The name Pont-à-Mousson alone evokes the town's origins: a bridge over the Moselle in the 11th century, at the foot of the Mousson hillock, seat of the fortress and cradle of the Counts of Bar. Initially founded on the right bank, the town grew around a Maison-Dieu dating from 1217 and belonging to the Antonist order. At the end of the 13th century, Thiébaut II, twelfth Count of Mousson, extended the town to the left bank. With its rich history and remarkable architectural heritage, Pont-à-Mousson today attracts many tourists. Discover the city's cultural highlights, including the Au fil du Papier museum and the monumental and impressive former Abbey of the Prémontrés. Place Duroc (a strategic point in the city), famous for its many shops under the arcades, is a delight to stroll around. As for religious heritage, you'll be able to admire the Gothic churches of Saint-Martin and Saint-Laurent. Over the centuries, the city has forged an international reputation. Between 1572 and 1768, it enjoyed an intellectual heyday with the arrival of Lorraine's first university, under the auspices of Pope Gregory XIII and Charles III, Duke of Lorraine. Initially in the hands of the Jesuits in the 17th century, the university had no fewer than 2,000 students in its four main faculties: arts, law, theology and medicine. A bastion of the Catholic faith, the university was the ideal breeding ground for the development of the great religious orders, including the Prémontrés. In the 19th century, Pont-à-Mousson was once again in the limelight during the industrial revolution, spurred on by technical advances such as the expansion of the railroads and the discovery of iron ore in the 1850s. Mussipontains welcomed its first foundries and blast furnaces. Camille Cavallier, plant manager, gave the town an international reputation. Pont-à-Mousson would become famous the world over for its industrial dynamism, thanks in particular to the use of perfectly mastered cutting-edge techniques. A century later, the Second World War left little respite for the town, whose golden age seemed to belong to the past. Many buildings were badly damaged by the bombing. Today, the monuments have been restored to their former glory. At the heart of the Lorraine Regional Nature Park and the Val de Lorraine, Pont-à-Mousson also promotes its natural heritage (departing from Metz, a delightfully bucolic route!) and develops sports and cultural activities throughout the year. The media library has a large collection, with no fewer than 100,000 documents available for borrowing! Other events punctuate Mussipont's cultural life... These include beach volleyball tournaments on Place Duroc during Ascension week, the cattle fair on the last weekend of June, the Compagnie La Mousson d'été (contemporary theater) and the free Estivales concerts (French variety) every Friday and Saturday in July and August. At the start of the new school year, there's the Déballage Saint-Martin, and in the run-up to Christmas, the famous Saint-Nicolas festival will delight young and old alike.
