Brienne

Brienne-le-Château takes its name from the castle and the noble family that ruled the surrounding county. The town in Champagne later acquired a royal military school, where a young Corsican named Napoleon Bonaparte studied from 1779 to 1784. His education included mathematics, history, geography, drawing and the study of military fortifications before he continued his studies at the royal military school in Paris.

Napoleon returned to Brienne as emperor in 1805, and again in 1814 as invading armies approached Paris. Fighting around Brienne in January and at nearby La Rothière in February formed part of his campaign to hold back the allies. The town itself was caught in the battle and suffered a devastating fire, while the emperor used the château as his headquarters.