Charleville-Mézières: Enchanting Twin Cities

The morning of my third day on a rowing tour of the Meuse river dawned bright in Charleville-Mézières. The sun was shining and fluffy white clouds filled the sky. It was a beautiful day for the second stage of this watery adventure.

A Wonderful Walking Tour

But before my companions and I returned to our boats, there was a surprise in store for us. For we were guided on a wonder-filled walking tour of these historic and enchanting twin cities straddling the Meuse. Fortunately for us, one of our support team’s volunteers just happened to be a local history teacher. So it was he who lead us on this adventure.

Gothic Yet Modern

We began on the Mézières side of the Meuse, congregating behind its impressive Gothic Hôtel de Ville – City Hall. The elaborate spires and balconies of its cupola alone were enough to make me think that a captive princess would appear at a window at any moment, pleading to be rescued. This was quite a contrast to the much more pragmatic design of the 19th-century Hôtel de Ville in Charleville which we would come across in Place Ducale a little later in our tour. It is the former that has acted as Hôtel de Ville for Charleville-Mézières since their amalgamation in 1966. Unbelievably, the city completely rebuilt this landmark after World War I. For it sustained severe damage during that epic crisis.

An Architectural Medley

We continued our stroll down Avenue d’Arches, coming across this little building that seemed somewhat out-of-place. For it was surrounded by grand, Belle Epoque era homes reminiscent of those I shared with you in my post Sedan: Champagne’s Faded Glory. With Mézières more than a century old and Charleville over 400 years, a variety of architectural styles are to be expected. Add to that its close proximity to the Belgian border and once could expect that was an influence as well. This building had a special function though. And that purpose is identified by the word OCTROI that is inscribed over the window. Octroi translates to ‘granting’ and in France, a grant was a tax on imported goods. So this Maison de l’Octroi – Granting House – was a tax house that managed the import of goods up until 1943 when the local tax was abolished.

Statuesque Saints

Further along our journey, we came upon this fountain built in honour of the founder of Charleville, Charles de Gonzague. And at its base, several of these mythological sea creatures, each mounted by a cherubic, yet somewhat threatening, figure. And a little further along, on Rue Saint Charles, several Roman goddesses greeted us. Standing on guard, each in their own alcove embedded in the building facades lining the street, these statues offer blessings and protection to city patrons. Below you can see what remains of Juno, goddess of childbirth and fertility. Look closely at her feet and you can see the peacock, now decapitated, which is traditionally associated with her.

A Paris Twin

Continuing on, Rue Saint Charles led us into the marvellous Place Ducale. One of the most beautiful Louis XIII-style squares in Europe, it is a wonderful example of early 17th-century classical French architecture. It is also the twin of the charming Place des Vosges in Paris, having been designed by Clément Métezeau, whose brother, Louis, designed that famous Paris square. Place Ducale is also home to two delightful features. The first is a lovely marble fountain which sits where the Charles de Gonzague fountain was originally situated. And the second is a romantic 19th-century carousel. We had the added delight of witnessing this pedestrian square decked out for summer with palm trees, sandy beaches and water games. This was a perfect spot to take a break and rest our feet for a bit. So we found a table at one of the cafés located beneath the arches of the gallery. And here we enjoyed a refreshing drink before moving on to the next charming area of the Charleville side of the Meuse.

New World Connection

To get there, we slipped into a tunnel in a corner of the square coming out into a smaller one. The less sophisticated architectural style of the surrounding buildings, which now house le Musée de l’Ardenne – the Ardenne Museum – reminded me of that found in Quebec City and Old Montreal.

The Great Puppeteer

Passing through another archway, we emerged onto Place Winston Churchill, the location of l’Institut International de la Marionnette – the International Puppet Institute. Yes, a school dedicated to puppetry. How magical is that? And for ten days every second September, Charleville-Mézières plays host to the World Puppet Theatre Festival. During this time, about 250 troupes from five continents present their creations to spectators. And if all that were not enough, the institute also houses a 10-metre high automaton clock called Le Grand Marionnettiste – The Great Puppeteer – who performs one of 12 puppet shows every hour on the hour. So, as we filled the square, the clock struck eleven and Le Grand Marionnettiste performed the following skit for us. No wonder Charleville-Mézières is considered the Puppet Capital of the World!

Musing on the Meuse

Totally enthralled, we made our way back through Place Ducale to the edge of the Meuse. Before us stood la Vieux Moulin – the Old Mill. This gorgeous 17th-century mill now houses one of two local museums devoted to renowned 19th century poet Arthur Rimbaud who was born and raised in Charleville. Hopefully his poem  ‘Le Bateau ivre‘ – ‘The Drunken Boat’ – would not be a sign of things to come for this crew of eager rowers.And with that, our fantastic tour of Charleville-Mézières came to an end. So we crossed the Meuse, this time via a footbridge tucked in beside la Vieux Moulin. Then we made our way back to the boathouse, inspired to begin the next leg of our incredible rowing adventure.