive seaside resorts like Wimereux,

Wissant Wissant (; from nl, Witzand, lang, “white sand”) is a seaside commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Wissant is a fishing port and farming village located approximately north of Boulogne ...

, Hardelot and Le Touquet. The hinterland is mainly rural and agricultural.

Transport

Boulogne is close to the A16 motorway (Paris-Amiens-Calais-Dunkerque). Metropolitan bus services are operated by "Marinéo". The company Flixbus propose a bus line connecting Paris to Boulogne. There are coach services to Calais and Dunkerque. The city has railway stations, which the most important is

Boulogne-Ville station Boulogne-Ville is one of the railway stations serving the town Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais department, northern France. The other station is Boulogne-Tintelleries. History The railway reached Boulogne in 1848. Passengers had to use a goods t ...

, located in the south of the city. Boulogne-Tintelleries station is used by regional trains. It is located near the university and the city centre. The former Boulogne-Maritime and Boulogne-Aéroglisseurs stations served as a boat connection (to England) for the railway. Boulogne has no cross channel ferry services since the closure of the route to

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

by LD Lines in 2010. The regional trains are TER Hauts-de-France run by SNCF. The principal service runs from

Gare de Boulogne-Ville Boulogne-Ville is one of the railway stations serving the town Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais department, northern France. The other station is Boulogne-Tintelleries. History The railway reached Boulogne in 1848. Passengers had to use a good ...

via

Gare de Calais-Fréthun Gare is the word for "station" in French and related languages, commonly meaning railway station Gare can refer to: People * Gare (surname), surname * The Gare Family, fictional characters in the novel '' Wild Geese'' by Martha Ostenso Places * ...

Gare de Calais-Ville Calais-Ville station ( French: ''Gare de Calais-Ville)'' is a railway station in the city centre of Calais, France. History Gare de Ville opened in 1849, replacing the temporary St. Pierre station which had opened in 1846 and subsequently becam ...

to Gare de Lille-Flandres.

Urbanization

The city is divided into several parts : * City centre : groups historic and administrative buildings, and also accommodations, stores, banks, churches, pedestrian streets and places. * Fortified town : old-town where are a lot of historic monuments (the castle-museum, the basilica, the belfry, the imperial palace) and also the city hall and the courthouse. it is surrounded by 13th-century ramparts very appreciated today by walkers. * Gambetta-Sainte-Beuve : tourist area situated in the northwest of the city, on the edge of the beach and the recreational harbour. * Capécure : economic and industrial area, situated in the west of the city, around the harbour. * Saint-Pierre (''Saint Peter'') : former neighborhood of the fishermen, destroyed 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and reconstructed after. * Chemin Vert (''Green path'') : zone created in the 1950s, knowing today poverty and unemployment. it is the neighborhood of Franck Ribéry. * Dernier Sou (''Last penny'') : residential area situated in the east of the city. * Beaurepaire (''Beautiful hideout'') : residential area situated in the north of the city. * Bréquerecque : residential area situated in the south of the city.

Climate

Boulogne-sur-Mer has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

that has chilly winters not far above freezing and cool summers tempered by its exposure to the sea. Considering its position, the climate is quite cold in relation to south and east coast locations in England year round. Precipitation is also higher than in said southern English locations.

Sights

Boulogne's 12th-century belfry is one of 56 listed

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 ind ...

, all in northeastern France and Belgium, with shared World Heritage Site status because of their architecture and testimony to the rise of municipal power in the region. It is the oldest building in the upper city of Boulogne, and currently serves as the home to a museum of Celtic remains from the Roman occupation. Founded as the Count's dungeon, the top floor was added in the 13th century. Damage by a fire in 1712 was built over by 1734. Other than the belfry there are also the following sights: *Medieval walls 1,500 metres long, with 4 gates and 17 towers from the 13th century *Medieval castle, whose foundations date to Roman times. It houses an

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

ian art collection, and the ancient Greek

Suicide of Ajax Vase The Suicide of Ajax Vase depicting the suicide of Ajax is a neck amphora, painted in the black-figure style. It is now in the Château-musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. The painter was Exekias, who made this work in Athens at the end of the ...

. *

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

church of St Nicholas, housing several 15th-century statues * Cathedral basilica of Notre-Dame, with a dome standing at over 100 m. The crypt is one of the largest in France, and has Roman, Romanesque and Gothic elements. *Opened in 1991,

Nausicaä Nausicaa (; grc, Ναυσικάα, Nausikáa, or , ) also spelled Nausicaä or Nausikaa, is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey''. She is the daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of Phaeacia. Her name means "burner of ships" ( 'ship'; 'to b ...

– The French National Sea Centre is a science centre entirely dedicated to the relationship between mankind and the sea. It houses Aquaria, exhibitions on marine fauna, and the exploitation and management of marine resources (fisheries, aquaculture, coastal planning, maritime transport, exploitation of energies and mineral, tourism). * The Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, created during the Great War *

Colonne de la Grande Armée Colonne () is a commune in the Jura department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, ov ...

– Statue of Napoleon I
Official website: Tourism in Boulogne sur Mer
br /
Official website: Tourism in Boulogne sur Mer and the Boulonnais region

Economy

Boulogne-sur-Mer is an important fishing port, with 7,000 inhabitants deriving part, or all, of their livelihoods from fishing. IFREMER (the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) and the Pasteur Institute are located in Boulogne Port. Certain brands, including Crown and Findus, have regional offices in Boulogne.

Media

* Radio : France Bleu Nord, Virgin Radio Côte d'Opale * Television : France 3 Côte d'Opale * Print : La Voix du Nord (édition de Boulogne sur Mer), La Semaine dans le Boulonnais, Touzazimut

Events

In 1905, the first World Esperanto Congress was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where the historic Declaration of Boulogne was ratified.

L. L. Zamenhof L. L. Zamenhof (15 December 185914 April 1917) was an ophthalmologist who lived for most of his life in Warsaw. He is best known as the creator of Esperanto, the most widely used constructed international auxiliary language. Zamenhof first dev ...

, the creator of

Esperanto Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...

, was among the attendees. In 2005, there was an anniversary celebration to mark the centenary with more than 500 attendees.

Administration

* Boulogne is the seat of the Communauté d'agglomération du Boulonnais

Population

In 2018, 40,664 people lived in the city, while its metropolitan area had a population of 160,130.Comparateur de territoire
INSEE, retrieved 20 June 2022.

Education

Boulogne-sur-Mer hosts one of the oldest ''Universités de l'été'' – summer courses in French language and culture. It is known as the

Université d'été de Boulogne-sur-Mer The Université d'été de Boulogne-sur-Mer is a summer university at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas de Calais, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overs ...

. The Saint-Louis building of the University of the Côte d'Opale's Boulogne campus opened its doors in 1991, on the site of the former St. Louis Hospital, the front entrance to which remains a predominant architectural feature. Its 6 major specialisms are Modern Languages, French Literature, Sport, Law, History and Economics. The university is situated in the town centre, about 5 minutes from the Boulogne Tintelleries railway station.

University

* Campus University of the Littoral Opal Coast (Saint-Louis, Grand-Rue and Capérure site), member of

Université Lille Nord de France The Community of Universities and Institutions (COMUE) Lille Nord de France (formerly Université Lille Nord de France) was a French Groups of Universities and Institutions (COMUE) spread over multiple campuses and centered in Lille (North - Hauts- ...

Public primary and secondary

* High schools : Lycée Auguste Mariette, Edouard Branly, Cazin (professional). * College : College Langevin, Angelier, Daunou.

Private primary and secondary

* High schools: Lycée Nazareth, Haffreingue, Saint-Joseph * College: College Godefroy de Bouillon, Haffreingue, Nazareth, Saint-Joseph

Health

Two health centres are located in Boulogne, the public Hospital Duchenne and the private Clinique de la côte d'opale.

Sports

Boulogne-sur-Mer Stade de la Liberation (5)

Boulogne's football club, US Boulogne Côte d'Opale (US refers to Union Sportive), is one of the oldest in France due to the city's proximity to England, founded in 1898. The club currently play in the third tier, the Championnat National, and host home matches at the 14,500-capacity

Stade de la Libération Stade de la Libération is a multi-use stadium in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of US Boulogne Union Sportive de Boulogne-sur-Mer Côte d'Opale (commonly referred to as US ...

. Boulogne native and

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the ' (FIFA), the ...

finalist Franck Ribéry began his career at the club.Franck Ribéry – Goal.com
Basketball teams in Boulogne include

Stade Olympique Maritime Boulonnais Stade Olympique Maritime Boulonnais, commonly known as SOMB, is a French professional basketball club based in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. The team currently plays in the French third division, the Nationale Masculine 1. History SOMB was founded on ...

and ESSM Le Portel of Pro A (first-tier men's professional basketball league in France).

Culture

* The

Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer The Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer is a castle in the French seaport of Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the Pas-de-Calais ''département''. It houses the Boulogne museum. The castle was built in the 13th century by Philippe Hurepel (1180-1234), count of Bou ...

(now a castle museum) of Boulogne, in the fortified town, houses the most important exhibition of masks from Alaska in the world, the second largest collection of Greek ceramics in France (after the Louvre), collections of Roman and medieval sculptures, paintings (15th–20th century), an Egyptian collection, African Arts etc. As these collections are exhibited in a medieval castle, one can also discover the Roman walls (in the underground) as well as rooms built in the 13th century (La Barbière, banqueting hall, chapel, covered parapet walk...) * La Casa San Martin is currently a museum where

José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...

the leader of independence struggle in Argentina (also Chile and Peru) died in 1850, from 1930 to 1967 this house was the consulate of Argentina in France. There is a statue dedicated to his colleague

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and ...

, other liberator of South America in the revolutions against Spanish colonial rule in the 1810s. Bolivar planned to head in exile to this very part of France before his death in 1830. Historic emigration in the 19th century from the Nord-Pas de Calais region to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

can explain some cultural ties with South America of the ''Boulognais'' and Latino/Ibero-American culture. *

, the French national sealife centre.

Food

As an international maritime port on the

(''La Manche''), the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer has European and American influences in local cuisine. They include: * Welsh rarebit (from

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, United Kingdom) * Sandwich américain (an American sandwich introduced from the USA) * Kipper (

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium ...

: smoked

)

Notable people

Born in Boulogne

* Matilda of Boulogne (1105–1152), Countess of Boulogne and queen consort of England; the wife of

Stephen, King of England Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne ''jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 un ...

(reigned 1135–1154) * Michel Le Quien (1661–1733), monk and historian. * Pierre Claude François Daunou (1761–1840), politician and

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

Frédéric Sauvage Frédéric Sauvage (20 September 1786 – 17 July 1857) was a French boat builder who carried out early tests of screw-type marine propellers. Sauvage was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer. In a public demonstration with a small boat on 15 January 18 ...

(1786–1857), engineer and a pioneer of the

propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

* Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804–1869), literary critic and one of the major figures of French literary history * Guillaume Duchenne (1806–1875),

neurologist Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal ...

Auguste Delacroix Auguste Delacroix, a French Marine art, marine painter, was born on 27 January 1809 at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Boulogne, and died there in 1868. He produced some elegant sea-pieces taken on the French and North African coasts, and also painted some Afri ...

(1809-1868), painter * Auguste Mariette (1821–1881), scholar and archaeologist, one of the foremost Egyptologists of his generation, and the founder of the

Egyptian Museum The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum or the Cairo Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display ...

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...

* Joseph O'Kelly (1828–1885), composer and pianist * Auguste O'Kelly (1829–1900), music publisher
Charles Frédéric O'Kelly
(1830–1897), managing director of Blanzy-Poure * George O'Kelly (1831–1914), pianist and composer * Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911), organist/ composer *

Étienne-Prosper Berne-Bellecour Étienne-Prosper Berne-Bellecour (29 June 1838 – 29 November 1910) was a French painter, printmaker, and illustrator. He was known for his war art. Biography Berne-Bellecour was born on 29 June 1838 in Boulogne, France. He studied under Fra ...

(1838–1910), painter * Benoît-Constant Coquelin (1841–1909), actor *

Ernest Hamy Ernest-Théodore Hamy (22 June 1842, Boulogne-sur-Mer – 18 November 1908, Paris) was a French anthropologist and ethnologist. He studied medicine in Paris, earning his doctorate in 1868. Afterwards, he served as a ''préparateur'' under Pa ...

(1842–1908), anthropologist/ethnologist; created (in 1880) the museum of ethnography of Trocadéro (today known as the Musée de l'Homme, Trocadéro) * Ernest Alexandre Honoré Coquelin (1848–1909), actor * Olivier Latry (1962), Titular Organist of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, and professor at the Paris Conservatory *

Henri Malo Henri Malo (4 March 1868 in Boulogne-sur-Mer) – 17 March 1948 in Chantilly Chantilly may refer to: Places France * Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department ** US Chantilly, a football club * Château de Chantilly, a h ...

(1868–1948), writer and historian * Léo Marjane (1912–2016), singer *

Georges Mathieu Georges Mathieu (27 January 1921 – 10 June 2012) was a French abstract painter, art theorist, and member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He is considered one of the fathers of European lyrical abstraction, a trend of informalism. Bi ...

(1921–2012), famous painter, initiator of "lyrical abstraction" and informal art *

Michel Caffier Michel Caffier (born 17 June 1930 in Boulogne-sur-Mer – 10 January 2021) was a French journalist, writer, and literary critic. He is the author of an abundant work centered on Lorraine: historical novels, essays and reference works, including t ...

(born 1930), writer and literary critic * Sophie Daumier (1934–2004), film actress * Estha Essombe (born 1963), judoka * Jean-Pierre Papin (born 1963), footballer *

David Ringot David Ringot (born 22 May 1969) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. See also *Football in France *List of football clubs in France This is a list of notable men's and women's football clubs that competed within the leag ...

(born 1969), footballer * Mickaël Bourgain (born 1980), track cyclist * Franck Ribéry (born 1983), footballer *

Terence Makengo Terence Pierre "Tété" Makengo (born 22 June 1992) is a French professional footballer of Congolese descent who plays for Swiss club SR Delémont. He is the son of former professional football player Sabhou Makengo. Early life Makengo was b ...

(born 1992), footballer

Others associated with Boulogne

Godfrey of Bouillon Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...

(c.1060–1100), Count of Boulogne, prominent figure in the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ...

Baldwin I of Jerusalem Baldwin I, also known as Baldwin of Boulogne (1060s – 2April 1118), was the first count of Edessa from 1098 to 1100, and king of Jerusalem from 1100 to his death in 1118. He was the youngest son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, and Ida of Lo ...

(c.1058–1118), Count of Boulogne, prominent figure in the

Blaise de Monluc Blaise de Monluc, also known as Blaise de Lasseran-Massencôme, seigneur de Monluc, (24 July 1577) was a professional soldier whose career began in 1521 and reached the rank of marshal of France in 1574. Written between 1570 and 1576, an account o ...

(1502–1577), Marshal of France * Richard Martin (1754–1834), Irish parliamentarian and animal rights campaigner; exiled to Boulogne in 1826, where he died * Smithson Tennant (1761–1815), chemist, discoverer of osmium and iridium, died falling from a bridge in Boulogne *

Romeo Coates Robert "Romeo" Coates (1772 – 21 February 1848) was an English Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric, best remembered for his career as an amateur actor. His self-image included a highly mistaken belief in his own thespian prowess. Born in Antigu ...

(1772–1848), amateur actor, fled from London to Boulogne to escape debtor's prison. He lived there for several years, and met his wife during this period. * Adam Liszt (1776–1827), father of

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

, died from

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 severa ...

while on a vacation *

(1778–1850), Argentine general who liberated Argentina, Chile and Peru; lived for two years in Boulogne and died there * John Short Hewett (1781–1835), British cleric and academic, died there * Benoît-Agathon Haffreingue (1785–1871), priest and builder of Boulogne's cathedral *

Félix Godefroid Dieudonné-Félix Godefroid (24 July 1818 - 12 July 1897) was a Belgian harpist, who composed for his instrument and for the piano. Félix Godefroid was born at Namur, where his father failed in a theatre venture and moved the family to Boulogn ...

(1818–1897), Belgium-born composer, grew up in Boulogne * Constant Coquelin (1841–1909), actor * John McCrae (1872–1918), Canadian doctor, poet; author of '' In Flanders Field'' * Alfred-Georges Regner (1902–1987), painter-engraver * Maurice Boitel (1919–2007), painter * Olivier Latry (born 1962), musician, educator *

N'Golo Kanté N'Golo Kanté (born 29 March 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club Chelsea and the France national team. Considered by many to be one of the world's best midfielders, Kanté is widely prais ...

(born 1991), footballer

International relations

Boulogne-sur-Mer is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: * Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom *

La Plata La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. According to the , it has a population of 654,324 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 787,294 inhabitants. It is located 9 kilometers (6 miles) inland from ...

* Safi, Morocco – since 2007 * Deux-Ponts (Zweibrücken), Germany – since 1959