Ovillers-la-Boisselle is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France .
50-429: The commune of Ovillers-la-Boisselle is situated 22 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of Amiens and extends to the north and south of the D 929 Albert–Bapaume road. The constituent village of Ovillers-la-Boisselle (commonly shortened to "Ovillers") lies on the north of the D 929 road, north-east of Aveluy and south-west of Pozières . The constituent village of La Boisselle, which had 35 houses in 1914, lies across
100-501: A better rotation of vehicles in the streets and reduce permanent occupation of public space by the cars cluttering the highway. Amiens was once served by two tram lines [ fr ] with a combined length of 10.7 kilometres (6.6 mi), opened in 1887. They intersected at Place Gambetta , one linking La Madeleine Cemetery [ fr ] , the Church of Saint-Acheul , Cagnard bridge, Rue de Noyon and Rue Jules-Barni ;
150-520: A defeat for most municipal and community carriers of the project, the new mayor of Amiens Brigitte Fouré , and by extension the new president of Amiens Métropole Alain Gest , decided to suspend the project at least during the time of their respective mandates, thus applying a campaign promise (the tram was at the heart of debate) and despite a project announcement of trams on tyres (of TVR type). Improvement of public transit would then be only by that of
200-517: A natural narrowing of the river due to the advance of the rim of the Picard plateau in Saint-Pierre ( ford crossing ). The Amiens citadel is built on this limestone butte of the Picard plateau and Rue Saint-Pierre is a slightly inclined path to leave the city from the north. At this narrowing, a network of narrow canals led to the construction of bridges and buildings including textile mills in
250-528: A puff pastry tart made with leeks and cream. The first known settlement at this location was Samarobriva ("Somme bridge"), the central settlement of the Ambiani tribe, one of the principal tribes of Gaul . The Romans named the town Ambianum, meaning settlement of the Ambiani people. Amiens was part of Francia starting from the 5th century. The Normans sacked the city in 859 and again in 882. In 1113,
300-461: A result of numerous studies and conferences, elected representatives voted for the creation of a tram at the municipal Council of 15 November 2012. The project had been endorsed by the Communauté d'agglomération Amiens Métropole on 18 December 2012 and the commissioning of a first north–south tram route was scheduled for 2018/2019. Following the elections of 2014 [ fr ] , which were
350-651: A significant amount of tourism is based. Apart from the cathedral, there are the hortillonnages [ fr ] , the Jules Verne House [ fr ] , the Tour Perret , the Musée de Picardie , the zoo [ fr ] , and the Saint-Leu and Saint-Maurice neighborhoods. A total of 60 monuments are listed in the inventory of monuments historiques , over 1600 places and monuments listed in
400-550: A stopover for leisure boats, which must go through a lock. The walls of the city's former dye factory are now those of the École supérieure d'art et de design d'Amiens [ fr ] (ESAD) as well as those of the Faculty of Arts. The École supérieure d'ingénieurs en électronique et électrotechnique (ESIEE) is in the same neighborhood. As the Citadelle, it will be renovated by the architect Renzo Piano to accommodate
450-417: Is private property and not open to the public. Amiens Amiens ( English: / æ ˈ m j æ̃ / or / ˈ æ m i ə n z / AM -ee-ənz ; French: [amjɛ̃] ; Picard : Anmien , Anmiens or Anmyin ) is a city and commune in northern France, located 120 km (75 mi) north of Paris and 100 km (62 mi) south-west of Lille . It
500-644: Is for students. The area became the heart of the Amiens people's evenings, with many establishments (bars, restaurants, etc.) on Place du Don and Quai Bélu . The church is found at Rue Saint-Leu , located just between the Faculty of Science and Law-Economy (UPJV). Two theatres were established in the neighborhood, that of the Chés Cabotans (puppet shows in the Picard language ) and the Maison du Théâtre at
550-443: Is served by: Amiens is served by several motorways: According to the urban transport plan (PDU) approved 19 December 2013 for the period 2013–2023 parking supply is considered abundant in Amiens. Although important, demand for parking is less than what is available (capacity reserves are still 20% minimum: If the road is sometimes saturated, the occupancy rate of the underground parking remains globally less than 100%). In 2013,
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#1732797891781600-511: Is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France and had a population of 135,429, as of 2021. A central landmark of the city is Amiens Cathedral , the largest Gothic cathedral in France. Amiens also has one of the largest university hospitals in France, with a capacity of 1,200 beds. The author Jules Verne lived in Amiens from 1871 until his death in 1905, and served on
650-435: Is where archaeological excavations in the nineteenth century discovered prehistoric tool sets typical of the " Acheulean " prehistorical era, named after this neighborhood (also spelled Acheulian, pronounced [aʃœljɑ̃] ). Civilians can freely visit the archaeological garden there. Pierre Dufau Pierre Dufau (21 June 1908 – 26 September 1985) was a French architect . He is particularly known for his work on
700-713: The La Boisselle Project , a long-term archaeological, historical, technological and genealogical study with special focus on L'îlot de La Boisselle , a 3.12-hectare (7.7-acre) historic site on the south-western tip of La Boisselle which was known during World War I as L'îlot to the French, Granathof to the Germans and Glory Hole to the British. The site still holds mine craters as well as traces of trenches, shelters and tunnels related to underground warfare, but
750-662: The Avre . The Selle enters from the northwest of Amiens, with two arms (including the Haute Selle) passing behind the Unicorn Stadium, the exhibition park, the megacity and horse racing track, then passing the end of the Promenade de la Hotoie and the zoo of Amiens, and to the right of the water treatment plant, in front of the island Sainte-Aragone, opposite the cemetery of La Madeleine in Amiens. The city developed in
800-514: The Gare d'Amiens train station and nearby Tour Perret . Amiens, once regional prefecture of the former Picardy Region, is the prefecture of the Somme department, one of the three departments (with Oise and Aisne ) in the region. Located in the Paris Basin , the city benefits from a privileged geographical position, with close proximity to Paris, Lille , Rouen , London and Brussels . At
850-535: The Haute-Picardie TGV station , allows access to the TGV network. It is served by buses from Amiens. Its isolated character earned it the name of gare des betteraves , or gare betteraves , at the time of its construction. In addition to Amiens – Glisy Aerodrome , bordering the town's eastern edge 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the center, there are several airports nearby. The Somme canal runs through
900-560: The Middle Ages . The marshes of the old bed of the river Somme was used to dig peat. Farmers maintained rieux, canals and ditches by cleaning out the silt and used it to append to their vegetable garden plot. During the 20th century maintenance of the canals was stopped and gardens were gradually left to lie fallow or sold to private individuals who created pleasure gardens accessible by boat. The hydrographic network has always been an important city-operated asset. The river helped shape
950-639: The River Somme to the east of the city and allows circumvention of the city by motorway-type roads. The A16 and A29 autoroutes, the RN1 and the RN25 form a bypass-type motorway around the city that the population has called the Rocade d'Amiens [ fr ] or Amiens ring road. Initially constituting national roads which are downgraded today, mostly as departmental roads, the greater urban area of Amiens
1000-477: The Second World War . In the aftermath, the city was rebuilt according to Pierre Dufau 's plans with wider streets to ease traffic congestion. These newer structures were primarily built of brick, concrete and white stone with slate roofs. The architect Auguste Perret designed the Gare d'Amiens train station and nearby Tour Perret . Amiens has an important historical and cultural heritage, on which
1050-728: The TGV Haute-Picardie station also provides access to the Charles-de-Gaulle Airport station . On the horizon of 2025, the Roissy–Picardie Link will put Amiens 55 minutes from Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport and its TGV station. By train, Amiens is located at: Since antiquity, Amiens has been a crossroads of important routes. The contemporary city is served by the A16 and A29 autoroutes. The Jules Verne Viaduct , 943 metres (3,094 ft) long, crosses
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#17327978917811100-727: The Western Front ran through the commune, and its villages were completely destroyed. In 1916, the commune was the site of particularly heavy fighting during the Battle of the Somme (see Ovillers-la-Boisselle in World War I ). After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 , the former inhabitants returned and gradually rebuilt most of the infrastructure as it had been before the war. In 2011, British researchers around Peter Barton started
1150-482: The general inventory of cultural heritage , and 187 objects listed in the inventory of monuments historiques. During December, the town hosts the largest Christmas market in northern France. It is known for a few local foods, including " macarons d'Amiens ", almond paste biscuits; "tuiles amienoises", chocolate and orange curved biscuits; "pâté de canard d'Amiens", duck pâté in pastry; "la ficelle Picarde", an oven-baked cheese-topped crêpe ; and " flamiche aux poireaux ",
1200-473: The 1960s, has been renovated and expanded on occasion. The Faculty of Law and Economics has also been transferred since the mid-1990s from the campus (offset to the south of the city) to its new location at the foot of the cathedral. The open-air parking it replaces was a "gap" in the landscape dating from World War II . Nonetheless, it allowed an unobstructed view of the cathedral. Most of the buildings have been renovated and transformed into housing much of which
1250-555: The D 929, to the south-west of Ovillers at the junction of the D 104 to Contalmaison . The village of La Boisselle is a settlement dating back to pre-Roman times, and the D 929 Albert–Bapaume road follows the course of a Roman road . During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), the area suffered serious damage after the Battle of Bapaume . In World War I , the area was the site of intense and sustained fighting between German and Allied forces. Between 1914 and 1916,
1300-484: The Longueau bus survived. A few old Parisian buses were also used in an extremely reduced service. These buses as well as the surviving bus were then converted to city gas and equipped with tanks on the roof covered by a huge white dome. This service continued until approximately 1946. There were only two urban lines: An east–west line (Saint-Acheul – Montieres) and a northeast–southwest line (Beauville – road to Rouen). It
1350-416: The agglomeration of Amiens. The establishment of dedicated bus lanes began in 2006. Former Mayor Gilles de Robien had envisioned the creation of a tram [ fr ] , but the choice of dedicated bus lanes had been preferred for reasons of cost and patronage. His successor, Mayor Gilles Demailly [ fr ] , had been considering the development of a TSCP in the metropolitan area. As
1400-403: The altitude varies between 14 and 106 metres (46 and 348 ft). The main stem of the River Somme passes through Amiens and is generally benign, except during exceptional floods that can last up to several weeks (such as in spring 2001). It is also, on its southeastern outskirts, close to Camon and Longueau , the confluence with its main tributary on the left bank (to the south), and
1450-647: The bus network. Indeed, in December of the same year, the Community Council approved funding for a study (the sixth in 20 years) relating to the establishment of a rapid transit bus network (BHNS), which should enter into service in March 2019, and whose vehicles could be electric. Amiens has developed two bike services: Buscyclette and Velam [ fr ] . In 2012, Amiens Métropole had 100 kilometres (62 mi) of routes for cyclists. Despite
1500-661: The change of majority, the Gilles Demailly [ fr ] team launched a consultation with the population. From 2011, residential parking was extended to the Gare-La-Vallée and Riolan neighborhoods, then in 2012 to the Noyon neighborhood and the area east of the Riolan sector. In 2014, 2,600 parking spaces were affected by this system which allowed city residents more parking near their homes in order to promote
1550-479: The city council for 15 years. Amiens is the birthplace of French president Emmanuel Macron . The town was fought over during both World Wars, suffering significant damage, and was repeatedly occupied by both sides. The 1918 Battle of Amiens was the opening phase of the Hundred Days Offensive which directly led to the Armistice with Germany . The Royal Air Force heavily bombed the town during
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1600-499: The city counted approximately 70,000 public parking spaces, including 8,400 in the city center and in its immediate vicinity, where 70% of places are paid. As of 2007 , a residential parking system has been deployed in Saint-Anne ward to cope with congestion in the streets caused by SNCF railway station users. During the campaign for the municipal election of 2008 , parking was one of the important topics of debate. A year after
1650-468: The city to Boulogne-sur-Mer . During the 1870 Battle of Amiens , the city was occupied by invading Prussian forces. The town was fought over during both the First and Second World Wars, suffering significant damage and being occupied several times by both sides. The 1918 Battle of Amiens was the opening phase of the Hundred Days Offensive which led directly to the Armistice with Germany that ended
1700-521: The city was recognized by King Louis VI of France , and in 1185 it was linked to the Crown of France. In 1597, Spanish soldiers held the city during the six-month Siege of Amiens , before Henry IV regained control. During the 18th and 19th century, the textile tradition of Amiens became famous for its velours . As a result of the French Revolution , the provinces of France were dismantled and
1750-419: The crossroads of major European routes of travel ( A1 , A16 and A29 ), the city is also at the heart of a major rail star. As the crow flies , the city is 115 kilometres (71 mi) north of Paris, 97 kilometres (60 mi) south-west of Lille, 100 kilometres (62 mi) north-east of Rouen, 162 kilometres (101 mi) east-north-east of Le Havre and 144 kilometres (89 mi) north-west of Reims . At
1800-676: The deployment of parking facilities over the entire territory of the city, close to the facilities frequented by bikers, as well as cyclist right-turns [ fr ] at traffic lights or even the maintenance of existing facilities. There are three railway stations: Connections from these two stations include to Lille via Arras and Douai , to Boulogne via Abbeville , to Paris-Nord via Creil or Compiègne , to Reims via Tergnier , and to Rouen . Many regional and extra regional links (Normandie, Grand Est and Île-de-France) pass through Amiens, especially by TER Hauts-de-France . A station located 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Amiens,
1850-439: The development of a bicycle plan in 1997 which was planning the development of 500 kilometres (310 mi) of equipped cycleways, the network of the territory in terms of paths is still incomplete. The blueprint of the bicycle facilities of the agglomeration (SDAC) provides, over a period of 10 years (2014–2024), for 188 kilometres (117 mi) of cycle routes and equips 490 sites for the parking of bikes. This plan also includes
1900-663: The foot of the Saint-Leu Church. There is also La Lune des Pirates , a concert hall. Located to the west of the Citadelle , and east of the La Madeleine Cemetery [ fr ] , this very old working-class neighborhood of Amiens acted as an industrial center in the 18th century. It is currently undergoing significant housing renovation and development. Bordered by the Canal de la Somme , it offers
1950-511: The foot of the cathedral, traversed by canals, this picturesque area was largely rehabilitated during the 1990s. It extends to the Somme canal, located more to the north, at the foot of the Coteau Saint-Pierre on which the fortress of Jean Errard , called Citadelle , was built. Historically, it was the poor neighborhood of the city, where butchers, tanners and dyers gathered. Amiens University's Faculty of Sciences, present since
2000-494: The identity of the landscape, urban and economic territory. It is around the Saint-Leu and Saint-Maurice neighborhoods that border the River Somme, as well as most of the administrative and civil area of the current city center which the city has developed since antiquity . The Canal de la Somme dates from the beginning of the 19th century and the bridge at the foot of the citadel was built after World War II . Amiens has
2050-534: The other from the Church of Saint-Pierre at the racecourse, by the streets of Saint-Leu, Frédéric-Petit and Colbert. Electrified in 1899, the network grew to seven lines totaling 19 kilometres (12 mi) in 1906. From 1932, Longueau was linked to Amiens by a bus service. German bombing in 1940 destroyed most of the city center and hit the Jules-Ferry Road tram depot, totally destroying the tram fleet. Only
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2100-399: The regional level, Amiens is located 53 kilometres (33 mi) north of Beauvais , 71 kilometres (44 mi) west of Saint-Quentin , 66 kilometres (41 mi) from Compiègne and 102 kilometres (63 mi) from Laon . In area, Amiens is the third-largest settlement in the Somme, after Crécy-en-Ponthieu and Hornoy-le-Bourg . The area of the commune is 4,946 hectares (12,220 acres);
2150-422: The territory was organised into departments . Much of Picardy became the newly created department of Somme with Amiens as the departmental capital. During the industrial revolution , the city walls were demolished, opening up space for large boulevards around the town center. The Henriville neighborhood in the south of the city was developed around this time. In 1848, the first railway arrived in Amiens, linking
2200-466: The town to the English Channel . This canal is linked to the Canal du Nord (Paris to Lille metropolitan area). Amiens comprises a number of neighborhoods ( French : quartiers ) with their own characteristics, including Saint-Leu, St-Maurice, Henriville, and Saint-Acheul. St-Leu forms part of Amiens, north of the city center. It has many older wooden and brick houses and several canals. At
2250-594: The typical oceanic climate of the north of France, with relatively mild winters, cool summers, and rainfall well distributed throughout the year. Amiens is a hub between the Île de France and the rest of northern France; Normandy and Benelux ; and France and Great Britain. Amiens is not directly on principal European road and rail arteries, such as the A1 motorway and the Paris-Lille TGV train line, at present. However, due to its position halfway between
2300-584: The university departments (UFR) of: letters, history and geography, languages, the École supérieure du professorat et de l'éducation [ fr ] (ESPE), the House of Languages, the House of Research and the University Library in 2015. The Jardin des plantes [ fr ] , known as the Jardin du Roy within the city, is also located in this neighborhood. The Henriville neighborhood
2350-436: The urban areas of Lille and Paris, Amiens has good conditions for service and accessibility, including motorways (at the junction of the A16 and A29 ). Amiens station is served by regional train services to destinations that include Rouen, Calais, Lille, Reims, Compiègne and Paris-Nord. Saint-Roch (Somme) station in the western part of the city is served by local trains towards Rouen and Abbeville. A regular bus route with
2400-469: The war. In June 1944 following D-Day , Amiens was heavily bombed by the Royal Air Force. The town was liberated by British forces on 31 August. The city was rebuilt according to Pierre Dufau 's plans with a focus on widening the streets to ease traffic congestion. These newer structures were primarily built of brick, concrete and white stone with slate roofs. The architect Auguste Perret designed
2450-527: Was decided after the war to serve the city by a trolleybus with one route to Longueau. This was only in part realized, serving Saint-Acheul, Rouen, La Madeleine and Saint-Pierre. In 1964, trolleybuses were abandoned and the bus became ubiquitous in Amiens transportation. The current public transport network [ fr ] consists of a bus network managed by the Ametis mixed economy company [ fr ] , whose network covers Amiens Métropole ,
2500-604: Was mostly built during the 19th century after the demolition of the city wall. It lies at the south of the town center. It has numerous bourgeois houses and townhouses , predominantly in brick, blending architectural styles of the period, including neoclassical , troubadour and neo-Gothic . There are also private mansions, such as the Acloque mansion and the house of Jules Verne . The Saint-Acheul neighborhood( IPA: [sɛ̃t‿aʃœl] ) existed before Amiens' inception, as people have lived there since prehistoric times. This
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