Arras - Nord-Pas-de-Calais - Pas-de-Calais - France

Arras - Nord-Pas-de-Calais - Pas-de-Calais - France

A town fought over by many countries since it's tribal beginnings
and being made a garrison town by the Romans.

The modern town of Arras initially grew up around the abbey as a grain market. Both town and abbey suffered during the 9th century from the attacks of the Vikings, who later settled to the west in Normandy.

The centre of the town is marked by two large squares, the Grande Place and the Place des Héros, also called the Petite Place. These are surrounded by buildings largely restored to their pre-war World War I conditions.

The town's people were converted to Christianity in the late 4th century by Saint Inoccent, who was killed in 410 during a barbarian attack on the town. Around 130 years later, Saint Vedast (also known as Saint Vaast) established in the town and a monastic community, which developed during the Carolingian period into the immensely wealthy Benedictine Abbey of St. Vaast.

The Abbey of St Vaast is now host to a museum of fine art and artefacts.

Offering overview of the French, Flemish and Dutch paintings as well as porcelain.
On display are also is Napoleon's royal coach ornamented with gold and emblazoned with a capital N, 

drawn by eight horses, and bearing the Emperor dressed in purple velvet embroidered with gems and gold.




During the First World War, major battles occurred here such as the famous “Battle of Arras”.

The famous underground passages of Arras, called “Boves”, were used to shelter the civilians, and the British soldiers launched a successful attack against the German army from there.

In the Second World War, during the invasion of France in May 1940, the town was the focus of a major British counter attack. The town was occupied by the Germans and 240 suspected French Resistance members were executed in the Arras citadel.