Laon

Laon rises above the broad surrounding plain on a long, steep-sided hill. Its cathedral and walls crown a city whose height made it a naturally powerful stronghold and a prominent religious centre. From the early Gothic cathedral's towers, the countryside stretches far below the ancient episcopal town.

During the Wars of Religion Laon supported the Catholic League. Henry IV besieged and recovered the city in 1594, then ordered a citadel built to secure it. Construction required the destruction of the plain district and the churches of Notre-Dame-au-Marché and Saint-Georges, and the work, directed by Antoine Étienne, was completed in 1598. In 1814 Napoleon attacked the allied army of Blücher at Laon, but failed to drive it from its strong position overlooking the plain.