Located halfway between Paris and Strasbourg, less than 10 km from the Lac du Der en Champagne, Saint-Dizier is a pleasant town of Haute-Marne of 25 000 inhabitants at the gates of Lorraine. It has a rich historical past. A border desired following the sharing of the Charlemagne Empire in 843, she remains a long-standing observation post on our cousins. In the th century, Mistletoe II of Dampierre, a powerful lord near Philippe-Auguste, established his domain. He has to build the castle (present sub-prefecture) and Notre-Dame church. Saint-Dizier becomes, under Charles VIII a strong royal place that Marini, architect of François I, a wall of fortifications and defensive systems. Two events have to be mentioned. The siege of 1544 at which the inhabitants ruled the city, prevented the troops of Charles Quint from making progress and, indeed, allowed François I to save Paris. From here comes the nickname of the inhabitants, attributed by François I, the Bragards, likely deformation of "hung" or "braying" (gallic pants) which would mean "whiners and courageous". The bragarde identity remains very ingrained in the city. In 1775, a great fire destroyed two thirds of the city; then Coluel, the Bridge Engineer and Causeway, destroyed a large part of the fortifications and half-timbered houses, which explains that today the city lost its medieval appearance.Saint-Dizier is not only a strategic and military history, it also gives to an artistic past, and the abundance of iron in the region allows the city to grow and enrich with the melting of art (from the th to the th century). In the th century, some artists, such as Hector Guimard, chose bragardes smelters to exercise their talent. Guimard, in particular, gives the cast his glorious letters. He is the creator of our beautiful Art nouveau entries from the Parisian style subway. The Guimard style orne over 80 houses in the bragarde city. The story makes Saint-Dizier an interesting city, the curious will enjoy exploring the streets. A cradle of Miko ice, Saint-Dizier also hosts the 113 military base, the first today to hold the Rafale. The centre is alive with a warm face. Saint-Dizier 2020 is a great project to extend the heart of the city between the canal and the Marne, with canal furnishings, bridges, places of promenade and nature. Finally, a large cultural festival takes place every quarter in various fields (music, theatre, humour…) with prestigious guests and still has much to offer.
