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Varennes-en-Argonne Latitude and Longitude:
49°13′37″N 5°02′06″E / 49.2269°N 5.035°E / 49.2269; 5.035
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Varennes-en-Argonne
Commune
Tower Louis XVI and the river Aire
Tower Louis XVI and the river Aire
Coat of arms of Varennes-en-Argonne
Coat of arms
Location of Varennes-en-Argonne
Varennes-en-Argonne is located in France
Varennes-en-Argonne
Varennes-en-Argonne
Varennes-en-Argonne is located in Grand Est
Varennes-en-Argonne
Varennes-en-Argonne
Coordinates: 49°13′37″N 5°02′06″E / 49.2269°N 5.035°E / 49.2269; 5.035
Country France
Region Grand Est
Department Meuse
Arrondissement Verdun
Canton Clermont-en-Argonne
IntercommunalityArgonne-Meuse
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Philippe Fosseprez [1]
Area
1
11.81 km2 (4.56 sq mi)
Population
 (2021) [2]
633
 • Density54/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+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.

Varennes-en-Argonne (French pronunciation: [vaʁɛn ɑ̃.n‿aʁɡɔn], literally Varennes in Argonne) or simply Varennes (German: Wöringen) is a commune in the Meuse department in the Grand Est region in Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 639.

Geography

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

History

Varennes is most notable as was the ending point of the Flight to Varennes. In June 1791, Louis XVI and 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). In Varennes, Louis and his family were arrested by Jean-Baptiste 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. The royal family was 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.
    Arrest of Louis XVI and his Family in Varennes, 1791.
  • Ruins of Varennes in 1918.
    Ruins of Varennes in 1918.

Points of interest

See also

References

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
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