Bray-sur-Somme
| Bray-sur-Somme | |
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 Bray-sur-Somme
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Location within Hauts-de-France region
Bray-sur-Somme
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| Coordinates: 49°56′28″N 2°43′06″E / 49.9411°N 2.7183°ECoordinates: 49°56′28″N 2°43′06″E / 49.9411°N 2.7183°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Somme |
| Arrondissement | Péronne |
| Canton | Bray-sur-Somme |
| Intercommunality | Pays du Coquelicot |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2001–2008) | Daniel Lagache |
| Area1 | 16.81 km2 (6.49 sq mi) |
| Population (2010)2 | 1,238 |
| • Density | 74/km2 (190/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 80136 /80340 |
| Elevation | 32–122 m (105–400 ft) (avg. 45 m or 148 ft) |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Bray-sur-Somme is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
It is twinned with Inkberrow.
The communes is situated on the D1 and D329 road junction, some 20 miles (32 km) east-northeast of Amiens.
The commune is surrounded by hills to the east and to the west. To the south, the marshes are crossed by the Somme. The town has been a strategic location over the centuries thanks to the four fords crossing the river here, the old boundary between Artois and Picardy.
Bray is a place name of Celtic origin meaning "marshy land". The name Braium has been documented since about 630.
Archeological searches have established that the area had Gallic and Roman occupation, confirmed by the weapons and various domestic objects found in and around Bray. In 630, Braium was under the domain of the abbey of St-Riquier. In 868, under the reign of Charles the Bald, a fortress controlled this part of the Somme upstream to Corbie and Amiens. Hugh Capet placed the town under the control of the neighbouring town of Péronne. In 1210, King Philip II Augustus granted the commune a "community charter".
The city was protected to the west and north by walls and deep ditches. To the east, an earthen embankment and palisade, surrounded by marsh and small watercourses, provided the protection. Four gates, each with a portcullis, guarded entry to the town,
As with many fortified towns in this part of France, Bray suffered fire, bombardment and destruction over the centuries, as French kings fought to expand their lands against the Norman English and the Spanish-led Holy Roman Empire.
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Wikipedia