Bar-le-Duc (pop. 16,939), the old capital of the duchy of Bar and now an industrial town, lies on the Rhine-Marne Canal and the river Ornain, with the upper town reaching on to the slopes above the valley.
In the upper town is the 14th C church of St-Etienne, with another masterwork by Ligier Richier, the tomb of Prince René de Châlon (d. 1544), known as the "Squelette" (Skeleton). The Rue du Bourg, Rue de Bar and Place St-Pierre are lined with handsome old houses. The Château Ducal contains a museum.
At the southeast end of the Boulevard de la Rochelle, in the lower town, is the handsome church of St-Jean, in neo- Romanesque/Byzantine style. The Pont Notre-Dame with its chapel leads to the church of Notre-Dame (13th- 14th C, restored in 17th C), which contains a wooden figure of Christ by Ligier Richier, a pupil of Michelangelo, and a beautiful 15th C bas-relief. To the southeast, beyond the narrow Canal de l'Ornain, is the 14th C church of St-Antoine, with frescoes of the same period.
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Bar-le Duc
