Saint-Dizier
| Saint-Dizier | ||
|---|---|---|
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  Saint-Dizier | ||
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Location within Champagne-Ardenne region  Saint-Dizier | ||
| Coordinates: 48°38′18″N 4°56′59″E / 48.6383°N 4.9497°ECoordinates: 48°38′18″N 4°56′59″E / 48.6383°N 4.9497°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Champagne-Ardenne | |
| Department | Haute-Marne | |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Dizier | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2001–2008) | François Cornut-Gentille | |
| Area | ||
| • Land1 | 47.69 km2 (18.41 sq mi) | |
| Population (1999) | ||
| • Population2 | 30,900 | |
| • Population2 Density | 650/km2 (1,700/sq mi) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 52448 / 52100 | |
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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. | ||
Saint-Dizier (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃.di.zje]) is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France.
It has a population of 31,000 (2003 figure) and is a subprefecture of the department. Although Saint-Dizier is marginally the most populous commune in Haute-Marne, the préfecture (capital) resides in the somewhat smaller commune of Chaumont.
Geography
Located approximately 120 miles (193 km) east of Paris, halfway to Strasbourg, it is five miles from Western Europe's largest man-made lake, Lake Der-Chantecoq.
History
The town originated as a fortified settlement around a thirteenth-century château, eventually becoming a royal fortress to guard the French kingdom's eastern approaches. The town was besieged and captured by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in the summer of 1544. A fire in 1775 destroyed two-thirds of the town centre. The château was owned by the Orléans family until the French Revolution, was a base for German troops during World War II, and currently houses the Municipal Museum.
Notable people
Saint-Dizier is the birthplace of
- Baroque-era musicologist André Pirro
- Organist André Isoir
- Conductor Jean-Paul Penin
- Former world middleweight boxing champion Marcel Thil. A street is named in his honor.
See also
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint-Dizier. |
