Rocroi
Commune in Grand Est, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rocroi (French pronunciation: [ʁɔkʁwa]) is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.
Rocroi | |
|---|---|
 A general view of Rocroi | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Rocroi | |
  Rocroi  Rocroi | |
| Coordinates: 49°55′34″N 4°31′20″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Grand Est |
| Department | Ardennes |
| Arrondissement | Charleville-Mézières |
| Canton | Rocroi |
| Intercommunality | Vallées et Plateau d'Ardenne |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Denis Binet[1] |
Area 1 | 50.41 km2 (19.46 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 2,270 |
| • Density | 45.0/km2 (117/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 08367 /08230 |
| Elevation | 385 m (1,263 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
The central area is a notable surviving example of a bastion fort.
Population
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| Source: EHESS[3] and INSEE (1968-2023)[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History
Rocroi was fortified by Francis I of France and expanded by Henry II of France. Because of its strategic location in the north of France it changed hands a number of times during wars. It is best known for the Battle of Rocroi in 1643. In the 1670s the fortifications were re-modelled by the French engineer Vauban.[5]
In 1815, two months after the Battle of Waterloo, the town was taken by Prussian and British forces (on 16 August).
