Part 3

(_Born at Verdun in 1695, General Chevert captured Prague in 1741. After a heroic defence, he capitulated in 1743, with the honours of War._)]

_On the other side of Chevert Square is the Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, which ends on the right at St. Croix Bridge. Follow it on the left as far as the_ =Hôtel-de-Ville= (_see Itinerary, p. 31_).

Hôtel-de-Ville

As one of the lofty windows bears the date 1623, the popular belief that the building was erected by the famous Governor Marillac is unfounded. It is possible, however, that tradition, according to which Marillac sheltered Marie de Médicis there, after her flight from Paris, is founded on fact.

It is a fine structure in the Medicis style. The façade which overlooks the garden resembles that of the Luxembourg in Paris in some of its lines.

_At the side of the Hôtel-de-Ville, at No. 19, is the house of M. Clément._

A learned amateur, Monsieur Clément, who was killed during the bombardments of 1916, had collected a considerable number of fragments of the Abbey of St. Vanne and rebuilt the principal doorway of the latter (_see p. 52_) in the courtyard of his house. The famous door of the Capitulary Room, described and drawn by Viollet-le-Duc, was of curious 13th-century design. The lintel of the tympanum was ornamented with foliage, which is an interesting peculiarity, as the sculptural decoration of the tympanums of doors was very rare at that time in civil architecture.

_Return to the Place Chevert, cross the St. Croix Bridge, and go to the Place d’Armes_ via _the Place and Rue Mazel_, whose houses are in ruins.

Turn to the left into the Rue St. Pierre. In the Place d’Armes take the Rue de la Belle-Vierge as far as the =Hôtel de la Princerie=, former residence of the “primicerius,” first archdeacon of the Cathedral.

Rebuilt in 1525, it has been divided in recent times into two houses, Nos. 16 and 18. While the façade of No. 18 was modern, that of No. 16, with its window-gratings, retained its ancient aspect. The courtyard was ornamented on two of its sides with two-storied Renaissance galleries (_hist. mon._). Although of 16th-century construction, the decoration of this cloister was inspired by the Middle Age or Transition Period (_note the crocketted capitals of the pillars and the bases of the latter_).

The house was destroyed by the bombardments, and the cloister is almost entirely in ruins.

The street took its name from a statue of the Virgin on the monumental entrance-gate of the deanery.

_Take the Rue de la Magdeleine on the left, beyond the deanery, as far as the_ =Place de la Magdeleine=.

At No. 2 of this square is an early 16th-century house (sometimes called the “Maison de Jules II.”), with a carved triangular pediment supported by two pillars. Built after the decease of Pope Julius II., it was probably erected on the site of the house where he lived while still Cardinal Julian de la Rovère.

_At No. 19 of the square, cross the house in ruins to a kind of garden-terrace at the back_, built on the site of the old ramparts, vestiges of which are still visible. Fine view of the ruins in the Rues Mazel, Châtel and St. Esprit.

_Take the Rues Châtel and Belle-Vierge to the_ =Cathedral= (_see Itinerary, p. 31_).

THE CATHEDRAL (_hist. mon._)

The Cathedral of Verdun, like that of Angers, was one of the first French churches to be dedicated to the Virgin. In the 7th or 8th centuries its patronal festival was The Nativity, but this was changed to The Assumption at the beginning of the 19th century.

It is an ancient edifice, but has often been restored and altered. The original 5th-century church, which it replaced, was built on the ruins of a Roman _castrum_, like those of Rheims, Metz and Trèves.

The Cathedral was consecrated in 1147 by Pope Eugenius III., assisted by eighteen cardinals and St. Bernard. The plans were made by the Rhenish architect Garin, and, contrarily to French practice, included two transepts and two apses. With its four similar spires, two on each choir, it looked, according to a popular saying, like a “bahut” (chest of drawers on legs), turned upside down.

The fire of 1755 caused important alterations to be made which, without suppressing the main lines of the Cathedral, disfigured the interior. These alterations explain the lack of harmony in the edifice.

The four Roman towers with spires disappeared after 1755. Only the two western towers were replaced by the present large ones.

The Cathedral did not greatly suffer from the bombardment of 1916, during the German offensive, but that of April–May, 1917, damaged it very seriously. The vaults were either pierced or brought down, and the roof destroyed. Near the apsis a big shell tore open the ground, bringing to light an unknown subterranean passage or crypt.

_The tourist, arriving at the Place de la Cathédrale_, via _the Rue de la Belle-Vierge (see Itinerary, p. 31), finds himself in front of the North Façade (photo opposite)_.

_In the middle_ is the entrance portal; _on the right_, the Western Transept and the Towers enclosing the remarkable, square-shaped old Choir; _on the left_, the Eastern Transept and polygonal apsis of the Great Choir (_photo below_).

_In front of the Towers, on the right of this photograph, is the_ entrance to Margueritte College, _giving access to the_ Bishop’s Palace _and the_ Cloister (_see pp. 49–51_).

The Entrance Portal

(_North Front_)

The Gable and Buttresses of the portal are 13th century. Its secular ornamentation replaced, in the 18th century, Gothic statues, which were destroyed as uncouth.

The portal is placed between two chapels; that on the right (16th century) is called “The Chaplet,” on account of the chaplets carved on the buttresses.

The Towers

The present bells weigh four and six tons respectively and date from 1756. They were so cast as to have the same proportions and tones as those of the St. Germain-des-Prés Church in Paris.

The Apse of the Great Choir

The basement is the remains of a Roman apse. The upper portion dates from the end of the 14th century.

The bas-reliefs are Roman carvings, re-utilised in the Gothic buttresses. _From right to left_ they represent _Adam and Eve_; the _Annunciation_ (the Virgin and Angel are separated by a tree, whose shape recalls the Tree of Life on the Chaldean cylinders reproduced on the cloth-stuffs exported from Byzantium); _Cain and Abel (through an error in perspective, frequently to be found in Egyptian art, the bust and trunk of the two patriarchs are shown in profile, whilst the feet are facing frontwards)_; an unknown bishop.

The Great Nave and two Choirs

The Great Nave was very seriously damaged by the bombardments. Several bays of the vaulting fell in, leaving bare the timber-work of the roof in ruins.

_On entering the Cathedral by the Central Portal in the North Front (see p. 43)_ the old Choir _(photos, p. 44) is on the right, and the_ Great Choir with ciborium _(p. 45) on the left_.

The old square choir is intersected by the great organ, as at Albi.

The decoration of the Great Choir dates from 1760. The marble balustrade (_see p. 44_) is a copy of that in the Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, and replaced the old lateral walls and rood-loft. The gilded canopy, which is a transformation of the antique ciborium of the Gallo-Roman churches, is supported by four twisted columns of grey marble. It is a copy of that of St. Peter’s at Rome. Behind it are eighty-six stalls in two superposed rows, and carved panelling (_see p. 46_).

=Stalls and Woodwork of the Great Choir.=—Classed as an historical monument in 1905, this Rococo-style woodwork by Lacour of Toul is remarkable for its somewhat secular elegance and fine finish. During the bombardment of Verdun in 1916–1918 it was taken down and put in a place of safety.

=St. Saintin’s Shrine.=—This 14th-century shrine contains the relics of the first bishop of Verdun, and is said to represent the ancient church of the Premonstrants of St. Paul.

The South Aisle and Holy Sacrament Chapel

The numerous collateral chapels are 14th, 15th and 16th century. The most interesting is that of the Holy Sacrament. It was finished in 1402, and is Radial-Gothic in style.

In the neighbouring transept there was formerly a “puits” (well), which offended Louis XIV. when he visited the Cathedral in 1687. The Chapter had it filled up and covered with a stone, on which was carved the letter “P.”

The Chapel of the Virgin contains an interesting mutilated monument to Archdeacon Wassebourg, carved in the 16th century to perpetuate the true image of Our Lady of Verdun seated and crowned.

_Enter the courtyard of the Bishop’s Palace by the door of the Margueritte College (see p. 43). The Seminary seen in the background of the photo has been completely destroyed since 1916. The door with steps in front led formerly to a staircase descending to the Cloister. In May, 1919, this staircase was easily accessible, in spite of the débris all around._

The Bishop’s Palace

This fine spacious building was erected in 1725–1755 from the plans of _Robert de Cotte_. It has two terraces and a garden, with a view over the whole town. Under the First Empire it was a senatorial palace.

At the time of the separation of the Church from the State it was turned into a =museum=. The latter contains a fine collection of medals and coins, also numerous fragments of the ancient Abbey of St. Vanne, which was inside the Citadel. These fragments include the remains of a Pagan altar, a Corinthian capital with Barbarian ornamentation, and an ivory comb with inscriptions, said to have been given by Emperor St. Henri to the Abbot of St. Vanne in 1024.

The Cloister (_Hist. Mon._ 13th and 14th centuries)

_The door of Margueritte College and the courtyard of the Bishop’s Palace lead to the Cloister (see photos, pp. 43 and 49)._

Although Gothic in structure, parts of the carved decorative work announced the coming Renaissance (helmeted warriors and antique personages crowned with laurels).

Some of the keystones of the vaulting, representing bloated, bearded faces, are said to be caricatures of the canons of the Cathedral, made by the workmen who built the cloister, to revenge themselves for the Church’s stinginess.

The heavy Seminary buildings, erected on two of the galleries, are 19th century. They were almost entirely destroyed by the bombardments.

_On leaving the Cathedral, the tourist arrives almost immediately at the small Place Châtel, the highest point of the town. Take, the Rue Châtel to the_ =Châtel Gate=.

From the ancient “Fermeté” rampart, only this machicolated gate (formerly called “Champenoise”) is visible near the small “Place Châtel.”

_On leaving the Châtel Gate, go down the Rue des Hauts Fins to the corner of the_ Rue Montgaud: Blockhouse for four machine-guns to defend the town.

Cross the Esplanade de la Roche to the =Citadelle=.

THE CITADELLE

From the Esplanade de la Roche, the arrangement of which dates from 1780–1783, there is a fine view of the Meuse valley and the prairies known as =Pré-l’Evêque=.

The entrance to the =Citadelle= opens on the Esplanade de la Roche, while the Citadelle proper occupies the site of the ancient =Abbey= and =Church of St. Vanne=, erected in the Merovingian Period and 15th century on the hill where, in the days of Clovis, the Dragon with poisoned breath was said to live. According to the legend St. Vanne first tamed the dragon, then led it to the River Meuse, where it was drowned.

The first Citadelle was begun in 1552, continued under Henri IV. by Errard, and finished in 1630 under Governor Marillac. The second was the work of Vauban (1670–1682). The church of St. Vanne was included and preserved in both citadelles, but was later pulled down (1831–1835) by order of the Military Authorities. The old Gothic cloister was spared and turned into barracks in 1835. It was destroyed by the German bombardment during the siege of 1870. Of the Abbey, only a square Roman Tower of the 11th century remains (_see photo below_).

The Citadel during the War

During the late War, the Citadelle was often a target for the German heavy guns, but its deep underground vaults provided secure shelter for the population before the general evacuation, as also for the public services and reinforcements. Most of the regiments which took part in the battles of 1916 passed through the Citadelle.

It was in one of the casemates that the President of France, M. Poincaré, handed to the Municipal Authorities of Verdun, on September 13th, 1916, the decorations conferred on that City by the Chiefs of State of the Allied countries (_see p. 30_).

_On leaving the Citadelle, turn to the right immediately after the entrance and follow the glacis which passes underneath the terraces of the Bishop’s Palace. After a sharp turning near the Manutention, the tourist arrives at the_ =Rue de Rû=.

_Take the latter as far as the_ =Rue des Gros-Degrés=, one of the most picturesque streets of Old Verdun, which also suffered greatly from the German bombardment. It is composed of eighty steps, divided into seven unequal flights, with a hand-rail erected in 1595. _The photograph opposite was taken from the bottom of the stairs._

_Take on the right the Rue du Pont des Augustins and cross the curious canal_ of the same name (_photo below_) to visit the Lower Town, which is crowded with picturesque old streets and narrow bridges over the winding canals.

_Return to the_ =Place Mazel=.

_If the tourist has time, he may go from here to the_ =St. Victor Gate=, _situated at the exit of Verdun, in the direction of Metz, Nancy, Toul, and Commercy (see p. 56, and plan between pp. 30 and 31)_.

From the Place Mazel to St. Victor’s Gate

(_See plan between pp. 30 and 31_)

_Cross the St. Croix bridge, take the Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, then the Rue St. Sauveur, in which is the_ =Hospice St. Catherine=.

The =Hospice St. Catherine= was the birthplace of Bishop St. Airy. According to tradition the Bishop, on receiving a visit from Childebert II., caused his last barrel of wine to be brought in. Giving thanks, he was miraculously able to satisfy the deep-drinking Franks for several days. (_This legend is probably connected with the planting of the vineyards in the region of Verdun._)

_Opposite the Church of St. Catherine is the_ colonaded front of the former =Congrégation Notre-Dame Monastery=, now a school.

_Further on are the_ =Church of St. Victor=, Rustic-Gothic in style, _and the_ =Gate= of the same name (_photo above_).

_Stairs on the right of St. Victor’s Gate lead to the_ Citadelle Curtain 16, whence there is a fine view of the city.

VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELD

The following Itinerary is divided into two parts:

1. The right bank of the Meuse, including the forts (Tavannes, Souville, Vaux and Douaumont). _See pp. 57–87._

2. The left bank of the Meuse, including Cumières, Mort-Homme, Hill 304 and Avocourt. _See pp. 88–111._

1st ITINERARY: THE RIGHT BANK OF THE MEUSE AND THE FORTS

I.—From Verdun to Tavannes Fort

_Leave Verdun by the Chaussée Gate, cross the Meuse and the fortified enclosure, and take the Rue d’Etain_ (R. N. 18) _on the left. Go up the Faubourg Pavé._ This road, used by the relief troops in the Vaux-Douaumont sector, was heavily and continually shelled until Verdun was finally cleared in December, 1916.

_At the side of the Municipal Cemetery_ (_on the left_) is a Military Cemetery containing more than 5,000 graves (_photo, p. 58_).

_Follow_ N. 18 _for about six kilometers, then turn to the left into the road leading to_ =Tavannes Fort=, _situated about a kilometer from the main road_.

=Tavannes Fort= dominates the ground behind the Vaux-Souville line and the Etain-Verdun road. The Germans, in their effort to reach Souville, sought by frequent bombardments to destroy the fort which resisted stubbornly, but on May 7th a 17-inch shell destroyed one of the arches and caused serious damage.

Near the fort, on the Verdun-Etain railway, is the long =Tavannes Tunnel=.

Although the entrances were constantly shelled by enemy artillery, it was used as a shelter for the reserves of the Vaux-Souville sector and as a munitions depot. Bunks were fitted up in three superimposed rows, 300 to 450 feet in length, and separated by spaces, where numerous other troops slept as they could on the ground. Despite the ventilating shafts, the air remained foul, owing to the perspiration of the men and the rudimentary sanitary arrangements. To complete the misery of the men, a grenade depot blew up on the night of September 4th, causing many victims.

II.—From Tavannes Fort to Vaux Fort

_Return to the road by which the fort was reached_ (I.C.2) _and turn into it on the right. About 300 yards further on, at the fork (see photo above), take the right-hand road (the other leads to Souville Fort)._ On the left is the ravine which precedes the entrance to Tavannes Tunnel. At first the road rises, then dips down to Bourvaux Ravine. (_On the right the road to_ Bourvaux Battery _is visible_.) The road zig-zags, then scales Hill 349, leading to Vaux Fort, after crossing through the woods of La Laufée and Chenois, of which only a few broken, branchless trunks remain.

=Chenois and Laufée Woods and the Damloup Battery.=—Before and after the fall of Vaux Fort, these positions were often attacked by the Germans, especially in June, July and September, 1916.

From June 2nd to 4th the Damloup battery and its approaches, defended by units of the 142nd and 52nd Line Regiments, repulsed sharp German attacks and prevented the enemy from debouching from Damloup. The defence of the battery lasted till July 2nd, the defenders, in constantly diminishing numbers, being attacked and bombarded without intermission. On July 3rd a German attack, preceded by an intense bombardment, resulted in the capture at about 1 p.m. of the greater part of the battery, but the remnant of a French company held its ground in the southern part of the work. At 3 p.m. only fifty men of the company were left; at 8 p.m. twenty, but still they hung on until an hour later they were reinforced by another company, which succeeded in crossing the barrage. At two o’clock next morning the French repulsed the enemy at the point of the bayonet and recaptured the entire battery.

After losing it on July 12th, the French retook the battery in a bayonet charge on October 24th, while General Lardemelle’s division recaptured Chenois Wood (_see p. 19_).

=Vaux Fort.=—Built of masonry about the year 1880, afterwards of concrete, and finally of reinforced concrete, the fort was only completed in 1911. Smaller and less powerful than Douaumont Fort, it dominates the plateau to the south of Vaux Ravine and the reverse side of Douaumont Plateau. Therein lies its importance. On March 9th Germany announced triumphantly to the world that the VIth and XIXth reserve regiments of Posen had “taken by assault the armoured Fort of Vaux, as well as numerous neighbouring fortifications.”