A Favourite Place In France Is Also The Picardy

By Enrico Nestler

Known mainly in the English speaking world because of its links to the First and Second World War battles of the Somme and the Ardennes, Picardy, the region in North West France is actually where France was born. It was here that Clovis made Soissons the first capital of the Franks, in 486, and later Hugues Capet, elected king of France at Senlis, was crowned at Noyon in 987. This proud past made Picardy the first French region, not only for historical buildings and monuments but, also, the premier region for its Gothic cathedrals.

Picardy is a land of fresh, sweet air, set between the industrial centres of Paris and Lille, amid rivers such as the Somme, the Marne, the Oise, the Aisne and the Ourcq recalling momentous battles, and the flamboyant rose windows of cathedrals such as Notre-Dame of Amiens, Laon, Noyon, Senlis, Soissons and Beauvais. It is the land of cathedrals and of a thousand years of French history. Picardy owes its territorial unity to the country's history, for it has stemmed the flow of invasions from north and east. From the Bay of the Somme to the Ardennes Mountains, from Santerre to Chantilly, Gothic Picardy is northern France's breath taking vacation destination.

With over 140 monuments and museums, Picardy is a region that houses many treasures. Of particular note are the region's Gothic treasures, since Picardy is the birthplace of gothic architecture. Today, the hundreds of monuments, abbeys, chapels or churches and the six cathedrals still bear witness to this architectural art form. Amiens cathedral is the largest in Picardy and has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1981. Almost 90 years after Armistice Day, discover the trails of the First World War.

The Great War had a profound impact on the region. The famous battles of the Somme and the Chemin-des-Dames, along with Verdun, sadly suffered the most fatalities during the conflict. Today, there are innumerable monuments and cemeteries scattered between Aisne, Oise and the Somme keeping memories of the Great War alive. In Peronne the Historial de la Grande Guerre (museum of the Great War) is fascinating to anyone who has an interest in this war, the events that ran up to it and its outcome.

For artistic history, the The Conde Museum situated in Chantilly Chateau houses the second most important collection of ancient paintings in France after the Louvre. For literary history this region has been made famous by Colette, Hugo and Proust. Alexandre Dumas ('the Three Musketeers', 'The Count of Monte-Cristo') was born in Villers-Cotterets. After marrying his wife, who was from Amiens, Jules Verne initially moved to Crotoy, then to Amiens where the majority of his works were written. Picardy is a microcosm of France, both historical and modern. Be prepared to fall in love with the countryside, the people and the way of life.