Verdun (France) -- Guidebooks; Verdun, Battle of, Verdun, France, 1916
The interior arrangement of the Palais de Justice buildings, whose
façade is ornamented with a finely carved semicircular _pediment_, has
been changed. Of the old convent there now only remains the Salle des
Pas-Perdus, formerly the cloister.
The =Hôtel de la Cloche d’Or=, near by, has been installed in the
ancient “Procure” of the same monastery (St. Paul’s).
[Illustration: THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE]
The books and woodwork of the monastery have been removed to the
Municipal Library.
_Return by the Rue St. Paul to the Rue Chaussée, into which turn to the
left; at the end is the_ =Chaussée Gate= (_hist. mon._), built about
1380 (_see pp. 35 and 58_).
Its architecture recalls that of the Bastille. Half of the left tower
on the river was rebuilt in 1690, exactly on the same lines and with
the stones of the old tower; the semicircular arcade and the pediment
facing the bridge are of the same date.
The pediment between the two towers was struck by shell splinters,
otherwise the bombardments did not damage the gate.
[Illustration: THE BANKS OF THE MEUSE AND THE CATHEDRAL BEFORE THE WAR.
(_Compare with photos on pp. 35 and 37._)]
[Illustration: THE CHAUSSÉE GATE (before the War)]
_Cross the Chaussée Bridge over the Meuse, then take on the right
the Boulevard de la République, which passes in front of the Cercle
Militaire (Military Club)._
[Illustration: THE BANKS OF THE MEUSE, THE CATHEDRAL AND ST. CROIX
BRIDGE.
_Photographed from the Military Club in May, 1919._]
_Take on the left, the Rue du Puty and the Rue des Tanneries, then
the Minimes Bridge (also on the left), at the end of which is_ =St.
Saviour’s Church=.
[Illustration: ST. SAVIOUR’S CHURCH.]
The church is modern, having replaced the old Église des Minimes in
1830. It contains, however, some interesting stained-glass windows,
while at the entrance is the tomb of the founder of the old church,
Bishop Bousnard, deceased in 1584.
[Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF ST. SAVIOUR’S CHURCH.]
_Return by the Rue des Tanneries to the Rue du Puty, turn to the left,
reaching the_ =Place Chevert= _on the right bank of the Meuse (see
photo, p. 37)_.
There is a fine view of the upper town, bishop’s palace and cathedral
from this square. The latter was begun in 1552, after the Church of
St. Croix had been pulled down. A statue of _General Chevert_, by the
sculptor of the pediment of the Madeleine in Paris (Lemaire), has been
erected on the site of this church. In December, 1916, this statue was
removed to the underground vaults of the Citadelle.
[Illustration: CHEVERT SQUARE AND STATUE OF GENERAL CHEVERT.
(_Born at Verdun in 1695, General Chevert captured Prague in 1741.
After a heroic defence, he capitulated in 1743, with the honours of
War._)]
[Illustration: THE MEUSE (SEEN FROM CHEVERT SQUARE, 1916).]
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