Metz tourist information
At the confluence of two rivers, the river Moselle and the river Seille, rises a strategic hill. The funeral urns found by archaeologists indicate that men of the late bronze age settled down there. It was three thousand years ago !
During the 5th century B.C, the celtic tribe named Mediomatrics occupied the site. The gallic oppidum (sort of town) became the gallo-roman city of Divodorum Medimatricorum after Caesar's conquest of Gaul. Iron, salt, vineyards, pottery...sustained the economy of a roman province city which kept on prospering until the middle of the third century. Roads, aqueducts, roman baths, an amphitheatre of 25000 seats (the same size as Verona's ! )... indicate a first rate city. That would be partly ruined by the barbarian invasions.
At the beginning of the 6th century, Metz became the capital of the merovingian kingdom of Austrasia. In 640 Arnould, bishop of Metz died. He was the great-great grandfather of the famous Charles Martel, himself grandfather of Charles the Great. The carolingian rebirth saw Metz and its bishop Chrodegang create a plainchant school which spread gregorian chant through all Christendom.
Around the year 1000, three bishoprics were created. The bishop of Metz was a prince of the Empire and exercised all the powers. During the Middle-Ages, the bourgeoisie became emancipated. In 1179, Bertram, bishop of Metz, organized the election of the mayor. Metz, soon a republican city, would go through its wealthiest period up to the 15th century.
In 1552, Charles V besieged the city, defended by the Duke of Guise. The joining to France would be confirmed under Louis XIII, in 1648, at the end of the Thirty Years war . Metz was again fortified, and Vauban said : " Fortified places of the kingdom defend their provinces, Metz defends the State. "
Metz grew until the 19th century and made big profits with coal and steel industries and the arrival of the railway. 1870-1871 : the defeat : Metz was annexed by Germany until 1918. After half a century, the city was French again. 1940-1944 : new annexation...
After World War II, Metz developed its economy more and more and gave up step by step its strategic and military vocation. It became the capital of the Lorraine region, with 200,000 inhabitants, and is known as the city of communication and new technologies.
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