Lorraine

..the Romans had build an aquaeduct, about 2000 years ago..

...welcomed by an old weathered prilgim in Gorze. During the 10th century here was famous Gorze abbey, the center of a monastic reform movement, when Cluny was still a small, unimportant abbey in Burgundy. The monastery was founded in 749 by Bishop Chrodegang from Metz, an important friend of Pepin the Short, father of Charlemagne.

..a barge in the channel next to the Moselle...

...where the channel led into a tunnel...

......from Toul to Vaucouleurs, where I had booked a room....

....the building looked quite old. Maybe young Jeanne d’Arc passed it, walking three times from Domrémy-la-Pucelle to Vaucouleurs in 1429, to beg the town major for a horse there. In the end she got one and rode to Chinon to meet the Dauphin...

...after two days of pouring rain, the tracks got muddy...

A toy shop in Thionville, seen from a room of the "Hotel des Oliviers", located in the pedestrian area. In 2005 I passed through Thionville on my walk to Vezelay. It was my first long-distance-walk and I gave up a couple of days later in Vaucouleurs. From there I "restarted" some weeks later with better shoes and less luggage. Here are the old photos: www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/sets/72157622404290767/

Metz was a large Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul ("De Bello Gallico"). After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz (aka "Saint Arnoul"), advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for the Gorze Reform, a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Today the metropolitan area of Metz has a population of nearly 400.000 and in summertime it can get really hot here.

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m².

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m². The vaulting of the nave is about 41m. high. In France only the Gothic cathedrals of Amiens and Beauvais have higher vaultings.

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m². The vaulting of the nave is about 41m. high. In France only the Gothic cathedrals of Amiens and Beauvais have higher vaultings.

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m².

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m². A fire severely damaged the cathedral in 1877. The western portal, seen here, was created in Neo-Gothic style after the blaze.

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m². This elephant is a detail from the southwestern "Portal of the Virgin". It may well be, that the carving was created during the restoration period end of the 19th century.

The branch of the BNP Paribas ("La banque d'un monde qui change") has a really nice façade, that may not have changed very much since the building got erected.

The leading cheese-shop in Metz since three generations is meanwhile on Facebook: www.facebook.com/fromagerie.conrad www.republicain-lorrain.fr/moselle/2011/08/13/le-fromage-...

The church, today located in the center of the village, was erected mid 12th century, when it was part of a castle. A century later the church got enlarged andf later further modified.