Saint-Quentin, Administrative center in Hauts-de-France, France.
Saint-Quentin is an administrative town in the Aisne department of northern France, sitting along the banks of the Somme river and covering three cantons. Wide cobblestone squares open between buildings of brick and stone, while streets branch in different directions toward residential neighborhoods and commercial zones.
Roman settlers founded a road station here in the first century, which later grew into a town. In the third century a monk was killed here, and a monastery arose at the site of his tomb, drawing pilgrims and driving further development.
The name comes from a Christian martyr whose relics drew pilgrims to the basilica over the centuries. Today residents gather in the market squares for weekly markets and social meetings, while cafes around the central areas invite people to sit and watch daily life.
The train station sits close to the center and connects the town with Paris and other cities in the region. Many sights are reachable on foot, with wide sidewalks making it easy to explore the squares and streets.
A collection of eighteenth-century pastel portraits fills an entire museum and shows the work of a local artist who captured many faces of his time. A separate museum preserves hundreds of thousands of butterflies and other insects gathered from many parts of the world.
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