Charleville-Mézières

Charleville-Mézières
Place Ducale
Charleville-Mézières
Location within Champagne-Ardenne region  Charleville-Mézières
Administration
Country	France
Region	Champagne-Ardenne
Department	Ardennes
Arrondissement	Charleville-Mézières
Intercommunality	Cœur d'Ardennes
Mayor	Claudine Ledoux (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	133–323 m (436–1,060 ft) (avg. 148 m/486 ft)
Land area1	31.44 km2 (12.14 sq mi)
Population2	50,876  (2008)
- Density	1,618 /km2 (4,190 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	08105/ 08000
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.

Coordinates: 49°46′19″N 4°42′58″E / 49.771911°N 4.716122°E / 49.771911; 4.716122

Charleville-Mézières (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁ.lə.vil.me.zjɛʁ]) is a commune in northern France, capital of the Ardennes department in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Charleville-Mézières is located on the banks of the Meuse River.

History

The commune of Charleville-Mézières was created in 1966 by the administrative grouping of five former communes, which already formed a single agglomeration. These communes were: Charleville, Étion, Mézières (former préfecture), Mohon and Montcy-Saint-Pierre. Another commune, Le Theux, had already been included into Mézières in 1965. It has a population of about 51,000.

Population

Historical population of Charleville-Mézières

1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851	1866
7240	7724	8430	8320	7773	8878	9875	9353	9162	11,244

1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896	1901	1906
12,676	13,759	16,185	16,906	17,390	17,805	18,772	20,702

1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954	1962
22,654	21,689	22,634	22,708	22,557	20,193	22,536	24,668

1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2008
55,343	60,176	58,667	57,008	55,490	50,876

Culture

A marionette festival (French: Le festival des marionnettes) has been held there every three years since 1961. However, starting from 2011 marks its transition to a bi-annual event. There is also a giant marionette incorporated into a building, displaying a little show every 15 minutes when working normally.

The poet Arthur Rimbaud (1854–1891) was born in Charleville. The Musée Rimbaud (Rimbaud museum) is located in the old water mill (Le Vieux Moulin) to the north of the town.

Transportation

City buses are run by TAC, Transports de l’Agglomération de Charleville-Mézières. The Gare de Charleville-Mézières railway station offers connections to Paris (by TGV), Reims, Lille, Metz and regional destinations.

Sport

OFC Charleville represent the town at association football.

Twin towns

• Nevers, France
• Mantua, Italy
• Dülmen, Germany
• Euskirchen, Germany
• Nordhausen, Germany
• Iida, Japan

See also

• Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
• Clément-Bayard
• Communes of the Ardennes department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Official website
•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Mézières". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.