Commercy

Commercy (French pronunciation: [kɔmɛʁsi] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.

Commercy dates back to the 9th century, and at that time its lords were dependent on the bishop of Metz. In 1544 it was besieged by Charles V in person. For some time the lordship was in the hands of Jean François Paul de Gondi, cardinal de Retz, who lived in the town for a number of years, and there composed his memoirs. From him it was purchased by Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine. In 1744 it became the residence of Stanisław Leszczyński, king of Poland, who spent a great deal of care on the embellishment of the town, castle and neighbourhood.

Commercy is the home of the Madeleines referred to by Marcel Proust in À la recherche du temps perdu.

Commercy is the key location for action in the 1964 film The Train although this did not use the town for filming purposes.

It is twinned with the German town of Hockenheim.