It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France and had a population of ,, [ 4 ] as of A central landmark of the city is Amiens Cathedral , the largest Gothic cathedral in France. Amiens also has one of the largest university hospitals in France, with a capacity of 1, beds. The author Jules Verne lived in Amiens from until his death in , and served on the city council for 15 years. Amiens is the birthplace of French president Emmanuel Macron.
The town was fought over during both World Wars, suffering significant damage, and was repeatedly occupied by both sides. In the aftermath, the city was rebuilt according to Pierre Dufau 's plans with wider streets to ease traffic congestion. These newer structures were primarily built of brick, concrete and white stone with slate roofs. Amiens has an important historical and cultural heritage, on which a significant amount of tourism is based.
A total of 60 monuments are listed in the inventory of monuments historiques , over places and monuments listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage , and objects listed in the inventory of monuments historiques. During December, the town hosts the largest Christmas market in northern France. The first known settlement at this location was Samarobriva "Somme bridge" , the central settlement of the Ambiani tribe, one of the principal tribes of Gaul.
The Romans named the town Ambianum, meaning settlement of the Ambiani people. Amiens was part of Francia starting from the 5th century. During the 18th and 19th century, the textile tradition of Amiens became famous for its velours. As a result of the French Revolution , the provinces of France were dismantled and the territory was organised into departments.
Much of Picardy became the newly created department of Somme with Amiens as the departmental capital. During the industrial revolution , the city walls were demolished, opening up space for large boulevards around the town center.
