Chalonssur Marne

Chalons-sur-Marne, a French city, capital of the department of Marne, is situated on the right bank of the Marne river. It is the town of the Catalauni of antiquity, and was the scene of the defeat of Attila by the Romans in 451 A.D. Among its buildings are the Gothic cathedral, the Hotel de Ville, built in 1772, and the Prefecture, built in 1764, and reputed one of the finest buildings of its class in France. In its beautiful park were some fine elms, which the Germans during the Franco-Prussian war cut down for fuel. In 1856 Napoleon III. formed a camp in the neighbourhood for the training of French troops. It has a trade in champagne, and among its industries are woollens and cottons.