"The Arras plain lies on a large chalk plateau bordered on the north by the Marqueffles fault, on the southwest by the Artois and Ternois hills, ...
and on the south by the slopes of Beaufort-Blavincourt. On the east it is connected to the Scarpe valley.
Established during the Iron Age by the Gauls,[citation needed] the town of Arras was first known as Nemetocenna, which is believed to have originated from the Celtic word nemeton, meaning ´sacred space.´[citation needed].
Saint Vedast (or St. Vaast) was the first Catholic bishop in the year 499 and attempted to eliminate paganism among the Franks. By 843, Arras was seat of the County of Artois which became part of the Royal domain in 1191.[unreliable source?]The first mention of the name Arras appeared in the 12th century. Some hypothesize it is a contraction of Atrebates, a Belgic tribe of Gaul and Britain that used to inhabit the area. The name Atrebates could have successively evolved to become Atrades, Atradis, Aras and finally Arras. Others believe it comes from the Celtic word Ar, meaning ´running water´, as the Scarpe river flows through Arras. Louis XIII reconquered Arras in 1640; the town officially became part of France in 1659." - (en.wikipedia.org 21.09.2020)
- Latitude50.289165496826
- Longitude2.7799999713898