Doullens

Doullens
Town hall
Doullens
Location within Hauts-de-France region Doullens
Coordinates: 50°09′27″N 2°20′29″E / 50.1575°N 2.3414°E / 50.1575; 2.3414Coordinates: 50°09′27″N 2°20′29″E / 50.1575°N 2.3414°E / 50.1575; 2.3414
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Somme
Arrondissement	Amiens
Canton	Doullens
Intercommunality	Doullennais
Government
• Mayor (2001–2015)	Christian Vlaeminck
Area¹	33.4 km² (12.9 sq mi)
Population (2006)²	6,820
• Density	200/km² (530/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	80253 / 80600
Elevation	52–152 m (171–499 ft) (avg. 64 m or 210 ft)
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ² Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Doullens is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.

Its inhabitants are called Doullennais and Doullennaises.^[1]

Geography

Doullens is situated on the N25 road, in the northern part of the department, straddling the river Authie, the border with the Pas-de-Calais. Doullens is practically mid-way on the intersection of these axes :

History

Doullens, the ancient Dulincum, was seat of a viscountship under the counts of Vermandois then of Ponthieu (Hare) and an important stronghold in the Middle Ages.^[2]
In 1225, the town became part of France.
In 1475 it was burnt by Louis XI for openly siding with the Duke of Burgundy.^[2] It received its name Doullens-le-Hardi from its gallant defense in 1523 against the Anglo-Burgundian army.
In 1595 it was besieged and occupied by the Spaniards, who massacred the entire population. It was restored to France by the Peace of Vervins (1598).^[2]
On 26 March 1918, orders giving General Foch overall command of the allied forces on the western front were signed in a room in the town hall.

Sites and monuments

Sites and monuments include:

the ruins of Saint-Pierre, partly of the 13th century, used as a barn in the nineteenth century (Hare).
Notre-Dame church.
the early 17th century brick belfry.
the Citadel, built by Vauban, which has often served as a state prison, and later, a reformatory for girls. When Victor Hugo saw the Citadel in August 1837, the famous writer said, "I don't like citadels!"

Town motto

Infinita decus lilia mihi prestant

Photographs

Church of St-Pierre
Notre-Dame church
Belfry and Tourist office
Interior of the Citadelle
Notre-Dame church seen from the Citadelle
Doullens belfry, in the 19th century
Information placard of the Citadelle
Summer Carnival in Doullens (2009)

Population

Historical population of Doullens
Year	1936	1946	1954	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
Population	5770	5404	6169	6321	7119	7495	7054	6615	6279	6820
From the year 1962 on: No double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.

References

↑ "Annuaire-Mairie"
1 2 3 One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Doullens". Encyclopædia Britannica. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 449.

INSEE
Augustus Hare, North-eastern France 1896:76.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Doullens.

Doullens on the Doullennais site (French)
Site of Vals d'Authie, Nièvre, and Somme (French)
Doullens on the Quid site (French)
Official commune site (French)
Site of the tourist office (French)
Photos (French)

Communes of the Somme department

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 141944815 GND: 4085481-4 BNF: cb152767361 (data)

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/8/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.