A VISIT TO PONT-À-MOUSSON.
Starting-point: Place Duroc (or Grand Place), in which stands the Hôtel-de-Ville.
Place Duroc, with its irregular arcades and Renaissance houses, presents a very characteristic appearance.
PLACE DUROC, WITH ITS ARCADED HOUSES
Maison Leguy: the 3 first arcades, beginning at the turret. The 4th and 5th arcades belong to the House of the Seven Capital Sins.
Visit first the “House of the Seven Capital Sins,” decorated with caryatids. At the bottom of a court there is a fine bas-relief representing The Conversion of St. Paul.
THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN CAPITAL SINS
A little further on is the Maison Leguy, recognisable by its hexagonal turret, which rests on one of the corner pillars of the arcades. Tradition attributes its construction to the Templars, and says that a subterranean passage led from it across the Moselle and up to Mousson.
The turret is at the corner of Rue Victor Hugo, which take to see, in the Rue de l’Union (first street on the left), two curious doors at Nos. 6 and 8.
Return to Place Duroc, turn to the left into Rue St. Laurent and see, in the court of No. 9, a fine gallery delicately carved in Renaissance style (slightly damaged by the bombardment); at No. 11, a handsome façade with a charming court, an old well, the railing of the old terrace, a spiral staircase and timbered ceilings; at No. 19, the façade, door and entrance.
OLD RENAISSANCE BALCONY AT NO. 7, RUE ST. LAURENT
CHURCH OF ST. LAURENT
Opposite No. 19 is the Church of St. Laurent; it was slightly damaged, the roof being pierced by shells in several places.
This church, frequently restored, offers no particular interest.
Inside there is a reredos in the form of a triptych, which came from the neighbouring Convent of the Poor Claires at Pont-à-Mousson. This work is by “Georgin le painctre,” and dates from the 16th century.
It represents: the Baptism of Christ, the Resurrection of Lazarus, the Healing of the Blind at the Pool, and the Burial of Christ.
The Chapel of Our Lady of Pity contains a celebrated “Christ carrying the Cross” by Ligier Richier. (See note, p. [56], regarding this famous sculptor’s works.)
TEMPORARY BRIDGE OVER THE MOSELLE (left bank)
DESTROYED STONE BRIDGE OVER THE MOSELLE, WITH TEMPORARY WOODEN FOOT-BRIDGE
CHURCH OF ST. MARTIN. WEST FRONT
CHURCH OF ST. MARTIN
14th century tomb of a knight and his wife.
Return to the Place Duroc, take the street leading to the bridge, which comes out opposite the “House of the Seven Capital Sins.” The fine stone bridge was partly destroyed. A temporary footway, however, makes it possible to cross the Moselle here and reach the Rue Gambetta.
On the left, at the corner of Rue St. Martin, stands the greatly damaged Church of St. Martin. All the stained-glass windows were destroyed. Several shells pierced the walls and roof.
The Church of St. Martin (Hist. Mon.) is the old church of the Antonists, and was built in 1474.
THE SEPULCHRE (16TH CENTURY) IN THE CHURCH OF ST. MARTIN
CHURCH OF THE PETIT SÉMINAIRE
Façade facing the Rue St. Martin.
The very narrow façade is in florid pointed style. The interior of the church has undergone numerous unfortunate restorations. In the aisles are: on the left, the funeral statues of a 14th century knight and his wife; on the right, the tomb of Esther of Apremont, with her coat of arms (1592), and a particularly interesting late 16th century sepulchre (see photos, p. [94]).
A triforium runs round the nave, and the tribune is closed by a fine open-work gallery dating from the end of the 16th century. Unfortunately, the choir is disfigured by a facing of marble which conceals the frescoes that decorated the walls.
THE LIBRARY OF THE PETIT SÉMINAIRE
SPIRAL STAIRCASE OF THE PETIT SÉMINAIRE
Beside the church, in the Rue St. Martin, is the Petit Séminaire, housed in the sumptuous Abbey of the Premonstrants, dating from the early part of the 18th century.
REFECTORY OF THE PETIT SÉMINAIRE
It was very seriously damaged by the bombardments. The chapel and its façade, the parlour, in very outlined rock-work style, splendid staircases, large cloisters and, above all, the famous wood-carvings in the library, were especially noteworthy.
NARROW RISING ROAD TO MOUSSON, WITH SHELTER IN THE FOREGROUND
Mousson
To reach Mousson, proceed to the end of the Rue Gambetta, in the opposite direction to the Moselle.
CEMETERY OF PONT-À-MOUSSON
At the side of the above road (continuation of Rue Gambetta).
Leave the car at the entrance to the Avenue de Metz (on the left) and walk up the hollow road (opposite the Rue Gambetta), which skirts the cemetery. (Time required: half an hour.)
RUINS OF TOMBS IN THE CEMETERY AT PONT-À-MOUSSON
Along this road artillery batteries were posted, the emplacements of which may still be seen.
Take a glance at the cemetery, where a number of graves have been destroyed.
The village of Mousson is at the top of a hill where there have been successively: a Roman camp, an Austrasian fortress and, in the 10th century, the château of the Countess Sophie de Bar, reduced to ruins by Richelieu.
The fortifications consist of a first line covering the village, and a second surrounding the château. The houses thus form a semicircle between the two ramparts.
The village was greatly damaged during the war. Most of the houses are in ruins. Some of them had tricusped windows and curious 15th and 16th century doors.
Skirt the ancient Chapel of the Templars to reach the terrace of the old château.
A CORNER OF MOUSSON VILLAGE
In the background: JOAN-OF-ARC TOWER AND STATUE
All that remains of the château is the central chapel (11th-12th century) (Hist. Mon.), which was unhappily enlarged about 1895, and to which a battlemented tower surmounted by a gilt statue of Joan-of-Arc was added.
PONT-À-MOUSSON AND PRÊTRE WOOD, SEEN FROM MOUSSON
The chapel (Hist. Mon.), with a semicircular vaulted roof on curious pillars, contains fine baptismal fonts (1085) decorated with sculptures.
These fonts, resembling the curb-stone of a well, are decorated with bas-reliefs representing: John the Baptist preaching repentance to publicans and soldiers who came to him in the wilderness; John baptizing two naked Jews immersed in a cistern; John baptizing Jesus Christ, plunged up to the waist in the waters of Jordan.
On the terrace are numerous trenches, in addition to shafts dug by the engineers to reach the underground passages which communicate with concrete shelters. One of these shelters may still be seen along the southern ramparts of the old château. All these military works are very interesting to visit.
There is a splendid panorama from this terrace: on one side (photo, pp. 100 and 101) the town of Pont-à-Mousson and the valley of the Moselle with, behind Pont-à-Mousson, Puvenelle Forest and Prêtre Wood; on the other side, the valley of the Seille, with Metz Cathedral in the distance. To the south-east is seen the Grand Couronné.
Mousson was a first-rate observation-post for the French gunners, which explains the fortifications that were erected there during the war.
PANORAMIC VIEW OF PONT-À-MOUSSON AND THE VALLEY OF THE MOSELLE, SEEN FROM MOUSSON
Panoramic view
RUINS OF THE OLD FORTIFIED CASTLE OF MOUSSON
On the right: JOAN-OF-ARC TOWER AND STATUE
MOUSSON CEMETERY
In the background: WALLS OF THE OLD FORTIFIED CASTLE