Varennes-en-Argonne

Varennes-en-Argonne or simply Varennes (German: Wöringen) is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est , in northeastern France.

For other uses of the name Varennes, see Varennes (disambiguation).
Varennes-en-Argonne
Commune
Tower Louis XVI and the river Aire
Coat of arms
Location of Varennes-en-Argonne
Varennes-en-Argonne
Varennes-en-Argonne
Coordinates: 49°13′37″N 5°02′06″E
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentMeuse
ArrondissementVerdun
CantonClermont-en-Argonne
IntercommunalityMontfaucon - Varennes en Argonne
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Jean-Marie Lambert
Area
1
11.81 km2 (4.56 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
655
 • Density55/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
55527 /55270
Elevation144–264 m (472–866 ft)
(avg. 195 m or 640 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Varennes-en-Argonne lies on the river Aire to the northeast of Sainte-Menehould, near Verdun.

History

It was the scene of the Flight to Varennes. In June 1791 Louis XVI, with his immediate family, made a dash for the nearest friendly border, that of the Austrian Netherlands in modern Belgium (Queen Marie-Antoinette being a sister to Leopold II, Archduke of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor). But in Varennes Louis and his family were arrested, by Citizen Drouet, the local postmaster, who had been alerted by a message received from nearby Sainte-Menehould. It is said that at Sainte-Menehould, where the escaping party had spent the previous night, a merchant alerted the town authorities of their presence after recognizing the King's face on an Assignat, as Louis tried to buy something from a shop. Once more the royal family returned to the Tuileries in humiliating captivity, and Louis and Marie-Antoinette were subsequently guillotined in 1793.

Located in the Zone rouge, Varennes was completely destroyed during the First World War but was reconstructed afterwards. The Pennsylvania Memorial, a monument for volunteers from 28th Division Pennsylvania in the First World War, was erected in Varennes during the Interwar period.

  • Arrest of Louis XVI and his Family in Varennes, 1791.
  • Ruins of Varennes in 1918.

Points of interest

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.



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