VILLERS-COTTERêTS

'Villers-Cotterêts' is a commune of the Aisne ''département'' in the Picardie (Picardy) ''région'' in northern France.

★ Population: 10,123

★ Density: 242.7/km²

★ Postal code: 02600

★ Name of inhabitants: ''Cotterezien'' ''sing'', -s ''pl.''

Contents

Geography

History

Sight

Miscellaneous

Sources and external links

Geography

★ Area: 41.71 km²

★ Altitude: 120 m
It is located 80 km NE of Paris via the RN2 facing Laon. Its nickname ''Petite villa sur la côte de Retz'' means ''Little villa by the coast of Retz'', as the town is situated next to the Retz forest which covers 130 km² of land.

History

Villers-Cotterêts is famous because of the ''Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts'' 1539 signed by king Francis I of France ('François Ier') which made French the official language in the kingdom instead of Latin.
The town was the start of Stage 4 in the 2007 Tour de France.

Sight

The Château, known as Chateau de Noüe, built in the 16th century for François Ier, later got 18th century régénce decoration by Gilles-Marie Oppenord.

Miscellaneous

It was the birthplace of Alexandre Dumas, père (1802-1870), novelist.

Sources and external links

★ Tourist office website (in French)

★ Historic society of Villers-Cotterêts (in French)

★ Catholic encyclopaedia Gilles-Marie Oppenordt