FROM GARDENS TO MUSIC

This great Benedictine abbey was founded outside the walls and its cultural influence was renowned in Europe. It housed the tombs of Saint Arnould, ancestor of the Carolingians, Hildegarde, wife of Charlemagne and his son and successor, Louis the Pious.

The Metz Courthouse is located in the former Palace of the Governor of the Province of the Three Bishoprics. It has a somewhat austere and majestic appearance and the decorations symbolise military power. La Fayette decided, on this spot, to support the independance of the United States (1775).

The military Arsenal, completed under Napoleon III in 1864, has been completely restored and transformed into an auditorium by the architect Ricardo Bofill. The hall was inaugurated in 1989 by Mstislav Rostropovich. The Arsenal has become a place of expression for all cultures, a place to meet and exchange experiences.

This chapel is located on the site of an abbey and a convent founded in the 7th century by Glossinde de Champagne who came from a family of nobles from the Court of Austrasia. The chapel, rebuilt between 1752 and 1757, and adjacent buildings, now the administrative seat of the diocese and the residence of the Bishop of Metz, are only occasionally open during European Heritage Days.

Originally, the Serpenoise Gate was a large vaulted arch in the ramparts which marked the southern boundary of the Gallo-Roman town. In 1903, the dismantling of Metz's urban fortifications resulted in its displacement and redesign. The German authorities reduced it to about a quarter of its original size and crowned it with four corner towers taken from the old ramparts. This symbol of the city remains something of a curiosity, a tribute to the memory of the past with its inscriptions, reflecting the various different episodes in its history.

After the siege by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1552, a citadel was built on this site to protect the French military who had moved to Metz. Built around 1565-1569, the Magasin aux Vivres is the oldest military building in the entire Citadel. It was built as a store house for the garrison, but has now been transformed into a 4-star hotel.