Varennes-en-Argonne

For other uses of the term Varennes, see Varennes (disambiguation).

Varennes-en-Argonne
Varennes-en-Argonne
Location within Lorraine region  Varennes-en-Argonne
Administration
Country	France
Region	Lorraine
Department	Meuse
Arrondissement	Verdun
Canton	Varennes-en-Argonne
Intercommunality	Montfaucon - Varennes en Argonne
Mayor	Jean-Marie Lambert (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	192–218 m (630–715 ft) (avg. 195 m or 640 ft)
Land area1	11.81 km2 (4.56 sq mi)
Population2	691  (1999)
- Density	59 /km2 (150 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	55527/ 55270
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Varennes-en-Argonne or simply Varennes is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.

Population (1999): 691.

Geography

Varennes-en-Argonne lies on the river Aire to the northeast of Sainte-Menehould, near Verdun.

History

It was the scene of the Flight to Varennes: In June 1791 Louis XVI, with his immediate family, made a dash for the nearest friendly border, that of Austrian Belgium (Queen Marie-Antoinette being a sister to the Austrian emperor, Leopold II). But in Varennes Louis and his family were arrested, by Citizen Drouet, the local postmaster, who had been alerted by a message received from nearby Sainte-Menehould. It is said that at Sainte-Menehould, where the escaping party had spent the previous night, a merchant alerted the town authorities of their presence after recognizing the King's face on a coin, as Louis tried to buy something from a shop. Once more France's king, queen, and dauphin (crown prince) returned to the Tuileries in humiliating captivity, and Louis and Marie-Antoinette were subsequently executed on the guillotine.

Points of interest

• Arboretum de Varennes-en-Argonne

See also

• Communes of the Meuse department