Bray-sur-Somme
Encyclopedia
Bray-sur-Somme is a commune
in the Somme
department in Picardie
in northern France
.
.
The commune is surrounded by hills to the east and to the west. To the south, the marshes are crossed by the Somme. The town has been a strategic location over the centuries thanks to the four fords crossing the river here, the old boundary between Artois
and Picardy
.
The name Braium has been documented since about 630.
In 630, Braium was under the domain of the abbey of St-Riquier.
In 868, under the reign of Charles the Bald
, a fortress controlled this part of the Somme upstream to Corbie
and Amiens
.
Hugh Capet
placed the town under the control of the neighbouring town of Péronne
.
In 1210, King Philip II
Augustus granted the commune a "community charter".
, surrounded by marsh and small watercourses, provided the protection. Four gates, each with a portcullis, guarded entry to the town,
As with many fortified towns in this part of France, Bray suffered fire, bombardment and destruction over the centuries, as French kings fought to expand their lands against the Norman
English and the Spanish-led Holy Roman Empire
.
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Bray was occupied in 1914 by the German Army. Apart from requisitioning some wagons, the town was not too badly disturbed. The place later became a rest and recuperation centre.
The 329th Infantry Regiment, from Le Havre, were reservists based at Bray for a year. They lost 2,086 soldiers during action in the area.
Bray was liberated on the 12th Aug 1918 by the Australians. The town was awarded the Croix de guerre
in 1920. Reconstruction took place over many years.
throughout the years of 1940-1944. On the 1st of September, 1944, Bray-sur-Somme was liberated by units of the United states army.
Manfred von Richthofen
, the Red Baron and his squadron, the ‘Flying Circus’ are commorated in a display.
_1.jpg)
The church was built over the ruins of a monastery, from local limestone
. The 35m bell-tower was added in 1745.
Bray has two 18th century wash houses, still accessible to the public.
The region abounds with lakes and is a paradise for anglers. Pike, sander, bream, carp, roach and eels are among the different species found in the waters.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
department in Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
The communes is situated on the D1 and D329 road junction, some 20 miles (32 km) east-northeast of AmiensAmiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
.
The commune is surrounded by hills to the east and to the west. To the south, the marshes are crossed by the Somme. The town has been a strategic location over the centuries thanks to the four fords crossing the river here, the old boundary between Artois
Artois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
and Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
.
Population
Etymology
Bray is a place name of Celtic origin meaning "marshy land”.The name Braium has been documented since about 630.
Early times
Archeological searches have established that the area had Gallic and Roman occupation, confirmed by the weapons and various domestic objects found in and around Bray.In 630, Braium was under the domain of the abbey of St-Riquier.
In 868, under the reign of Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
, a fortress controlled this part of the Somme upstream to Corbie
Corbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
and Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
.
Hugh Capet
Hugh Capet of France
Hugh Capet , called in contemporary sources "Hugh the Great" , was the first King of France of the eponymous Capetian dynasty from his election to succeed the Carolingian Louis V in 987 until his death.-Descent and inheritance:...
placed the town under the control of the neighbouring town of Péronne
Péronne, Somme
Péronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
.
In 1210, King Philip II
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
Augustus granted the commune a "community charter".
Middle Ages
The city was strengthened to the west and north by walls and deep ditches. To the east, an earthen embankment and palisadePalisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
, surrounded by marsh and small watercourses, provided the protection. Four gates, each with a portcullis, guarded entry to the town,
As with many fortified towns in this part of France, Bray suffered fire, bombardment and destruction over the centuries, as French kings fought to expand their lands against the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
English and the Spanish-led Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
World War I
The 329th Infantry Regiment, from Le Havre, were reservists based at Bray for a year. They lost 2,086 soldiers during action in the area.
Bray was liberated on the 12th Aug 1918 by the Australians. The town was awarded the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
in 1920. Reconstruction took place over many years.
Second World War
Bray was occupied by the GermansGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
throughout the years of 1940-1944. On the 1st of September, 1944, Bray-sur-Somme was liberated by units of the United states army.
The Museum
Exhibition of memories of the ‘Great War’, including cannons.Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
, the Red Baron and his squadron, the ‘Flying Circus’ are commorated in a display.
Saint-Nicolas church
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The 35m bell-tower was added in 1745.
Public wash houses
Lakes