Cambra

For the first time, the Roman colony Cameracum , located on the site of the present Cambrai, is mentioned in the Roman table of the 4th century Tabula Peutingeriana. The city was part of the territory on which the Nervian tribe lived (according to some sources - German , according to others - Celtic ). In the middle of the 4th century, after a series of Franks raids, the Romans built a chain of forts along the road from Cologne via Bavé to Boulogne . One of these forts was Cambrai, which gave it important strategic importance. In the middle of the 5th century, the city ​​became the capital of the Nervies instead of Bavas, destroyed by the Franks. Around the same time, Christianity came to these places, the episcopacy of the same name was formed.

Cambrai turned into a prosperous city during the Merovingian period, when the bishoprics of Arras and Cambrai were united with the center in the latter. Under the Verdun Treaty of 843, Cambrai became part of the Kingdom of Lorraine . After the death in 869 of King Lothar II , who did not leave children, King of the Western Francs Charles III Tolstoy decided to seize his possessions, as a result of which Cambrai became a part of the West Frankish Kingdom for a short period. In 925, King Henry I of the Fowlers recaptured the territory of Lorraine from the Franks, and Cambrai belonged to the Holy Roman Empire until 1677, when it was captured by Louis XIV .

In the Middle Ages, the region around Cambrai, the so-called. Cambresi, received the status of a county. The feud between the count and Bishop of Cambrai forced Emperor Otto I in 948 to transfer to the bishop power over the city; in 1007, Emperor Henry II extended the power of the bishop to the entire territory of Cambresi, which gave the bishopric of Cambrai the status of an independent state within the empire.

In 958, one of the first communes in Europe was formed in Cambrai. The townspeople repeatedly rebelled against the authority of the bishop, these revolts were suppressed, and in 1226 the inhabitants of Cambrai renounced their rights and recognized the authority of the bishop in exchange for maintaining some freedom in running the city.

In 1339, at the very beginning of the Hundred Years War, the English king Edward III besieged the city, but could not take it. By the middle of the 15th century, the territory of the bishopric was surrounded on all sides by the lands of the duchy of Burgundy , and Jean of Burgundy, the illegitimate son of the duke Jean the Fearless , was appointed bishop of Cambrai. The inevitable takeover of Cambrai by Burgundy was prevented only by the sudden death of the Duke Karl the Bold in 1477. Louis XI did not miss the opportunity to capture Cambrai, but a year later he was forced to leave him.

When Bruges became the economic center of northern Europe, Cambrai's economic and cultural growth slowed down. However, due to its neutrality and location on the border of France and the Habsburg Empire, Cambrai has repeatedly been the venue for important negotiations. In 1508, the so-called. Cambrian League , an alliance formed by Pope Julius II against the Republic of Venice . The alliance ceased to exist in 1510, when the pope and Venice united against France. The conflict resulted in the so-called. The Cambrian League War , which lasted from 1508 to 1515. Cambrai also became a venue for negotiations in 1529, the result of which was France's withdrawal from the Cognac League War .

In 1543, Cambrai was captured by Emperor Charles V. On his orders, the medieval monastery was destroyed, and a citadel was built in its place.

In 1677, King Louis XIV, in the process of strengthening the borders of France, decided to capture Cambrai and personally led his siege. The city was taken on April 19, 1677. Under the Nimvegen Treaty of 1678, Spain relinquished rights to Cambrai, and has since been owned by France.

During the French Revolution, many noble townspeople were executed and religious buildings demolished: in 1797, the building of the old Cathedral of Cambrai was sold to a merchant who dismantled it into stones. Only the main tower survived, but in 1809 it was destroyed by a hurricane .

In August 1914 , during the First World War , was occupied by the Germans . In the area of ​​the city, in the battle of November 20 - December 6, 1917 , the British command first used a massive tank attack (476 units) to break through the German positional defense (see Battle of Cambrai (1917) ).

• Notre Dame de Grasse Cathedral , residence of the Archbishop of Cambrai, in a classic style. The main building of the cathedral dates back to 1703, the tower was restored after the destruction in 1876. In the cathedral is the tomb of Bishop Cambrai François Fenelon , writer and educator of the grandchildren of King Louis XIV , as well as the famous icon, the so-called. The Cumbre Madonna
• Church of Saint-Jerry XVII-XVIII centuries in the classical style with a painting by Rubens "Burial"
• Beffroy (bell tower) of the 16th century Cambrai , the former tower of the church of St. Martin. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site
• The building of the city hall (town hall) of the 30s of the XX century with a bell tower. On the bell tower are statues of Martin and Martin , symbols of Cambrai.
• Remains of fortifications and the fortress wall: citadel, Paris gate , Notre Dame gate , Saint-Fiacre tower, Arquette tower
• Chateau de Cel , XI century fort

Transport node. The production of lace, cambric, knitwear, as well as products from them (mainly underwear) is developed.

Employment structure:

• agriculture - 0.4%
• industry - 7.2%
• construction - 4.9%
• trade, transport and services - 42.1%
• state and municipal services - 45.4%

The unemployment rate ( 2013 ) is 23.6% (France as a whole - 12.8%, the Nor department - 17.2%).
The average annual income per person, euro ( 2013 ) - 16 977 (France as a whole - 25 140, Department of Nor - 18 575).

Since 1992, the Cambrai administration has been headed by a representative of the right-wing Party, Get Up, France, a member of the Union of Democrats and Independents bloc, and a member of the National Assembly in the 18th constituency of the department, Nor Francois-Xavier Villain.

Population dynamics, people

•   Pushkin (city) , Russia
•   Houme , Louisiana , USA
•   Chatogue , Quebec , Canada
•   Camp Lintfort , Germany
•   Esztergom , Hungary
•   Gravesend , UK

• National Institute of Statistics
• 2014 municipal election results

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  Beffroix Cambrai

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  The belfry of the city hall with the figures of Martin and Martina

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  Church of Saint-Jerry

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  Jesuit College

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  Notre Dame Gate

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  Paris gate

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  Citadel

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  Chateau de cel

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  Monument to Louis Bleriot

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  The surviving part of the episcopal palace