Verdun Citadel in Meuse

Origin of the city of Verdun

Verdun has a dual meaning. Indeed, it is not only the name of a fortress, but also that of the deadliest battle of the First World War.

Monument aux Enfants de Verdun Morts pour la France

Located near the borders of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany, Verdun’s strategic position has made it a coveted territory for over 2,000 years, since it was the Gallic stronghold of Verdodunum.

Verdun gained great importance in 843 AD, when Charlemagne’s empire was divided among his grandsons. This led to the creation of distinct kingdoms, which roughly evolved into modern-day France, Germany, and Lorraine. Lothair‘s territory, known as Lotharingia, encompassed our department of Lorraine. From the 14th to the 16th century, Verdun enjoyed the status of a Free Imperial City within the Holy Roman Empire.

La Citadelle

The city’s fortifications date back to ancient times, but the citadel of Verdun was built by Marshal Vauban in the 17th century. It remained a vital garrison town until the 18th century.

During the French Revolution, the Prussians briefly captured Verdun on their way to Paris. However, their advance was halted at the Battle of Valmy on September 20, 1792.

Verdun was besieged by the Prussians during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, but resisted valiantly and was the last bastion to capitulate.

Despite the annexation of Alsace and part of Lorraine by Germany in the Treaty of Frankfurt on May 10, 1871, the Meuse region remained French, even though Verdun was now only 45 kilometres from the German border.

Porte Chaussée in Verdun — Porte Chaussée

Thus, ten defensive forts were quickly built around Verdun to protect the region.

Between 1880 and 1914, 43 additional forts and strongholds were constructed within a 45-kilometre perimeter, including the forts of Douaumont and Vaux.

This defensive line played a crucial role during the Battle of Verdun, which raged from February 21 to December 20, 1916, when the Germans encircled the city on three sides, isolating the citadel in a salient.

Verdun thus became the epicentre of this deadly conflict, where thousands of soldiers lost their lives.

The Citadel open to the public

Verdun and its surrounding area attract approximately 500,000 visitors each year, drawn by its rich military, religious, and historical heritage, as well as its impressive monuments. The historic citadel of Verdun remains the property of the French army. The 4 kilometres of underground tunnels, excavated between 1886 and 1893, were extended to 7 kilometres during the First World War. This vast network housed facilities capable of accommodating up to 2,000 soldiers, as well as ammunition and gunpowder depots, telegraph and telephone stations, a water supply system, and even a mill, a bakery, and kitchens. Today, these tunnels are open to the public

Fortified gates

The 14th-century ramparts have long since disappeared, but several gates remain

Monument à la Victoire et aux Soldats de Verdun

The Porte du Châtelet, also known as the Porte Noire or Porte Champenoise dates from the 12th century, but its machicolations were added in the 14th and 15th centuries. It was widened during the First World War to allow the passage of military vehicles.
The Porte Chaussée, or Tour Chaussée, was built in 1380 and is recognisable by its two round twin towers. The Tour de l’Islot once bordered the towpath.
The horseshoe-shaped Tour du Champ was severely damaged during the fighting of the French Revolution in 1792.
The Tour des Plaids, or Tour de la Plaidoiresse, also horseshoe-shaped, faces the town to prevent attackers from taking refuge there. It takes its name from the court hearings (plaids) that were held in the nearby Church of the Holy Cross.
The Porte Saint-Victor was built at the end of the 17th century to replace a 14th-century gate.
Finally, the Porte Saint-Paul, the most recent, was built in 1877 for the railway line.

Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Verdun

Verdun, a former citadel and garrison town, also boasts a remarkable religious heritage. Its cathedral, consecrated in 1147, is the oldest in Lorraine and the largest Romanesque cathedral in eastern France. Although rebuilt in the Baroque style after a fire in 1775, many original architectural elements were uncovered during its restoration after the First World War.

Episcopal Palace and Hôtel de la Princerie

Robert de Cotte, the architect of King Louis XV, built the Bishop’s Palace in 1724. This building, one of the most prestigious episcopal palaces in Lorraine, has housed the World Centre for Peace, Freedom and Human Rights since 1994. The 16th-century Hôtel de la Princerie was the residence of the Prince, or Primecier, the first archdeacon of the cathedral and second most important figure after the bishop. Since 1932, it has housed the Museum of Art and History of the city of Verdun.

Verdun Memorials

Verdun has erected several monuments in memory of the soldiers who fell during the First World War.

The Monument à la Victoire et aux Soldats de Verdun – Monument to Victory and the Soldiers of Verdun, by the architect Léon Chesnay, was inaugurated in 1929 . It stands on the site of the Collegiate Church of Sainte-Madeleine, and overlooks the Roman fortifications uncovered in 1916.. in the heart of the city. The monument is topped by a statue of Emperor Charlemagne depicted as a warrior, leaning on his sword and facing east.
The Monument to the Monument aux Enfants de Verdun Morts pour la France – Children of Verdun Who Died for France, a work by the architect Forest and the sculptor Grange, was inaugurated in 1928. It stands opposite the Porte Chaussée, and represents five soldiers, symbolising different branches of the armed forces, standing side by side, echoing the motto of the Soldiers of Verdun: “On ne passe pas – They shall not pass.”
Presented by the Netherlands in 1920, the Monument de la Hollande Amie – Monument to Friendly Holland seals the friendship between the two nations.
The Monument de la Voie Sacrée et de la Voie de la Liberté – Monument to the Sacred Way and the Liberty Road, located at the western entrance to Verdun, mark the intersection of the roads connecting Verdun to Bar-le-Duc and the Argonne.

Military cemeteries

Verdun was at the heart of the Battle of Verdun, which raged from February to December 1916, one of the deadliest conflicts of the First World War. Soldiers killed in action were buried in the 19 national cemeteries in the region, three of which are located in Verdun.

The Nécropole Nationale de Bevaux, opened in 1916, and contains the graves of 3,107 soldiers from the First World War and 485 from the Second World War.
The Nécropole Nationale du Faubourg-Pavé, established in 1914, contains the graves of 5,722 soldiers from the First World War, including 5,095 French soldiers, as well as those of soldiers of various nationalities. It also contains the graves of 610 soldiers from the Second World War. The remains of the Unknown Soldier chosen for burial beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris were selected from among the seven unknown soldiers buried in the Le Carré des 7 Inconnus (Square of the Seven Unknown Soldiers). Furthermore, a monument dedicated to the victims of German atrocities during the First World War and Nazi atrocities during the Second World War was erected at the entrance to the cemetery.
The third cemetery, the Nécropole Nationale de Glorieux, was opened in 1916. It contains the graves of 4,246 French soldiers from the First World War, as well as those of two British soldiers.

Other sites of the Battle of Verdun:
Sacred Way – Douaumont Ossuary and National Cemetery – Abri 320 – Bayonet Trench – Fort of Douaumont – Fleury-devant –Douaumont “Village Détruit – Maginot Monument in Fleury-devant-Douaumont