Châlons-en-Champagne


Châlons-en-Champagne is a city in the Grand Est region of France. It is the capital of the department of Marne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims.
Formerly called Châlons-sur-Marne, the city was officially renamed in 1995. It should not be confused with the Burgundian town of Chalon-sur-Saône.

History

The city was a Gallic and later a Gallo-Roman settlement known in Latin as Catalaunum, taking its name from the Catalauni, a Belgic tribe dwelling in the region of modern Champagne.
Châlons is conjectured to be the site of several battles, including the Battle of Châlons, fought in 274 between Roman Emperor Aurelian and Emperor Tetricus I of the Gallic Empire, and the 451 Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, which turned back the westward advance of Attila.
The Hôtel de Ville was completed in 1776.

Main sights

Saint Étienne's cathedral, including parts of the first Romanesque cathedral built in the 12th century. Nevertheless, it was mainly rebuilt in Gothic style. The west façade and two close spans were added in the 17th century.Notre-Dame-en-Vaux church, part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Built between 1157 and 1217, the collegiate church had a cloister and was a place of pilgrimage in the 12th century, and Museum du Cloître de Notre-Dame-en-Vaux 12th century.Saint-Alpin, possibly the oldest church of the city. It was rebuilt around 1170 in a Gothic style, but still marked by the Romanesque style.Hôtel de Ville : It has a façade representative of the neo-classic period of the end of the 18th century. The steps of the building are protected by four stone lions.Porte Sainte-Croix, previously called Porte Dauphine, this gate was one of the entries into the city. It was dedicated to Marie Antoinette when she came via Châlons on her way to Paris to marry the future king Louis XVI.La Dernière Relève, a war memorial next to the cathedral, with group of bronzes by French sculptor Gaston Broquet.Ancien Hotel des Intendants de Champagne, today home to the Prefecture of the Champagne-Ardenne region and Prefecture of the Marne.Le Cirque, the old town circus, completed in 1899, is sheltering the Centre National des Arts du Cirque.

Transport

The Gare de Châlons-en-Champagne railway station is served by the TGV network with service to and from Paris Gare de l'Est. Other destinations are Reims, Saint-Dizier, Nancy, Bar-le-Duc and Verdun. Additionally, Châlons is connected with the Champagne-TGV station, near Reims, with high speed trains going to Lille, Nantes, Rennes and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Châlons is located at the intersection of two major axes:
Châlons is also served by an international airport devoted to shipping, with an average of 16,0000 tons of freight passing through each year.
Local transportation is provided by buses.

Education

University level

Sport

is a Châlons' basketball team. A temporary firing range was used for some shooting events at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Twin towns – sister cities

Châlons-en-Champagne is twinned with:

Camp de Mourmelon

The Camp de Mourmelon is a military camp of circa 10,000 hectares located near Mourmelon-le-Grand north. It was created at the behest of Napoleon III and opened 30 August 1857 during the Second French Empire.
The initial purpose was simply for practising military manoeuvres, but it quickly turned into a showcase of the French Imperial Army, a theatrical propaganda display, where French citizens could meet the army and watch parades. Each year the camp was transformed into a town of tents and wooden chalets.
The camp survived the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, but changed into a training camp and a departure point for troops engaging in overseas operations.
The camp is used for military manoeuvres, and cavalry training, along with the neighbouring, 2,500 hectare, Camp de Moronvillers. Firing of live ordnance is prohibited.

Births

Châlons-en-Champagne was the birthplace of:

Deaths

Châlons-en-Champagne was the death place of:

In popular culture