Sens
Encyclopedia
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Yonne
Yonne
Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Burgundy in eastern France and its prefecture is Auxerre. Its official number is 89....
department in Burgundy in north-central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Sens is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is crossed by the Yonne
Yonne River
The Yonne is a river in France, left tributary of the Seine. It is 292 km long. The river gives its name to the Yonne département. Its source is in the Nièvre département, in the Morvan hills near Château-Chinon...
and the Vanne
Vanne
Vanne is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
, which empties into the Yonne here.
History
Caesar mentions Agedincum in the territory of the SenonesSenones
The Senones were an ancient Gaulish tribe.In about 400 BC they crossed the Alps and, having driven out the Umbrians settled on the east coast of Italy from Forlì to Ancona, in the so-called ager Gallicus, and founded the town of Sena Gallica , which became their capital. In 391 BC they invaded...
several times in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico
Commentarii de Bello Gallico
Commentarii de Bello Gallico is Julius Caesar's firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, written as a third-person narrative. In it Caesar describes the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent fighting local armies in Gaul that opposed Roman domination.The "Gaul" that Caesar...
, and the city retains the skeleton of its Roman street-plan. The site was referred to by Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus was a fourth-century Roman historian. He wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Antiquity...
as Senones (oppidum Senonas) but it did not become an administrative center until after the reorganization of the Roman Empire in 375
Tetrarchy
The term Tetrarchy describes any system of government where power is divided among four individuals, but usually refers to the tetrarchy instituted by Roman Emperor Diocletian in 293, marking the end of the Crisis of the Third Century and the recovery of the Roman Empire...
, when it was the chief town of Lugdunensis Quarta
Gallia Lugdunensis
Gallia Lugdunensis was a province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic territory of Gaul. It is named after its capital Lugdunum , possibly Roman Europe's major city west of Italy, and a major imperial mint...
.
During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, its archbishops held the prestigious role of Primates of Gaul and Germany. The Hôtel de Sens
Hôtel de Sens
The Hôtel de Sens is a city palace in the Marais, in the IVe arrondissement of Paris, France.It was originally owned by the archbishops of Sens. The building is in between late Gothic and early Renaissance style, and now houses the Forney art library. This mansion is one of three medieval private...
in Paris was their official residence in that city. Starting from 1135, the cathedral of Sens, dedicated to Saint Stephen, was rebuilt as one of the first Gothic cathedral
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
s; there, in 1234 Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
celebrated his wedding to Marguerite of Provence
Marguerite of Provence
Margaret of Provence was Queen of France as the consort of King Louis IX of France.She was the eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy.-Family:...
. Sens witnessed the trial of Peter Abelard
Peter Abelard
Peter Abelard was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician. The story of his affair with and love for Héloïse has become legendary...
, Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
sojourned for some time in the city, and there also Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
spent part of his exile. The Archdiocese of Sens
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sens
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sens is a Latin Rite Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic church in France. The Archdiocese comprises the department of Yonne, in the region of Bourgogne. Established in the first century AD as the Diocese of Senonensis, the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese in...
hosted a number of Church councils.
Sens lived troublesome times during the Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
.
Main sights
- The Cathedral, one of the first Gothic edifices in France.
- Archbishops' Palace.
- Church of St. Maurice.
- House of Abraham.
- Museum.
- Serres municipales de SensSerres municipales de SensThe Serres municipales de Sens are municipal greenhouses located in the Parc du Moulin à Tan at 28, Chemin de Babie, Sens, Yonne, Bourgogne, France. They are open every afternoon without charge....
, municipal greenhouseGreenhouseA greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s
Sports
Sens is one of a few French towns with a youth baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team. Originally started by a local English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, Laurent Carpentier, as a way to increase student motivation for learning English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and to introduce students to American culture. Since the team's beginning, baseball in general has grown in popularity in the town.
Notable people
- It is the presumed birthplace of the 12th-century architect William of SensWilliam of SensWilliam of Sens was a 12th century French architect, supposed to have been born at Sens, France.He is referred to in September 1174 as having been the architect who undertook the task of rebuilding the choir of Canterbury cathedral, originally erected by Conrad, the prior of the monastery, and...
. - Chris MalongaChris MalongaFrancis Chris Malonga Ntsayi is a French-born Congolese football player who currently plays for Monégasque club Monaco in Ligue 1...
, footballer - Bacary SagnaBacary SagnaBacary Sagna is a French footballer who plays for Arsenal and the France national football team. His cousin Ibrahima Sonko also plays in England, for Ipswich Town. Sagna is called Bac by the majority of his teammates...
, footballer. - Clément ChantômeClément ChantômeClément Chantôme is a French footballer who currently plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain.-Career:Rising through the ranks of PSG's youth academy, he has already drawn comparisons to Didier Deschamps in terms of his determination and ballwinning ability...
, footballer.
Twin towns
ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Lörrach
Lörrach
Lörrach is a city in southwest Germany, in the valley of the Wiese, close to the French and the Swiss border. It is the capital of the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg. The biggest industry is the chocolate factory Milka...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Senigallia
Senigallia
Senigallia is a comune and port town on Italy's Adriatic coast, 25 km by rail north of Ancona, in the Marche region, province of Ancona....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Vyshhorod
Vyshhorod
Vyshhorod is a city in the Kiev Oblast , in central Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Vyshhorodskyi Raion , and is located along the Dnieper River upstream from the national capital, Kiev...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
See also
- SenonesSenonesThe Senones were an ancient Gaulish tribe.In about 400 BC they crossed the Alps and, having driven out the Umbrians settled on the east coast of Italy from Forlì to Ancona, in the so-called ager Gallicus, and founded the town of Sena Gallica , which became their capital. In 391 BC they invaded...
- St. Columba of SensColumba of SensSaint Columba of Sens was a saintly virgin associated with Sens in France and a fountain named d'Azon.Her whole history is somewhat legendary. It is reported that, at the age of 16, she fled Spain for Gaul to escape the persecutions of Emperor Aurelian. She was located, and imprisoned...
- Archdiocese of Sens
- Communes of the Yonne department
External links
- Official website archdiocese & Councils City council website (in French)
- Richard Stillwell, ed. Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, 1976: "Agedincum (Sens), Yonne, France"
- Pictures of Sens Cathedral: http://france-for-visitors.com/images/supersize/sens-cathedral-gothic.jpg, http://perso.orange.fr/villedesens/images/sens_cathedrale_interieur_cal.jpg, http://infopuq.uquebec.ca/~uss1010/orgues/france/sensse7.jpg
