Metz: ancienne ville

The earliest traces of human activity in Lorraine extend back to about 200,000 years ago as documented by the discovery of a handaxe at Montigny-lès-Metz. But it is only after the 1st century BC that Metz arises in its first economic boom when we have mention of the Médiomatriques, a celtic people mentioned by Tacitus. The current name of the city derives from this word:

Medimatricorum>Mediomatris>Mettis>Mets>Metz.

The city was already known back then for the exploitation of the beige-colored stone which forms the ancient buildings of the town. During the Roman period Metz gained importance due to its central location at a major crossroads. It used to boast one of the most important amphitheaters of the Gallo-Roman world which could accommodate 25,000 spectators. As a curious coincidence, or perhaps not, the football stadium Saint-Symphorien de Metz accomodates the local Football Club de Metz and 25,000 fans. The stadium was built in 1923 but went through a major overhaul from 1998 to 2001.

Metz was the capital of the kingdom of Austrasia from 511 to  751. Frankish Salic law called for the kingdom to be divided among the king's sons after his death. When Clovis died, his kingdom was divided into Neustria, Burgundy, Austrasia, and Aquitania. Clovis' 1st born Thierry, or Theodoric (Theuderich) in German/ic, inherited Austrasia probably because his mother Clotilde, Clovis' first wife, was Rhenish. The territories that comprised Austrasia were the ancient Roman provinces of Germania prima, Germania secunda, Belgica prima, and parts of Belgica secunda. Austrasia was the jewel of the Merovingian Frankish Empire in the decades following the death of Clovis and Metz was its capital. It was the most germanicized part of Frankish Gaul.

Enough of history. Today Metz stands out as an incredibly charming city, proud of its culture, pervaded by the air of fine yet inconspicuous cuisine, rush hour pedestrian din, parks, excellent shopping, attractive local wines, cordial people that kindly welcome you into their homes or establishments, open air concerts, fine contemporary art exhibits in historical setting, beautiful ladies; it's a place to enclose completely in your heart and is in no way inferior to Francilienne cultue.

Cave à Vins et Produits du Terroir: 27, place de Chambre à Metz

I spent the last moments of my brief stay in this truly original city talking about wine with the owner of this charming wine bar. Madame informed me that the local varietal is called auxerrois which produces a fruity white dry wine with an interesting pleasant acidity that actually does nicely as an aperitif, personally speaking. Her brother runs the restaurant to the left, out of view in this picture, and my hotel is to the right. Mala Coste, the restaurant where I had dined the previous evening, is right next to Hôtel de la Cathédrale. It served a wonderful steak dish with oven baked potato gratin and some unidentifiable deliciously juicy vegetable patty (I forgot to ask what it was). To accompany this culinary delight I ordered a simple dry and fruity rosé from the Languedoc region. It was perfect. The prices are very democratic! I had the steak which was superb, two half liters of the country rosé, an assortment of cheeses as dessert, and I think I recall a little appetizer in there somewhere all for just €44,-. Considering the quality of the food, the friendly and professional service, ideal location, and reasonable prices, it was a great pleasure to dine here.

But, briefly, back to Cave à Vins et Produits du Terroir (Le Sommelier): this little vinothèque offers a wide selection of French wines including local wines and specialties. As far as the surrounding vineyards are concerned, the regional "appellation" is denominated Vins de Lorraine which breaks down into Moselle and Côtes de Toul. These vineyards are not well known abroad for historically they have been overshadowed by the Champagne region to the west which of course boasts worldwide celebrity, Alsatia to the south-east which is not too shabby itself for its beautifully rounded Rieslings and Gewürtzraminers, and of course the mighty Rieslings of the Moselle river downstream in Germany which have been blessed with elite terroirs that produce some of the finest white wine in the world (appellation: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer). Even the wines of the Luxembourger section of the Moselle river have been praised in song by Jacques Brel and Nino Ferrer. What we have here then is an unjustified little image problem as far as I'm concerned because the wines of Pays Messin are very respectable indeed; and you can convince yourself at Caves à Vin at 27, Place de Chambre, 57000 Metz across Saint Etienne's cathedral. It hasn't been easy for Lorraine to assert herself as a legitimate producer of quality wine being crunched by at least three of the world's most famous viticultural regions: Champagne, Alsatia, and the German Moselle. Ughhhh! What a tough job, but that's exactly what makes messin wines all the more charming, like its people: uncomplicated, playful, sexy.

Wine was brought by Roman soldiers in the 3rd century to this area and the region's early prosperity surely owes a lot to its proximity to the then imperial city Trèves (German Trier), capital of the Western Roman Empire. In 511 Theoderic, firstling of Clovis, the great Merovingian monarch, elects Metz as capital of his kingdom Austrasia. As the bishops of Metz needed to welcome their kings in a dignified manner, they had great demand for competent wine cellars thus the clergy played an important role in the continuation of local viticulture. It is not until after the revolution of 1789 that we see a gradual increase of bourgeoisie investment in the local wine industry. Winemaking is further developed at the time of the region's annexation to Germany as vine acreage is increased from 5000 to 6000 acres. With climate and varietals similar to those of Champagne, the interest of the German wine industry is thus drawn to the region for production of sparkling wine (Sekt). Many German and Champenoise "maisons" establish subsidiaries along the Moselle river. At first must was imported from the Moselle for local fermentation. Native companies then successfully launch their own wine labels to assert themselves on the market.

Épée mérovingienne

Depicted above is a Merovingian sword. The Merovingians were a Frankish tribe, in other words a Germanic conglomeration whose descendants are, among others, the German and French nations we know today. Only chieftains carried such long swords while their thegns (followers / warriors) swung axes and stabbed their foes with a type of knife (a short sword actually) called the "scramsaxe". The origins of the first and most powerful European dynasty to emerge from the ruins of Rome are thus Germanic.

I recall the winter of 1980 walking a suburb of Bonn called Bad Godesberg with my German host-mother Ingrid. As we passed the window of a bookshop, a book titled "Kulturen im Norden" (Cultures of the North) immediately caught my attention. The book deals with the origins of Germanic, Celtic, and Slavic tribes of northern Europe and was a translation from the original English (Wilson and friends). I was pleasantly surprised that following christmas when I unwrapped a gift to discover it was that book. Ingrid had given me a very personal present indeed. The details surrounding the origins of the Franks are long and tedious and perhaps boring for most but I find them totally fascinating! This was 1980, I was 17, no Dan Brown or Da Vinci codes and no Holy Blood Holy Grails by Baigent and consorts; there I was into German history and the Merovingians as a Mexican from L.A. living in Germany.

Who were these people called the Franks who eventually gave rise to Clovis and Charlemagne under two dynasties: Merovingians and Carolingians? Without Rome there wouldn't have been any Franks as they were an alliance of different but related Germanic groups from the region east of the Rhine roughly located in the area that extends from the Ruhr river in the north, to the Sieg river further south. Today this area is formed by the Ruhr river region (recently one of the most important industrial areas of the world), and a bit further to the south the Bergisches Land which translates literally into mountain country. It is roughly the area that borders the right banks of the Rhine opposite Cologne and Bonn. It is believed that the Franks arose from a tribe knows as the Sicambrians and / or the Ripuarians (among other allied ethnicities most likely) which lived in this area during the late imperial period. They evolved a strong cultural identity (ethnos) and cohesiveness only vis-à-vis Roman occupation as would be expected in acts of resistance.

The Romans themselves would not have classified them as a "nation" in the classical sense of the word, but because Roman civilization, just across the river Rhine in Cologne for example, provided such a strong impetus for trade and intercultural exchange, that force alone was sufficient enough to rally these people (Völker) under the sword of leaders.  These leaders, heroes in the eyes of their followers, paved the foundation to what became European nobility.

The ancient and beautiful city of Metz was a major stronghold of Merovingian culture and the craddle of the Carolingian dynasty, one of whose founding fathers was bishop (now a declared saint) Arnulf, an ancestor of Charlemagne. He is known in German history as Arnulf von Metz but in the Romance language of the French as Saint Arnould. Provincial Roman aristocracy (senatorial clans), who had adopted Christianity and occupied the bishopric as a political mechanism of administration (people control) fused with Frankish warhorses to evolve into what became European "noble" dynastic lines. Their descendants still live among us and exercise major influence on world events.

Café des Arcs; Place Saint Louis à Metz

After visiting all the points of interest I had planned to view in Metz, I settled down at Café des Arcs on Place Saint Louis to drink a few beers. Roaming the halls of such a magnificent museum as the Musées de la Cour d'Or can be painstaking. There was this pretty girl working behind the bar pouring drinks, waiting on the tables of the square. She had this unusual aura, cheerful, and appealing. She also had this darker voice which added to her carnal magnetism and to boot was very playful. She was a happy being casually dressed in black pants and wearing a greenish top that aesthetically snugged her upper body. She noticed me and began to perform in these red Converse sneakers she was wearing. Aaahh, the ancient rite of flirt. In a nutshell she mocked herself up as the street girl from Metz all the while Manu Chau sang in Spanish through the café spekers. I sat inside sipping on my beer and read up on the historical sights I had just been to. Then the café-owner (or the manager perhaps) walked in and ordered her to go and assist some customers who couldn't speak French. She protested slightly saying "but I can't speak German" to which he replied, "but you speak a little English, here, just take these menus and try to find out what they want". That was that and It was so fucking funny that I had to refrain from laughing out loud. I almost intervened as interpreter but said to myself: naaah, you're just going to sit this one out and observe, maybe take pictures. And I was rewarded. She danced her way to the table and began negotiating the menu with these German ladies in her sexy English. I had just paid my bill and moved around the "event" just far enough so they wouldn't notice me taking the photographs with my little Lumix camera, partly hiding in the shade of the archway like a sniper awaiting the moment. She was just too cool, natural, playful, and so mucht into what she was doing: fulfilling her job as the waitress.