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Home > Travel France > France Destinations > Soissons
Soissons
France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and comprises various overseas islands and territories which are located in other regions. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. At 674,843 square kilometres, France is the world's 40th-largest country after Myanmar. France is a member of The European Union and Paris is the capital of this nation. The sole official language of France is French. Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, migrations, and invasions.
Soissons is a town and commune in the Aisne departement, Picardie, France, located on the Aisne River, about 60 miles northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones. Its Celtic name and later borrowed in Latin was Noviodunum, meaning new hillfort from 457 to 486, under Aegidius and his son Syagrius. Noviodunum was the capital of the Kingdom of Soissons, until it fell to the Frankish king Clovis I in the Battle of Soissons. Its population is 29,453 with density 2,390 per square km.
Part of the Frankish territory of Neustria, the Soissons region, and the Abbey of Saint-Medard, built in the 8th century, played an important political part during the rule of the Merovingian kings. After the death of Clovis I in 511, Soissons was made the capital of one of the four kingdoms into which his states were divided. Eventually, the kingdom of Soissons disappeared in 613 when the Frankish lands were amalgamated under Clotaire II. Soissons is a commercial and manufacturing center with the 12th century Cathedral of Saint-Gervais et Saint-Protais and Saint Jean des Vignes Abbey as one of its most important historical buildings. In 744 the Synod of Soissons met at the instigation of Pippin III, and Saint Boniface, the Pope's missionary to pagan Germany, secured the condemnation of the Frankish bishop Adalbert and the Irish missionary Clement. Aisne is a departement in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.
Soissons, justifiably so, enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers, and is one of the most visited place. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origin back to prehistoric times. Presently, Soissons experiences a sharp social, economic and population growth derivative of the strategic position of the locality.
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