The entrance to the =Citadelle= opens on the Esplanade de la Roche, while the Citadelle proper occupies the site of the ancient =Abbey= and =Church of St. Vanne=, erected in the Merovingian Period and 15th century on the hill where, in the days of Clovis, the Dragon with poisoned breath was said to live. According to the legend St. Vanne first tamed the dragon, then led it to the River Meuse, where it was drowned. [Illustration: THE CITADEL BUILDINGS AFTER THE BOMBARDMENTS OF 1916 (_Photographed in 1917_)] The first Citadelle was begun in 1552, continued under Henri IV. by Errard, and finished in 1630 under Governor Marillac. The second was the work of Vauban (1670–1682). The church of St. Vanne was included and preserved in both citadelles, but was later pulled down (1831–1835) by order of the Military Authorities. The old Gothic cloister was spared and turned into barracks in 1835. It was destroyed by the German bombardment during the siege of 1870. Of the Abbey, only a square Roman Tower of the 11th century remains (_see photo below_). [Illustration: THE CITADEL AND ST. VANNE TOWER, WITH WIRELESS ANTENNA.] [Illustration: THE CITADEL RAMPARTS AND NEUVE GATE. (_Entrance to the town by the G. C. 34, continued by the Rue de Rû. See coloured plan between pp. 30 and 31._)] [Illustration: DORMITORY IN THE CASEMATES.] The Citadel during the War During the late War, the Citadelle was often a target for the German heavy guns, but its deep underground vaults provided secure shelter for the population before the general evacuation, as also for the public services and reinforcements. Most of the regiments which took part in the battles of 1916 passed through the Citadelle. It was in one of the casemates that the President of France, M. Poincaré, handed to the Municipal Authorities of Verdun, on September 13th, 1916, the decorations conferred on that City by the Chiefs of State of the Allied countries (_see p. 30_). [Illustration: CO-OPERATIVE CANTEEN IN THE CITADEL.] _On leaving the Citadelle, turn to the right immediately after the entrance and follow the glacis which passes underneath the terraces of the Bishop’s Palace. After a sharp turning near the Manutention, the tourist arrives at the_ =Rue de Rû=. _Take the latter as far as the_ =Rue des Gros-Degrés=, one of the most picturesque streets of Old Verdun, which also suffered greatly from the German bombardment. It is composed of eighty steps, divided into seven unequal flights, with a hand-rail erected in 1595. _The photograph opposite was taken from the bottom of the stairs._ [Illustration: THE RUE DES GROS-DEGRÉS.] _Take on the right the Rue du Pont des Augustins and cross the curious canal_ of the same name (_photo below_) to visit the Lower Town, which is crowded with picturesque old streets and narrow bridges over the winding canals. [Illustration: THE CANAL DES AUGUSTINS.] _Return to the_ =Place Mazel=.