Vitry-le-François (French pronunciation: [vitʁi lə fʁɑ̃swa] (listen)) is a commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. It is located on the river Marne and is the western terminus of the Marne–Rhine Canal. Vitry-le-François station has rail connections to Paris, Reims, Strasbourg, Metz, Dijon and several regional destinations.
![]() | This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (March 2011) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Vitry-le-François | |
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Subprefecture and commune | |
The town hall in Vitry-le-François | |
![]() Coat of arms | |
Location of Vitry-le-François ![]() | |
![]() ![]() Vitry-le-François ![]() ![]() Vitry-le-François | |
Coordinates: 48°43′32″N 4°35′07″E | |
Country | France |
Region | Grand Est |
Department | Marne |
Arrondissement | Vitry-le-François |
Canton | Vitry-le-François-Champagne et Der |
Intercommunality | Vitry, Champagne et Der |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Jean-Pierre Bouquet[1] |
Area 1 | 6.45 km2 (2.49 sq mi) |
Population | 11,376 |
• Density | 1,800/km2 (4,600/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 51649 /51300 |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
The present town is a relatively recent construction, having been built in 1545 at the behest of King Francis who wished to replace, on a new site, Vitry-en-Perthois, which in 1544 had been entirely destroyed as part of the backwash from the king's Italian War of 1542–46.[3] The new Vitry was to be a modern city, constructed according to a plan produced by Girolamo Marini. The king's role in its creation resulted in Vitry-le-François receiving the king's name as part of its own name.
At the beginning of World War I in August 1914, Joseph Joffre established the Grand Quartier Général at the Place Royer-Collard.[4]
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Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE[6] |
Vitry-le-François is twinned with:
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