This region, the northernmost in France, is comprised of the districts of Nord and Pas de Calais. Aside from being the birthplace of a number of important historical figures, its main claim to fame is the famous 1895 statue, “Les bourgeois de Calais,” by Rodin. This bronze sculpture of 6 men, in front of the Hôtel de Ville in the town of Calais, is considered Rodin’s chef d’oeuvre. Maximilien de Robespierre, notorious for the Reign of Terror prior to the French Revolution, hailed from Nord-Pas-de-Calais, as did famous artist Henri Matisse and former French president Charles de Gaulle.

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Explore Nord-Pas-de-Calais
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