Vieil-Hesdin
Commune
The church of Vieil-Hesdin
Location of Vieil-Hesdin
Vieil-Hesdin Show map of France Vieil-Hesdin Show map of Hauts-de-France
Coordinates: 50°21′30″N 2°05′59″E / 50.3583°N 2.0997°E / 50.3583; 2.0997
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement	Montreuil
Canton	Auxi-le-Château
Intercommunality	CC des 7 Vallées
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Christian Druelle[1]
Area 1	9.82 km2 (3.79 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2021)[2]	342
• Density	35/km2 (90/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	62850 /62770
Elevation	31–125 m (102–410 ft) (avg. 37 m or 121 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Vieil-Hesdin (French pronunciation: [vjɛj edɛ̃]; Dutch: Oud-Heusden) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.^[3]

Geography

Vieil-Hesdin is situated 6 kilometres southeast of Hesdin, on the banks of the river Canche on the D 340 highway.

History

Once just simply known as Hesdin, this little village was, in the Middle Ages, a large and prosperous town. Its position in the heart of the county of Artois, once part of the Spanish Netherlands, led to its downfall. From 1471 until its destruction in 1553, it suffered many sieges and sackings, as a result of fighting between the Kings of France, the Holy Roman Empire, Henry VIII of England and several French nobles.

The end of Hesdin, as it was then known, came at the hands of Charles V. His 60,000 strong army had already ravaged Metz and razed Thérouanne in April 1553 and he ordered the city and the castle completely destroyed. A month later, the wreckers had finished their work. Only the convent and chapel were spared. Some months later, the demolition material was used to found a new city 6 kilometres downstream, at a village then called Maisnil. This new town took the name Hesdin-fert, then Hesdin-fort, eventually becoming Hesdin. The ruined town was known for a while as Hesdin-le-Châtel, then eventually as Vieil-Hesdin (Old-Hesdin).

Population

Places and monuments

• Château d'Estruval, 18th-19th century^[5]
• The former convent of the Black Nuns, now a château. The façade, roof and cloisters are protected by decree of July 9, 1981. The garden walls and buildings (including two pigeon houses) are also protected by decree of April 28, 1993.^[6]