Varennes-en-Argonne

For other uses of the name Varennes, see Varennes (disambiguation).

Varennes-en-Argonne
Tower Louis XVI and the river Aire Tower Louis XVI and the river Aire
Varennes-en-Argonne
Location within Lorraine region Varennes-en-Argonne
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine
Department	Meuse
Arrondissement	Verdun
Canton	Varennes-en-Argonne
Intercommunality	Montfaucon - Varennes en Argonne
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Jean-Marie Lambert
Area1	11.81 km2 (4.56 sq mi)
Population (2012)2	656
• Density	56/km2 (140/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	55527 / 55270
Elevation	144–264 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. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Varennes-en-Argonne or simply Varennes is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.

Population (1999): 691, Population (2012): 656.

Geography

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

History

It was the scene of the Flight to Varennes: In June 1791 Louis XVI, with 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 the Austrian emperor, Leopold II). But in Varennes Louis and his family were arrested, by Citizen 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. Once more France's king, queen, and dauphin (crown prince) returned to the Tuileries in humiliating captivity, and Louis and Marie-Antoinette were subsequently executed on the guillotine.

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.

• Town of Varennes, France, view due west across the River Aire., 09-27-1918 - NARA - 530757.tif

  Ruins of Varennes in 1918.

• Pennsylvania Memorial at Varennes en Argonne 081510.JPG

  Pennsylvania Memorial.

Points of interest

• Arboretum de Varennes-en-Argonne

See also

• Communes of the Meuse department