16-683: Vitry-en-Artois ( French: [vitʁi ɑ̃n‿aʁtwɑ] ; literally "Vitry in Artois "; Picard : Vitry-in-Artoé or Vitry-la-Gueule ) is a commune and in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France . Vitry-en-Artois is situated some 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Arras , at the junction of the N50, D39 and the D42 roads. The river Scarpe flows through
32-470: A role in legislative elections, especially during the Third Republic . In 1926, 106 arrondissements were suppressed by the government. While it claimed it was to achieve fiscal savings, some political analysts considered the results electoral manipulation. Some of these suppressed arrondissements were restored in 1942. The most recent creations and disestablishments of arrondissements are listed in
48-811: A separate agreement with Philip II . Artois remained with the Spanish Netherlands until it was conquered by France during the Franco-Spanish War . The annexation was acknowledged during the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, and it became a French province. Artois had already been largely French-speaking, but it was part of the Southern Netherlands until the French annexation. Artois experienced rapid industrial development during
64-460: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Artois Artois ( / ɑːr ˈ t w ɑː / ar- TWAH , French: [aʁtwɑ] ; Dutch : Artesië ; Picard : Artoé; English adjective: Artesian ) is a region of northern France . Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities include Arras (Dutch: Atrecht ), Saint-Omer , Lens , and Béthune . It
80-416: Is the eponym for the term Artesian . Artois occupies the interior of the Pas-de-Calais département , the western part of which constitutes the former Boulonnais . Artois roughly corresponds to the arrondissements of Arras , Béthune , Saint Omer , and Lens , and the eastern part of the arrondissement of Montreuil . It occupies the western end of the coalfield which stretches eastward through
96-459: Is the third level of administrative division in France generally corresponding to the territory overseen by a subprefect . As of 2023, the 101 French departments are divided into 333 arrondissements (including 13 overseas). The capital of an arrondissement is called a subprefecture . When an arrondissement contains the prefecture (capital) of the department, that prefecture is the capital of
112-673: The Ancien Régime , notably by the intendant of the généralité of Brittany , Caze de La Bove , in his Mémoire concernant les subdélégués de l'intendance de Bretagne in 1775. The arrondissements were created after the French Revolution by the Loi du 28 pluviôse in the year VIII of the Republican Calendar (17 February 1800) and replaced "districts". In certain periods in French history, they have served
128-550: The area. It was occupied by the Romans , until around the year 360 AD when Saint-Martin built a church here. Aerial photography has revealed an isolated circular ditch monument at Vitry. The Merovingian villa of Vitry was an important Neustrian seat, preferred to Arras . At Vitry, even as the nobles of Neustria were raising Sigibert I in triumph on his shield, he was murdered by hirelings of his brother Chilperic 's third wife, Fredegunda , November–December 575. His son,
144-496: The arrondissement, acting both as a prefecture and as a subprefecture. Arrondissements are further divided into communes . The term arrondissement can be roughly translated into English as district. Some municipalities in Quebec are divided into arrondissements, reflecting the province’s historical link to New France . The administration of an arrondissement is assigned to a subprefect ( French : sous-préfet ) who assists
160-524: The battle of Pont-Noyelles . During the First World War , the population took refuge in the network of shelters and tunnels of the town. The destruction sustained on April 12, 1917 left the town completely destroyed, with 768 buildings gone and only 5 left standing. On 23 September 1920, the town received the Croix de guerre . This Arras arrondissement, Pas-de-Calais geographical article
176-802: The death of the fourth duke, Charles the Bold , Artois was inherited by the Habsburgs and passed to the dynasty's Spanish line. After the religious revolts of 1566 in the Netherlands, Artois briefly entered the Dutch Revolt in 1576, participating in the Pacification of Ghent until it formed the Union of Atrecht in 1579. After the Union of Atrecht, Artois and Hainaut (Dutch: Henegouwen ) reached
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#1732772580204192-486: The departmental prefect ( préfet ). Unlike French regions , departments and communes, arrondissements do not have the status of legal entity in public law . In addition, unlike those other administrative divisions, they are not run by elected officials, but by political appointees, officials appointed by the French president . The concept of arrondissements was proposed several times as an administrative reform during
208-699: The infant Clotaire II was taken to safety from the palace at Cambrai to Vitry to be raised in seclusion and security, according to Gregory of Tours . In the Middle Ages , Vitry became a strategic place, because the river could be used to flood the defensive border of the city of Douai and ensure the functioning of its windmills . During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870–1871, French General Faidherbe briefly established his headquarters in Vitry-en-Artois (from 25 to 31 December 1870) after
224-407: The neighbouring Nord département and across central Belgium . Originally a feudal county itself, Artois was annexed by the county of Flanders . It came to France in 1180 as a dowry of a Flemish princess, Isabelle of Hainaut , and was again made a separate county in 1237 for Robert , a grandson of Isabelle. Through inheritance, Artois came under the rule of the dukes of Burgundy in 1384. At
240-589: The second half of the 19th century, fueled by its rich coal resources. During World War I , the front line between the opposing Central Powers and Allied armies in France ran through the province, resulting in enormous physical damage. Since the second half of the 20th century, Artois has suffered along with nearby areas because of the decline of the coal industry. 50°30′N 2°30′E / 50.500°N 2.500°E / 50.500; 2.500 Arrondissements of France An arrondissement ( French pronunciation: [aʁɔ̃dismɑ̃] )
256-584: The town, which is also served by the SNCF railway. The World War II German airfield was later used by the Americans, then after the war, was put to commercial use as the local aerodrome . The origin of the name comes from the Celtic , ‘’Vic’’ which means "castle" and ‘Ac’’ which means "at the water's edge". It appears later as "Victoriacum" mentioned in the 7th century. Middle Stone Age tools have been found in
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