_The motorist coming either from Sainte-Menehould or Bar-le-Duc, via
the "Sacred Way" enters Verdun by the Porte de France, and reaches
the cathedral by the Rues: Saint-Maur, Chevert, and la Belle-Vierge._
_The tourist coming from the station by the Porte Saint-Paul,
reaches the Cathedral by the Rues: Saint-Paul, Saint-Pierre and la
Belle-Vierge._
[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL.]
=The Cathedral.=
The tourist, arriving at the Place de la Cathédrale, via the Rue de
la Belle-Vierge, finds himself in front of the North Façade (_photo
opposite_).
In the middle is the entrance porch; on the right, the Western
transept and the towers enclosing the remarkable, square-shaped old
Choir, on the left, the Eastern transept and the polygonal apse of
the Great Choir with the Roman basement and Gothic buttresses (_photo
p. 52_).
In front of the towers and on the right, _in the photograph
opposite_, is the entrance to Margueritte College leading to the
Bishop's Palace and the Cloister.
[Illustration: VERDUN SEEN FROM ONE OF THE CATHEDRAL TOWERS.
_In the foreground: Roof of nave, transept and great choir of the
Cathedral. In the middle-ground, The Meuse: on the left, the Porte
Chaussée in the middle: Military Club. In the background: Line of
trees marking the ramparts; behind Belleville Village (on the left)
and the Faubourg Pavé. On the horizon: Belleville Hills._]
[Illustration: THE APSE OF THE GREAT CHOIR
_which can be seen from the banks of the Meuse._]
[Illustration: THE CANOPY (CIBORIUM) _and the altar of the Great
Choir_.]
[Illustration: THE SOUTH AISLE AND BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL.]
On entering the Cathedral by the central porch of the north façade,
the old choir is on the right and on the left the great choir.
The old square choir is intersected by the great organ.
In the great choir, notice the elegant panelling of Rococo-style and
the ciborium with canopy supported by twisted columns of grey marble.
The numerous side-chapels are 14th, 15th and 16th century.
The most interesting is in the South Aisle, that of the Blessed
Sacrament, Radial-Gothic in style (_photo above_).
The door of Margueritte College (_see photo page 51_) leads to the
courtyard of the BISHOP'S PALACE (18th century) and thence to the
CLOISTER (historical monument of the 13th and 14th centuries, _photos
p. 54._)
_From the Bishop's palace, go along the Rue Chatel to the Place
Chatel, then down the Rue des Hauts-Fins, and cross the Esplanade_
=to the Citadelle.=
[Illustration: THE NAVE OF THE GREAT CHOIR IN 1918.
_In the background, the old choir and the organ platform._]
[Illustration: THE CLOISTER SEEN FROM ONE OF THE CATHEDRAL TOWERS.
_In the background: the East Gallery.--On the right: the ruins of the
South Gallery.--In the town can be seen the church of Saint-Sauveur
against the green background of the fortifications._]
[Illustration: THE SOUTH GALLERY OF THE CLOISTER BEFORE THE WAR.
_See above (on the right) its state after the War._]
[Illustration: THE RAMPARTS OF THE CITADELLE AND THE PORTE NEUVE.]
=The Citadelle.=
The Citadelle occupies the site of the ancient abbeys or churches of
Sainte-Vanne, erected in the Merovingian period and the 15th century.
The first Citadelle was completed under Henry IV. The second was the
work of Vauban. The church of Sainte-Vanne which had survived was
pulled down in 1831. During the war, the deep underground caves were
a safe place of refuge for the inhabitants before their departure and
for relief troops during the battle.
_On leaving the Citadelle, turn right and go down the slope towards
the Meuse and the Rue de Rû, keeping to the right. Go by the stores
and then the octroi where the shops are located, and enter the
Citadelle by No. 4 listening-post, to visit some of the caverns
fitted up as they were in the war._
_Here can be seen in particular, under a military guide, the chamber
of honour where were laid to rest in November 1920 the bodies of 8
unknown soldiers, from among whom was taken the Unknown Warrior who
rests in Paris beneath the Arc de Triomphe._
[Illustration: A CANTEEN INSTALLED IN THE CITADELLE.]
[Illustration: THE CITADELLE: THE ENTRANCE TO NO. 4 LISTENING-POST.
(Photo Sommer.)]
[Illustration: A DORMITORY IN THE CASEMATES DURING THE WAR.]
[Illustration: VERDUN THEATRE IN JUNE 1916.]
_Return from the Citadelle by the Rue de Rû, passing the theatre.
Continue along the Rue Mazel to the site of the monument "Aux morts
de Verdun" (see next page), return to the Place Mazel, turn right,
cross the Meuse, and the Place Chevert is reached._
[Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF SAINT-SAUVEUR IN AUGUST
1916.]
[Illustration: THE RUE MAZEL. THE OLD RAMPARTS IN 1924.
_Site of the War Memorial shown below._ (Photo Sommer.)]
[Illustration: THE MONUMENT TO THE SOLDIERS OF VERDUN, ERECTED BY
NATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION. (L. CHESNAY, architect).
_A crypt will be opened in the base of the monument where will be
laid to rest the 7 Unknown Soldiers, a touching symbol of the
sacrifice of the soldiers of Verdun (April 1925)._]
[Illustration: THE PORTE CHAUSSÉE (_before the war_).]
_From the Place Chevert, follow the Meuse to the right to the Porte
Chaussée._
=The Porte Chaussée=
Its architecture is reminiscent of the Bastille. Half of the left
tower, on the river, was rebuilt in 1690 on exactly the same lines
and with stones of the old tower: the semi-circular arcade and the
pediment facing the bridge are of the same date.
[Illustration: THE BANKS OF THE MEUSE AND THE CATHEDRAL BEFORE THE
WAR.]