Doullens

Doullens
Town hall
Doullens
Location within Picardy region Doullens
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardy
Department	Somme
Arrondissement	Amiens
Canton	Doullens
Intercommunality	Doullennais
Government
• Mayor (2001–2015)	Christian Vlaeminck
Area1	33.4 km2 (12.9 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	6,820
• Density	200/km2 (530/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	80253 / 80600
Elevation	52–152 m (171–499 ft) (avg. 64 m or 210 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Doullens is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.

Its inhabitants are called Doullennais and Doullennaises.

Geography

Doullens is situated on the N25 road, in the northern part of the department, straddling the river Authie, the border with the Pas-de-Calais. Doullens is practically mid-way on the intersection of these axes :

• Abbeville - Arras
• Amiens - Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise
• Crécy-en-Ponthieu - Bapaume
• Auxi-le-Château - Acheux-en-Amiénois

History

• Doullens, the ancient Dulincum, was seat of a viscountship under the counts of Vermandois then of Ponthieu (Hare) and an important stronghold in the Middle Ages.
• In 1225, the town became part of France.
• In 1475 it was burnt by Louis XI for openly siding with the Duke of Burgundy. It received its name Doullens-le-Hardi from its gallant defense in 1523 against the Anglo-Burgundian army.
• In 1595 it was besieged and occupied by the Spaniards, who massacred the entire population. It was restored to France by the Peace of Vervins (1598).

• On 26 March 1918, orders giving General Foch overall command of the allied forces on the western front were signed in a room in the town hall.

Sites and monuments

Sites and monuments include:

• the ruins of Saint-Pierre, partly of the 13th century, used as a barn in the nineteenth century (Hare).
• Notre-Dame church.
• the early 17th century brick belfry.
• the Citadel, built by Vauban, which has often served as a state prison, and later, a reformatory for girls. When Victor Hugo saw the Citadel in August 1837, the famous writer said, "I don't like citadels!"

Town motto

Infinita decus lilia mihi prestant

Photographs

• 

  Church of St-Pierre

• 

  Notre-Dame church

• 

  Belfry and Tourist office

• 

  Interior of the Citadelle

• 

  Notre-Dame church seen from the Citadelle

• 

  Doullens belfry, in the 19th century]

• 

  Information placard of the Citadelle

• 

  Summer Carnival in Doullens (2009)

Population

Historical population of Doullens

Year	1936	1946	1954	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
Population	5770	5404	6169	6321	7119	7495	7054	6615	6279	6820
From the year 1962 on: No double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.

See also

• Communes of the Somme department

References

• INSEE

• Augustus Hare, North-eastern France 1896:76.

External links

• Doullens on the Doullennais site (French)
• Site of Vals d'Authie, Nièvre, and Somme (French)
• Doullens on the Quid site (French)
• Official commune site (French)
• Site of the tourist office (French)
• Photos (French)