Saint-Mihiel

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Saint-Mihiel
Coat of arms of Saint-Mihiel
Saint-Mihiel (France)
Saint-Mihiel
region Grand Est
Department Meuse
Arrondissement Commercy
Canton Saint-Mihiel (main town)
Community association Sammiellois
Coordinates 48 ° 53 '  N , 5 ° 32'  E Coordinates: 48 ° 53 '  N , 5 ° 32'  E
height 215-388 m
surface 33.00 km 2
Residents 4,112 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 125 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 55300
INSEE code 55463
Website www.saintmihiel.fr/

Entombment scene by Ligier Richier; Saint-Etienne church

Template: Infobox municipality in France / maintenance / different coat of arms in Wikidata

Saint-Mihiel is a commune in north-eastern France in the Meuse department in the Grand Est region (until 2015 Lorraine ).

St. Michael Abbey Church
Interior of the church
In September 1918, Saint-Mihiel was badly damaged by shell fire in the First World War

geography

The small town lies on the river Maas ( French: Meuse ), as well as on the parallel canal Canal de la Meuse ( formerly: Canal de l'Est, branch north ). The municipality has 4112 inhabitants called "Sammielloises" (as of January 1, 2017) and has an area of ​​33.0 km². It is partly located in the Lorraine Regional Nature Park .

history

During the First World War , the city was right on the front line . For years there was a fiercely contested German lead there.

The heaviest fighting occurred in autumn 1914 when the Germans captured Saint-Mihiel, in April 1915 during the Easter battle between the Meuse and Moselle, and in September 1918 when the Allied French and Americans attacked and finally evacuated St.-Mihiel. Bow by German and Austro-Hungarian troops .

Population development

year 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2007 2017
Residents 5253 5295 5572 5525 5367 5251 4816 4112

Culture

There are significant works by the sculptor Ligier Richier in Saint-Mihiel . Saint-Mihiel is mentioned in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables de Victor Hugo, Part 3 (Marius), Book 7, Chapter 3 (Patron-Minette). There he says about Babets: "He played the vaudeville in Saint-Mihiel."

Attractions

Library of the Benedictine Abbey

The library of the Benedictine abbey was founded in the Carolingian era. The first manuscripts and books were collected for the Church at this time. The number of books increased sharply, especially after the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. After moving several times, the collection was set up in its current halls in 1775. Despite being neglected in the troubled years around 1791, the collection is still in excellent condition. In 1848 the library was taken over by the city of Saint-Mihiel.

In addition to the books, the two 5 meter high pillars of the library are also worth seeing. The ceilings are richly decorated with stucco depicting the four seasons, the four elements and four of the five continents.

The collection comprises 8,780 books including 74 manuscripts from the 9th to 16th centuries. Of particular note are 86 incunabula . About 6000 volumes have been taken over from the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Mihiel. The works not only have religious content, but also deal with history, literature, law, science and travel.

The "Art Sacré de la Meuse" is housed in the south wing of the library. The main purpose of this collection of sacred objects is to collect and protect the art objects scattered in various rural churches.

Others

From the limestone cliffs on the northern edge of Saint-Mihiel there is an excellent view of the place and the Meuse valley.

Personalities

  • The emerald of Saint-Mihiel was the abbot of the monastery of Saint-Mihiel from around 805, certainly from 812, until his death around 830 .
  • Ligier Richier was born in Saint-Mihiel around 1500. Many works by this sculptor are preserved in Lorraine. Richier died in Geneva in 1567.
  • Albert Girard was born in St. Mihiel in 1595. The mathematician died as a Protestant refugee in 1632 in Leiden, the Netherlands.
  • Benoît de Maillet was born on April 12, 1656 in Saint-Mihiel. Maillet was French consul in Egypt and inspector of the public établissement in the Levant. He also wrote under the pseudonym feu M. de M *** an evolutionist theory of the earth published posthumously in 1748, which influenced the natural scientists of the Enlightenment . The work was entitled Telliamed ou Entretiens d'un philosophe indien avec un missionnaire français sur la diminution de la mer, la formation de la terre, l'origine de l'homme . Maillet died on January 30, 1738 in Marseille.
  • Jean Bérain the Elder was born in St. Mihiel in 1640. The painter, draftsman and engraver died in Paris in 1711.
  • Nicolas Lebel was born in St. Mihiel in 1838. The officer and weapons technician died in Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine) in 1891.
  • Jeanne Leleu was born in St. Mihiel in 1898. The composer died in Paris in 1979.
  • Ceslas Spicq (1901–1992), Dominican brother and university professor in Belgium, Spain and Switzerland
  • Anatol , bishop of Cahors around 450 , was transferred to St. Mihiel's abbey church of St. Michel in 1253; venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.

Parish partnership

literature

  • Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Meuse. Flohic Editions, Volume 2, Paris 1999, ISBN 2-84234-074-4 , pp. 829-849.

Web links

Commons : Saint-Mihiel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files