Mantes

Mantes stands on the Seine west of Paris, on the route toward Normandy. Its bridge and river port made it a strategic and commercial centre between Paris and Rouen. The town received communal rights from Louis VI in 1110, and its stone bridge and collegiate church of Notre-Dame took shape in the twelfth century. During the Hundred Years' War, Mantes changed hands as rival powers contested the Seine valley; French forces retook it from the king of Navarre in 1364. In the Wars of Religion it initially supported the Catholic League, but opened its gates to Henry IV in 1590. With Paris still resisting him, the king based his government at Mantes for a time. The church, walls and crossing reflected a town whose local life was closely tied to the fortunes of this important river route.