Varennes-en-Argonne
Varennes-en-Argonne or simply Varennes (German: Wöringen) is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est , in northeastern France.
Varennes-en-Argonne | |
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Tower Louis XVI and the river Aire | |
Coat of arms | |
Location of Varennes-en-Argonne | |
Varennes-en-Argonne Varennes-en-Argonne | |
Coordinates: 49°13′37″N 5°02′06″E | |
Country | France |
Region | Grand Est |
Department | Meuse |
Arrondissement | Verdun |
Canton | Clermont-en-Argonne |
Intercommunality | Montfaucon - Varennes en Argonne |
Government | |
• Mayor (2008–2014) | Jean-Marie Lambert |
Area 1 | 11.81 km2 (4.56 sq mi) |
Population (2017-01-01)[1] | 655 |
• Density | 55/km2 (140/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 55527 /55270 |
Elevation | 144–264 m (472–866 ft) (avg. 195 m or 640 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Geography
Varennes-en-Argonne lies on the river Aire to the northeast of Sainte-Menehould, near Verdun.
History
It was the scene of the Flight to Varennes. In June 1791 Louis XVI, with his immediate family, made a dash for the nearest friendly border, that of the Austrian Netherlands in modern Belgium (Queen Marie-Antoinette being a sister to the Austrian emperor, Leopold II). But in Varennes Louis and his family were arrested, by Citizen Drouet, the local postmaster, who had been alerted by a message received from nearby Sainte-Menehould. It is said that at Sainte-Menehould, where the escaping party had spent the previous night, a merchant alerted the town authorities of their presence after recognizing the King's face on an Assignat, as Louis tried to buy something from a shop. Once more the royal family returned to the Tuileries in humiliating captivity, and Louis and Marie-Antoinette were subsequently guillotined in 1793.
Located in the Zone rouge, Varennes was completely destroyed during the First World War but was reconstructed afterwards. The Pennsylvania Memorial, a monument for volunteers from 28th Division Pennsylvania in the First World War, was erected in Varennes during the Interwar period.
- Arrest of Louis XVI and his Family in Varennes, 1791.
- Ruins of Varennes in 1918.
Points of interest
See also
References
- "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Varennes-en-Argonne. |