Gentelles
Encyclopedia
Gentelles is a commune
in the Somme
department in Picardie
in northern France
.
.
It was the first town to be given to the abbey of Corbie
by Clovis II
and Saint Bathilde.
On November 27, 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War
, Gentelles was the scene of a skirmish between the 20th Battalion of Chasseurs and the Germans. There were 25 fatalities, of which 12 were French, who are buried in the cemetery, where later a memorial was erected.
During World War I
, the village was at the centre of fighting during the Battle of the Somme and was all but destroyed.
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
Gentelles is situated on the D168 road, some 8 miles (13 km) southeast 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...
.
History
The village has been known by various name through its history: Gentilla, Gentella, Gentèle, Gentela, Gentelles, Gentilles, Le Gendalle and finally Gentelles.It was the first town to be given to the abbey of 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...
by Clovis II
Clovis II
Clovis II succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639 as King of Neustria and Burgundy. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her death in her early thirties in 642...
and Saint Bathilde.
On November 27, 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, Gentelles was the scene of a skirmish between the 20th Battalion of Chasseurs and the Germans. There were 25 fatalities, of which 12 were French, who are buried in the cemetery, where later a memorial was erected.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the village was at the centre of fighting during the Battle of the Somme and was all but destroyed.