It was market day, the sun was out and Sedan’s centre buzzed with an energy I suspect it lacks on other days. The streets were full of people, bars and cafes in the Place de la Halle and Place d’Armes were busy, and the indoor market seemed to be doing a roaring trade. There was a positive vibe as we explored the historic centre. We found an outdoor table near the Eglise Saint-Charles and watched the world go by.
If Sedan is known for one thing – if, like me, you’re thinking ‘chair’ at this point you will be disappointed – it is the huge fortress that dominates the town centre. It’s impossible to miss, and has physically shaped the town and its history for well over 600 years. An impressive sight to behold, but if you were thinking ‘chair’ I have bad news. The name is a misnomer, the Sedan Chair was not invented in Sedan.
In fact, the only real connection between the town and chair lies in Sedan’s affluent past, and the textile industry that once made the plush interiors for wealthy owners of Sedan chairs. In the 17th century, Sedan was granted a monopoly to make cloth to compete with European rivals – especially the Dutch. It became a flourishing industry that made Sedan wealthy until its inevitable decline in the 20th century.
The last cloth producers closed their doors in the 1990s, and three centuries of tradition went with them. Around town you can see examples of the elegant townhouses that were paid for from selling cloth. The desperate state of some of them – in need of serious renovation or derelict – tells its own tale of industrial decline. Despite the cheer of market day, Sedan has the air of a town down on its luck.
Its charms may be a little faded, but we had an enjoyable weekend here on the way back to Brussels after a few days walking in the Belgian Ardennes. Sedan is one of the main towns in the French Ardennes, and the two regions share a lot in common. In particular, their identification with wild boar – one features on Sedan’s coat of arms – and beer. Few French regions have such a pronounced beer culture as the Ardennes.
Sedan’s history dates back to the 9th century, but things really started to take off in 1424. This is when the citadel began to take shape under Sedan’s new owner, Evrard III de La Marck. A member of nobility from the Rhineland, Evrard transformed the existing small castle into a state of the art fortress. His descendants would turn it into one of the most powerful military buildings in Europe.
Sedan grew up around this monstrous construction, but in a sense the citadel is the town and vice-a-versa. It was impregnable enough to ensure Sedan remained an independent city from neighbouring France. Until, that is, an ill-judged alliance against the French monarchy resulted in its incorporation into France in the 17th century – just in time for the boom in cloth making.
Thanks to its fort, Sedan has been involved in almost all conflicts fought on French soil. It was here that Napoleon III surrendered and was captured by the Prussians in 1870. An event that saw the end of the Bonaparte dynasty and the collapse of the Second French Empire. The Second World War saw massive destruction. Which explains some of the tower blocks that scar the townscape.
We did a tour of the citadel (of which more later), but spent most of our time wandering the pleasant streets and lanes of the centre. Much of which is pedestrianised – always a plus in my opinion – and having a glass of beer from local breweries, such as Brasserie d’Arthur and Ardwen, in car free squares made the experience much more pleasant.
