Vienne-le-Château () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

History

The village dates back to the 6th century when it was the possession of the Bishop of Verdun. A castle stood on a hill in the west of the town. It was destroyed in 959 by Count Grandpre. Rebuilt several times, only ruins remain. In the 12th century, the area was purchased by Count of Bar. The village was destroyed during the

Great War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Culture and heritage

Religious heritage

L'église Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul is a church built during the 16th century. Built in the style of a Latin cross, the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

and the crossing were repaired between 1680 and 1690. Further work was undertaken from 1740 to 1744 and 1785 to 1788 when the facade, pillars in the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, vaults and

steeple In architecture, a steeple is a tall tower on a building, topped by a spire and often incorporating a belfry and other components. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a relig ...

were renovated. During the Great War, the church served as a first-aid station and was badly damaged, with the northern

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

gutted and the steeple had collapsed. The church was repaired from 1925 and reopened for worship in 1930. It became a protected monument in 1922.

Civil heritage

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

was recorded here in the middle of the 11th century, belonging to the Count of Grandpré, and in the 13th century to the Count of Bar. In the 14th century, it became the property of the king of France. It was destroyed in 1810 and all that remains is the site with a

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...

and a

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortificati ...

and the courtyard.

Places of remembrance of the Great War

Le Camp de la Vallée Moreau
Around 3 km north of the town, is the site of a German Camp called the "West Moreau Valley", where troops held in reserve during World War One stayed. It was occupied from February 1915 until September 1918. In 1997, work started to reconstruct the camp. La Nécropole Nationale de La Harazée
This military cemetery was created in 1915 during the

Battle of Argonne A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

and has bodies exhumed from two other cemeteries. It has been enlarged over the years, first in 1924 then again in 1935 and 1936. It contains the graves of 1,672 French soldiers from Great War and one from World War Two. The last renovation of the site occurred in 1963. L'ossuaire de La Gruerie
The

ossuary An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years th ...

was created in 1923 and houses the remains of around 10,000 unnamed soldiers. The site was inaugurated on 7 July 1929. A stone wall, with the inscription ''Aux Morts de la Gruerie 1914-1918'' stands over the ossuary with a niche containing a female statue with folded wings representing Victoria. With the face of

Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed i ...

and wearing a

Phrygian cap The Phrygian cap ( ), also known as Thracian cap and liberty cap, is a soft Pointed hat, conical Hat, cap with the apex bent over, associated in Classical antiquity, antiquity with several peoples in Eastern Europe, Anatolia, and Asia. The Phry ...

, she holds the flame of remembrance in her right hand while her raised left arm and hand symbolise the collection of the dead. A basement lies below with a gallery with plaques to the dead. The statue is by Raoul Lamourdedieu.

Gallery