Principality of Arches

The principality of Arches was born in 1608, by the will of Charles III duke of Nevers and of Rethel, following ex-nihilo creation of the city of Charleville.

Geography and history

Originally, the Romains had built, on the Roman way connecting Rheims ( Durocortorum ) to Cologne ( Colonia Agrippinensium ), on a hill in a loop of the Meuse, the city of Castrice ( Castricum ) which was destroyed by fire at the 10th century. Erlebade, count de Castrice, made rebuild, in the vicinity, a citadel on the site called Maceria (Wall currently).
In 1293 the ground of Arches is bought by the counts de Rethel. The May 6th 1606, the very same day of its 26 years, Charles III of Nevers makes begin work of what will become its grand' work, Charleville. The selected place is located on its duchy of Rethel, to approximately 45 km in the north of this city, in a double meander of the Meuse. The citadel of Wall occupies the access to the loop more in the south, out of Right Bank. The city of Charleville will be a little more in north, beside a small hamlet named Arches, in the following meander, on Right Bank, and a fortress located at north and compared to Charleville, to the site even of old Castrice, in the second loop, on left bank, will ensure defense of it. The intêret of the site of the new city is that it is on left bank of the Meuse, out of France and thus of the economic influence of the kingdom. Indeed, the Treated of Verdun of 843 which devoted the partition of the Empire of Charlemagne fixed the Meuse as border between the Western Francie (which will become France) and the Francie median (which will be Lotharingie). Charleville and the principality is thus on the county of Castrice in Lotharingie. However, the activity of Wall is asphyxiated by the statute of garrison town and the constraints to trade with the kingdom. The traders of Walls which will settle in Charleville will have any latitude to trade with the cities in north such as Dining, Charleroi, Namur and Liege and especially an exemption of Gabelle. In 1521, Bayard defends the city against the imperial troops of Charles-Quint. A vault dedicated to Notre-Dame is built of 1499 with 1611 and, in November 1571, is celebrated there the marriage of Charles IX and Elisabeth of Austria. The building will become basilica in 1946. Restorations were undertaken then with in particular stained glasses of Rene Dürrbach, collaborator of Pablo Picasso.

Charleville and the principality

The Architect solicited by Charles III of Nevers east Clement Métezeau (1581 - 1652), the brother even of Louis Métezeau, the architect of the Place of the Vosges to Paris.
In 1606, begin work on the basis of ducal place. Nearly 35 years will be necessary to make of it a city worthy of this nom.
The new city, high according to a checkerboard plan known as Plan hippodamien, built out of blue slates, stones of size ochers, bricks red, very quickly becomes the new economic center of the Ardenne. These three colors will be those of the standard of the city (blue, yellow, red).
In 1608, Charles III declares Charles-city capital of its principality sovereign of Arches, city monacale, which will enable him to extend its influence in the north of the Europe, with two steps of two rich areas, the Flanders and the Holland.
In 1611, Charles III acquires, of the princes de Conti, the Castelet mount i.e. the hill which deals with Charleville and where the Gallo-Roman city of Castrice was located. It re-elects it Mont Olympe and it will be, initially, the symbol of the city and the principality. It will become later on, after the destruction of the citadel in 1686 at the same time as the fortifications of the city, the village of Montcy-Saint-Pierre, now integrated into the ville.
A big number of devoted buildings and constructions of utility will be born:

in 1612, the citadel of the Olympe mount whose work will last until in 1635,
in 1616, a college of Jésuites,
in 1620, a convent of Carmélites,
in 1620 also, the church of the Capucins,
in 1622, a convent of the Sepulchre,
in 1623, large priory of the Christian Militia which is used as hospital,
in 1624, a bridge which connects the city and the Olympe mount,
in 1626, a communal mill,
in 1627, the vault of the College of the Jesuits.

Charles III of Nevers, 1st prince d' Arches, will die in 1637 and the succession with the head of the principality will be ensured by its grandson Charles (1629 - 1665), that one even which will yield the family duchies of Nevers, Rethel and Mayenne, preserving only the principality of Arches of which he will be the 2nd prince and the Italian duchies of Mantoue and of Montferrat.
The successor of this last will be his son Charles Ferdinand (1652 - 1708) who will be 3rd and last prince d' Arches.
After its death which has occurred the July 5th 1708, the principality of Arches and Charleville, fall on the one hand to Louis III of Bourbon (1668 - 1710), prince de Condé, great-grandson of Charles de Gonzague (wire of Anne of Bavaria (1648-1723) girl of Anne de Gonzague de Clèves, girl of Charles) and on the other hand to Charles Theodore von Salm (1645 - 1710), Prince de widowed Salm of Louise Marie of Bavaria, sister of Anne of Bavaria, issued co-heirs. Without losing for as much its privileges, Charleville from now on is attached to France and the principality lived.

Blazon of the principality

Of azure to the dextrochère of complexion driving of the sinistral side of a money cloud, armed with a high money sword to the gold guard, between two branches, one with dextral of palm tree, the other with sinistral of olive-tree, sinople, the point of the surmounted sword of a gold sun.

See too

Plane of Charleville in 1640

Random links: