The “Bêtise de Cambrai” (mint humbug) A DELICIOUS error ! The mint humbug is a candy elaborated in Cambrai. It is mint flavoured candy and striped with caramelized sugar. The mint humbug has the shape of a little pillow and is one of the stars of ancient candies. Today it exists in various flavours. Its origin would go back up to about 1850. Its invention would result from an error of manipulation, a “stupidity”. By the middle of the 19th century, an apprentice confectioner of the city of Cambrai would have made errors in the manufacturing of the candies which had been asked to him. Her mother would then have shouted at him with anger “your candies are ruined ! You have made stupidities again! ". But these candies, easily digestible and refreshing, had a lot of success. We gave them the name of “bêtises” because they were the result of an error, a stupidity of manufacturing. We talk about the responsibility of a certain Tiot Paul ch' Bochu (Little Paul, the hunchback) native from Cauroir. Diverse stories are told about the origin of the mint humbug. Certain authors even date the birth of the speciality back to the 13th century.
Stroll it Cambrésis Follow the guide ! Production : Action/Vidéo More information (Web connexion necessary)

The Cambrai area, its great men… Louis Blériot, 100 years ago... 2009 stands out on the hundred years of an extraordinary epic. On July 25th, 1909, in the sunrise, Louis Blériot, an engineer born in Cambrai and passionate about aeronautics, leaves Sangatte, to reunite Dover in England, in an aeroplane of his conception. Whereas all the previous attempts failed, Blériot will succeed and will pass in the posterity. Henri Matisse, "fauve" Matisse is born on a 31st of December, in his maternal grand-parents’ house, who were catesian middle-class person practising tannery. After about ten days, his parents return to Bohain (15 km in the South of Cateau) where they held a grain business. There is the place where he spends his childhood, in this village where resounded the manual looms. In this period the links of the town of Le Cateau with Bohain and Saint-Quentin (where takes place the youth of the painter) are very strong because connected to the textile activity. During his childhood he makes frequent stays in Le Cateau. His family origins predispose him by no means to an artistic career. His uncle Gérard, more fortunate, had acquired a beautiful house in the street of the Republic, in front of his tannery.

Photos/Infos - http://www.aspecambrai.org More information (Web connexion necessary)

The Deco Art and the Cambrai area… The reconstruction context If Cambrai is not a symbolic city of the Deco Art, there is a large number of buildings which we can connect in whole or in part with this architectural current. The digital importance of these buildings or groups of houses is a direct consequence of the First World War and its devastation. We consider that 20% of the city were destroyed by the fire, which ravaged Cambrai in September, 1918 and which was lit by the Germans. The entire city centre is in ruins, that is more than 1000 houses. The Cornudet law, voted in March, 1919, imposes to the stricken cities of more than 10000 inhabitants to establish for their arrangement a plan of reconstruction, embellishment and extension. An architects' competition is organized in Cambrai, gained in August by the cabinet Debat-Ponsan, Debré and Leprince Ringuet. Parisian architect, graduate from the School of the Arts and Factories and the School of Fine Arts of Paris, Pierre Leprince Ringuet defines the new town scheme of the city. He redraws the streets of the centre, creating wide perspective as in the Avenue de la Victoire. The City hall, rebuilt as before, is the centre all around of which stand the big activities. So the administrative activities (court, chamber of commerce, revenue office, post office) they are grouped together around a new place created behind the City hall (Place de la République); the State services (sub-prefecture) are reinstalled Place Fénelon; the commercial activities are concentrated on the Place des Armes (current Place Aristide Briand), the Place au Bois (reorganized, current Place du Marché Couvert) and the Mail Saint-Martin, which is then created. The Place d’Armes is completely rethought as well. And so the roof ridge boards and house cornices of the square are strictly aligned, and so every angle is occupied by a gabled house...

A rich heritage…

The Escaut river winds and takes the course of the Cambrai’s history...

The religious monuments

The Jesuits Chapel Built thanks to the generosities of the Archbishop Van der Burch, it was finished in 1692. Rare example of baroque style in the region, it presents a luxurious facade and an inside richly decorated with paintings and sculptures. It was a church for Jesuits until 1765, for the seminarists from 1838 till 1906. Under the Convention, it was transformed into a prison. Sold in 1790 to a master of horse mailing, who used it as a straw and feed store. Closed down since 1906.		The Cathedral Notre-Dame This former abbey church of the Holy Sepulchre, established in the 11th century, was reconstructed from 1696 in the classic style which appreciated Louis XIV. We can admire the remarkable trompe-l'oeil paintings of Martin Geeraerts, representing the Passion of the Christ and the life scenes of the Virgin Mary, the icon Notre-Dame de Grâce, the 18th century woodwork of the sacristy and the grave of Fénelon, work of the sculptor David d’Angers.
The Church Saint-Géry Classified as "Historic Monument" on November 26th, 1919.  Former abbey church of Saint-Aubert reconstructed from 1698 till 1745 in a classic style. Its bell tower, finished in 1722, was afterward raised and crowned with a dome with a lantern on the top. The transept is overhung by a remarkable canopy 26 meters high basing on 4 Tournai stone columns. We can admire in this church numerous pieces of art, as the marble and alabaster Jube in “Flemish Renaissance” style, realised by Jaspard Marsy, a "The Entombment" by Rubens, the woodwork of the 18th century choir, the pulpit the stairs of which are decorated with a remarkable interlace of vines and corns, a chapier and the Carrara marble altar which comes from the Vaucelles abbey. This church has one of the 3 bell towers symbolising the city.

The vestiges of the fortifications

The Château de Selles Fortress set up by count-bishop of Cambrai in the 13th century to control the Escaut river and watch the revolts of the population against his authority, it was partially levelled and emmottée in 16th century. We built new buildings which became a military hospital from 1813 and today the law court. This monument kept its former defensive system of a rare peculiarity : a girdle on two levels was fit out inside bulwarks. This corridor used as prison from the end of the 14th century connects the towers and presents a collection of graffiti of religious, civil and military prisoners of a unique interest in France.	The Gate of Paris Classified as "Historic Monument" on May 6th, 1942. Medieval door built by Gilles Largent at the end of the 14th century in the context of the Hundred Years' War, it kept elements of its defensive system as the assommoir. Of massive look, with its two curvilinear towers, its crenellations and merlons (restored in 1904), it is of small castle type. On the city side, on the first floor, the vast room with chimney served as staff room.
The Gate Notre-Dame Classified as "Historic Monument" in 1897. Built in 1623, this gate was the one of the granting of the city. The stone facade is decorated with bossage in points of diamond and presents in a niche a Madonna and Child. After 1677 and the taking of the city by the French people, Louis XIV, the Sun King, made it add ornamental elements, emblems of his power. On the city side, the door is built in brick and stone. The guardroom on the first floor can be visited on inquiry to the Tourist information office of Cambrai.	The Gate of the Arquets Classified as "Historic Monument" on July 10th, 1942. The Arquets tower (end of 14th century) was a water gate. With an advanced tower and the Tower of Caudron, nearby, they formed a very effective defensive set to watch the entry of the river in the city and control its course (defensive floods). Rests of a monument that allowed preventing better the progress of an enemy towards the building. Inside we notice a beautiful room with ribbed vault, a vast chimney, and the charming sculptures of the brackets (see the drawings of Nicq Doutreligne in the slide show).

A civil and of traditions heritage

The Belfry Registered on the Additional Inventory of “Historic Monuments” on July 15th, 1965, and on the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The former bell tower of Saint-Martin church, begun in 1447, was finished only in 1474. Built out of stone, it was supported by double buttresses redeeming by a series of glacis and dripstones, supporting the corbelled constructions of four light turrets or watchtowers, which was connected by a delicately openwork gallery. It was crowned by an elegant skeleton arrow, twisted and made out of lead. This arrow wore in its summit a beautiful iron forged cross. This noble building, symbol of the municipal franchises, constituted the Belfry. We were there on the lookout; we rang the bells of the city in the morning, in the opening of doors, in the evening, in their closure and at the time of the curfew. The alarm bell announced the fires or the approach of the enemy, and called the craftsmen to take weapons to defend their right liberties. The City hall Symbolic building of the municipal liberties, the first Peace House is built as far back as the 11th century, the first building known with certainty going back up to 1364. It is a small building of medieval style with two floors flanked, on both sides of the third level, by two turrets in corbelled construction. In 1510, a new main building sheltering the municipal clock was added to it, consisted of two floors decorated with pinnacle windows and with a bell tower in the shape of octagonal pinnacle turret placed in corbelled construction. For the first time, in 1512, jacquemarts Martin and Martine strike the hour. In 1561 is added on the first building a balcony supported by columns, "bretèque" from where are proclaimed the decisions of the City Council. In 1544 was added a new wing on the right of the building and during 17th century a left wind was added. Both of them were in Flemish Renaissance style.

Discover Cambrai More information on www.tourisme-cambresis.fr
		3 pedestrian visits to be discovered… - Cambrai, border city Discover the military Cambrai with its fortifications, on foot (1h30), by car (1h). Green circuit. Plus d'informations - Cambrai, a religious centre Discover the rich religious history of the city on foot (1h). Blue circuit. Plus d'informations - Cambrai, along the streets Walk through the city and discover architectural changes on foot (1h30). Orange circuit. Plus d'informations Download the brochure recto / verso

We shall not forget Cambrai’s region historical sites and cultural events !

Vaucelles’ abbey in Rue des Vignes In the Escaut valley is one of the most prestigious monuments in the North of France. Cistercian architectural jewel. It shelters the biggest chapter house of Europe, in a magnificent garden. More information (Web connexion necessary)	Archaeosites in Rue des Vignes The archaeosite is a site of vestiges and reconstructions of housing environments and craft workshops of the first millennium… The archaeosite is originally an archaeological site searched between 1979 and 1986 on which were discovered 9 Gallo-Roman cellars, 342 Merovingian graves and silos and holes of posts reminding post-carolingian housing. More information (Web connexion necessary)
Cateau’s abbey brewery The brewery is right in the centre of the city, settled where the old Saint-André abbey used to stand. On both sides of the court still exist several buildings (stables…) in which was situated the first brewery. It worked until 1926 and produced from 10000 to 12000 hectolitres a year. After 75 years of closure and numerous works, the brewery of the Cateau abbey opens again its doors to the visitors. Come and discover the delicious VIVAT beer. More information (Web connexion necessary)	The Matisse Museum in Le Cateau Created by Henri Matisse in his native city. After 3 years of restructuration, the Matisse Museum has reopened since November 8th, 2002. Discover over 170 masterpieces of one of the greatest 20tth century painters. Installed in the ancient Fénelon palace since 1982, it offers a splendid panorama of the master’s works, one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Plus d'informations (Web connexion necessary)
Cambrai’s Fine Art Museum Cambrai’s museum offers a pleasant visit from Prehistory to today. The relief map of the town and the audiovisual show should not be missed. Ideal before discovering the streets of Cambrai. Plus d'informations (Web connexion necessary)	Lace and embroidery Museum An initiatory visit to the lace technique in an original tulle and lace workshop dated 1898. On the first floor, a temporary exhibition will allow you to discover the technique of the lace industry and to penetrate in the world of Haute-Couture. Plus d'informations (Web connexion necessary)
Cambrai’s subterranean quarries The cambresian basement is drilled by tens of kilometres of subterranean galleries. They testify of the presence of ancient stone quarries, from where was extracted the chalk used for the constructions. If the big period of extraction is situated in the Middle Ages, in particular between the 10th and the 16th century, it is possible that the most ancient quarries go back up to the Gallo-Roman period. The huge majority of these quarries are situated in city centre, inside the perimeter defined by the boulevards. It is essentially about small exploitations using the method of extraction by chambers and pillars. After the exploitation period, which ends towards the 16th-17th century, numerous underground passages are reused: storage places, breweries, they also constitute invaluable shelters during the various conflicts which knew the region. More information (Web connexion necessary)	The parade of August 15th in Cambrai The most beautiful renowned carnival... While many cities exiled it in the suburbs where it decays, Cambrai knew how to maintain this ancestral tradition of big carnival in city centre. The epicentre of the presence in the heart of the city was the Big Square. The variety of its 200 attractions, as well as the preview of the most impressive attractions, make it the most beautiful carnival in the North of Paris. Do note that the last day of the carnival, all the attractions will be proposed at half-price and the feelings strong and assured !
The 20th anniversary of the Juventus Festival A UNIQUE CONCEPT ! Juventus spots without their knowledge the most talented young European soloists. Every year in Cambrai, the Juventus festival welcomes the new prize-winners who are surrounded by the ancients. The presence in Cambrai of a significant number of big musicians allows conceiving varied and eclectic programs. Conviviality, friendship, looseness… The relationship between the public and the musicians is one of big success of Juventus. Concerts are relaxed and the “hung-up” side which so much hurt the music is totally absent. More information (Web connexion necessary)