From the old Halles... to the new!

The citadel was built between 1595 and 1598 on the orders of Henri IV following his 1594 siege of the League town. To do this, two entire districts - between 2 and 300 houses, two churches and Laon's covered market - were completely razed to the ground! Note the gateway and its two bastions: they face the town, as if to keep it at bay... The gate, decorated with the king's coat of arms and bearing a dedication ("Built by Henry the Great in 1595, was restored and perfected by Louis Philippe I in 1835"), was fitted with a Poncelet drawbridge in 1847. It is said that his plans were criticized by Vauban himself, who even declared that his engineer should have been hung from the gallows!

All that remains of the church built in the early 12th century is the Romanesque nave. The present choir with its flat chevet, directly inspired by the cathedral, was rebuilt at the end of the 12th century, and the reconstruction of the transept and bell tower was never completed. It should be noted that the façade was rebuilt around 1875...

The new Halles opened to the public in December 2023; a complete creation that took 18 months to complete, divided into two distinct areas: on one side a covered space housing the weekly Thursday market, and another housing permanent traders, accessible from Thursday to Saturday mornings inclusive.It's a great place to get together, just a stone's throw from the shops in the lower town!  Children's play areas have also been laid out around it.

Built in 1923, the Pont de Vaux is a magnificent work of art and an essential entry point for anyone approaching Laon from the north. Between 2021 and 2023, it will benefit from a vast and ambitious restoration programme.It is also worth noting that the bridge has been restored to its original colour...

The architect Charles Abella (1879-1961) was commissioned after the First World War to design a monument for Laon: originally, it was to take the form of a Victory and be built in the upper town, on the Saint-Vincent plateau. The project then evolved, and the Mont de Vaux, halfway between the upper and lower towns, was chosen as the site for this monumental sculpture (around 16 metres high), both Minerva and Victory, facing the upper town. The monument took almost two years to erect, and was officially unveiled in early summer 1926. It should be noted that it is flanked on its right by a stele in tribute to the concentration camp martyrs of the Second World War (1957), and on its left by a plaque in tribute to the French Marshals of the Second World War (2000s).

This marble statue was created in 1871 by the sculptor Barthélémy Frison (1816-1877). The life-size statue depicts Delilah, the biblical character who betrayed Samson by robbing him of the source of his strength... It should be noted that it was also the State that donated this work to the town of Laon, which installed it here in 1875.

Here you are on the north side of the cathedral, on today's Place Aubry. Behind you are the stairs leading from the old Germaine Gate to the Yitzhak Rabin Promenade. Take the opportunity to lean against the low wall of the ramparts and watch the northern plain stretch out before you...

Opened in December 2020, this play area has become a must for the many (little) knights of Laon! With its castle and wooden hut, zip-line, turnstile and sunbathing areas, it attracts families looking for fun all year round, sheltered by the ramparts on the south side of the upper town. A must-see!