MY TOWN: SAINT-DIZIER

Little town… it’s a quiet village… everyday like the one before… (Beauty and the Beast reference, duh.) Well peeps, that’s my town here in France. A small, provincial town, and I wanted to give you a look at it! Check it all out in my video, and if you want more information look below!

First I started off at my apartment in the Vert Bois neighborhood. I live on campus at the high school I work at above the administration building. But there’s nothing really interesting in my neck of the woods, so I took the bus to the center of the city.

A little tip: If you ever find yourself in a French town, your first stop should be the tourism office. I know we’re so used to finding everything online, but that concept hasn’t hit them yet.

I started off checking out the castle and its fortifications. The castle was built in the early 13th century by Lord Gui II de Dampierre. The castle was a place of refuge through the centuries for some interesting figures like Henri IV and Marie Stuart. Only four of the original ten towers remain, and the castle is now used as a government building.

The church I went to is called the Notre Dame de l’assumption. It was built in 1202 and was used during the siege by the Holy Roman Empire in 1544 as a place for lookout and defense. Unfortunately there was a large fire in 1775, so large parts of the original building were destroyed. It’s open for visiting except during services.

I also checked out the Saint-Dizier museum. Quite an eclectic bunch of historical items. They’ve got taxidermy, paintings, and even some bones. While it’s no Louvre, it’s free and it’s something to do! It’s open Wednesday to Sunday from 1:30 to 5:30.

Next you’ll see me on the town square. The square holds the town hall, or Hôtel de Ville, an Italian-style theater, a few restaurants, and a memorial for the siege in 1544. During this siege by the Holy Roman Empire, upwards of 4,000 men, women, and children were killed. Now the statue stands tall in the middle of the town square to remember the fallen.

Lastly, I saw the outside of the Immaculate Conception chapel which is an ancient convent but now is used by l’ESTIC. It was built in 1863 by Hubert Fisbacq, and he was inspired by the La Sainte Chapelle du Palais de Justice of Paris.

Is Saint-Dizier the hotspot of France? No, not exactly… but it’s a nice little place to live! And you can find interesting culture and many nice people in these little villages all around France. I urge you to venture beyond Paris to see what else is out there!