Calais (Pas-de-Calais) - La Place d'Armes et le Beffroi

            The Postcard

A postally unused carte postale published by Lévy Fils et Cie of Paris.

Although the card was not posted, someone has used a pencil to write on the divided back:

"Stayed in hotel just
behind the larger
tower".

Calais

Calais is a city and major ferry port in northern France. Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 34 km (21 mi) wide here. The White Cliffs of Dover can easily be seen on a clear day from Calais. 

Due to its position, Calais since the Middle Ages has been an important centre for transport and trading with England. It was annexed by Edward III of England in 1347, and grew into a thriving centre for wool production. 

The town came to be called the 'Brightest Jewel in the English Crown' owing to its great importance as the gateway for the tin, lead, lace and wool trades. 

The old part of the town, Calais proper (known as Calais-Nord), is situated on an artificial island surrounded by canals and harbours. The modern part of the town, St.-Pierre, lies to the south and south-east. 

In the centre of the old town is the Place d'Armes, in which stands the Tour du Guet, or watch-tower, a structure built in the 13th. century. It was used as a lighthouse until 1848 when a new lighthouse was built by the port.  The Tour du Guet is the tower on the left in the photograph.

South east of the Place is the church of Notre-Dame, built during the English occupancy of Calais. It is the only church built in the English perpendicular style in all of France. In this church former French President Charles de Gaulle married his wife Yvonne Vendroux. 

South of the Place and opposite the Parc St Pierre is the Hôtel-de-Ville (the Town Hall), and the Belfry (on the right) from the 16th. and early 17th. centuries. 

Calais in World War II

The town was virtually razed to the ground during World War II, when in May 1940, it was a strategic bombing target for the invading German forces who took the town during the Siege of Calais. During World War II, the Germans built massive bunkers along the coast in preparation for launching missiles at England.

Calais Today

Today, Calais is visited by more than 10 million people annually. Calais is also a notable fishing port and a centre for fish marketing, and some 3,000 people are still employed in the lace industry for which the town is also famed.

Taken on: May 15, 2020

Tags:

postcard

old

nostalgia

nostalgic

Calais

Place

d'Armes

Beffroi

Belfry

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Sets appears in: • Calais (Pas-de-Calais) • France

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