Page 185 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

Amien Cathedral behind the bustling streets bordering the canal

LE NORD

AND PICARDY

The northern reaches of France were settled by
tribes during the Stone Age, drawn by its coastal
waters and dense forests. The small fishing villages
and farming communities that evolved left behind
evidence of flint-cutting and corn-grinding. These
were absorbed into the Romans Empire around 1 AD.
A frontierland, French Flanders, as Le Nord was
known, was hotly disputed by the Counts of Flanders
until the 13th century, while Picardy was held
variously by French dukes and even the English,
until 1477. Through out this period, agriculture
and small industry flourished; woven fabrics from
Arras and delicate lacework from Chantilly were
highly sought after in nearby Paris. In the 18th
century, the rise of the coal-mining industry led
to the creation of canals and made Calais and
Dunkerque important port towns. The World
Wars decimated great swathes of the region
and, following World War II, stirring memorials
of the fighting were erected, attracting those
wishing to pay their respects. The opening of
the Channel Tunnel in 1994 once again made
Calais an economic hub.
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