Metz

Metz, one of the strongest fortresses in Europe, is situated on the Moselle about 30 miles N. of Nancy. Its name is supposed to be a corruption of Mediomatrici, the name of the tribe which inhabited the district. It was the capital of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia, and in after years became a free imperial city. In 1552 it was seized by Henri II. of France, and in that year stood a siege from the Emperor Charles V. From the Peace of Westphalia (1648) till 1871 it remained in the possession of France. The fortifications were strengthened by Vauban in 1674 and restored in 1830, and the Germans have still further added to them. The Gothic cathedral of Metz is remarkable for its size and the beauty of its spire. [Bazaine.]