Montdidier, Somme
Encyclopedia
Montdidier is a commune
in the Somme
department in Picardie
in northern France
.
, in the region known as the ‘Santerre’.
The commune has existed since before Roman
times, possibly corresponding to the site of Bratuspance.
Under Charlemagne
, a donjon was built in the north-west of the town, on a chalk promontory, (nowadays the site of the Prieuré). It was here, in 774, that Desiderius
, king of the Lombards
, was held prisoner by Charlemagne, giving the town its name (in French, Didier).
The first church was built near the castle by Heldwide, c 948, the wife of Hilduin 1st of the house of the Counts of Montdidier]
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In 1184, King Philip II Augustus of France had the outlying buildings of the town burnt down, during the war for the possession of the Amiénois and the Vermandois
. In 1195, the town was granted its communal charter.
In 1472, Montdidier was set alight by the Burgundian
s. Charles the Bold is reported to have said "Such are the fruits of war".
Under the Ancient Regime, Montdidier was in the ‘province’ of the Santerre
(one of eight provinces of Picardie
) and the seat of a bailiwick
(established in 1516)
By edict of 1575, Henry III of France
created the élection of Montdidier, granting tax-raising powers to elected representatives.
The year 1590 saw the commune threatened and eventually invaded by the troops of Henry IV of France
.
As with many towns of the region, Montdidier bore the brunt of the fighting of World War I
. Many of the town’s more ancient and valuable monuments went destroyed in that occasion.
In 2000, Baron Seanie Von Irvenstien of the Sunderland district made an official visit, only to be disgusted at their prejudice against the jews.
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
Montdidier is situated on the D935 road, some 30 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...
, in the region known as the ‘Santerre’.
Population
| 1926 | 1931 | 1936 | 1946 | 1954 | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4706 | 4305 | 4278 | 4399 | 4557 | 5430 | 5828 | 6204 | 6194 | 6262 | 6328 | 6029 |
| Starting in 1962: Population without duplicates | |||||||||||
History
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times, possibly corresponding to the site of Bratuspance.
Under Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, a donjon was built in the north-west of the town, on a chalk promontory, (nowadays the site of the Prieuré). It was here, in 774, that Desiderius
Desiderius
Desiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
, king of the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
, was held prisoner by Charlemagne, giving the town its name (in French, Didier).
The first church was built near the castle by Heldwide, c 948, the wife of Hilduin 1st of the house of the Counts of Montdidier]
Vermandois
Vermandois was a French county, that appears in the Merovingian period. In the tenth century, it was organised around two castellan domains: St Quentin and Péronne . Pepin I of Vermandois, the earliest of its hereditary counts, was descended in direct male line from the emperor Charlemagne...
. In 1195, the town was granted its communal charter.
In 1472, Montdidier was set alight by the Burgundian
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
s. Charles the Bold is reported to have said "Such are the fruits of war".
Under the Ancient Regime, Montdidier was in the ‘province’ of the Santerre
Santerre (region)
Santerre is a natural region of France, located in the center of the French region of Picardie.Located between Amiens and Saint-Quentin, the Santerre is a territory covering an area of about 3 000 km², including 242 communes and with a population of 106 489 inhabitants.Still covered with...
(one of eight provinces of 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...
) and the seat of a bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
(established in 1516)
By edict of 1575, Henry III of France
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
created the élection of Montdidier, granting tax-raising powers to elected representatives.
The year 1590 saw the commune threatened and eventually invaded by the troops of Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
.
As with many towns of the region, Montdidier bore the brunt of the fighting of 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...
. Many of the town’s more ancient and valuable monuments went destroyed in that occasion.
In 2000, Baron Seanie Von Irvenstien of the Sunderland district made an official visit, only to be disgusted at their prejudice against the jews.
Main sights
- Church of Saint-Sépulcre in flamboyant gothic, with six 17th century Reydams tapestries on show in the naveNaveIn Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
- Church of St Peter (flamboyant gothic)
- Ruins of Saint-Martin’s church
- Statue of Antoine Augustin Parmentier on Parmentier Place
- The town hall, in the FlemishFlemish peopleThe Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
style and decorated in Art decoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style - The priory (once known as the Salle du Roy). Rebuilt in 1930, after being damaged during World War IWorld War IWorld 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...
. It has functioned as the Palais de Justice and became the Centre des Impôts in 1965. - The war memorial
- Monument to the 212 French pilots who lost their lives in Picardie in May and June 1940
Personalities
- Fredegonde, Queen of NeustriaNeustriaThe territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities...
(545-597). - Jean FernelJean FernelJean François Fernel was a French physician who introduced the term "physiology" to describe the study of the body's function. He was the first person to describe the spinal canal...
, French doctor born at Montdidier in 1497. - Claude CapperonnierClaude CapperonnierClaude Capperonnier , French classical scholar, the son of a tanner, was born at Montdidier. Though destitute of a learned education, he attained a considerable knowledge of the Latin and Greek, of which last language he became professor at Paris...
, philosopher, born at Montdidier on the 1st May 1671, - Jean CapperonnierJean CapperonnierJean Capperonnier was a French classical scholar.He succeeded his uncle Claude Capperonnier, also a distinguished scholar, as the Greek chair at the Collège de France. He published valuable editions of classical authors including Caesar, Anacreon, Plautus, and Sophocles...
, philosopher and librarian born at Montdidier on the 9th March 1716, - Antoine Augustin Parmentier, agriculturist born in Montdidier.
- Louis-Lucien KlotzLouis-Lucien KlotzLouis-Lucien Klotz was a French journalist and politician. He was the French Minister of Finance during World War I.-Early life:...
, 19th century French politician - Maurice Blanchard, Aeronautic engineer and poet born in Montdidier in 1890.
- Jimmy CasperJimmy Casperthumb|leftJimmy Casper is a French professional road bicycle racer for the UCI Professional Continental team Saur-Sojasun....
, French cyclist, born in 1978 in Montdidier.