Metz ( in French) is a city in the northeast of France, capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department.

It is located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.

Although historically Nancy was the capital of the duchy of Lotharingia, it was Metz which was chosen as the capital of the newly created région of Lorraine in the middle of the 20th century, because of its past history as the capital of the region of Lotharingia - an origin found much more republican-friendly than the duchy-related theory, pointing to Nancy as the region capital.

Roman Divodurum

In ancient times Metz, then known as Divodurum (the town at the holy mountain), was the capital of the Celtic Mediomatrici, and the name of this tribe, abbreviated to Mettis, formed the origin of the present name. At the beginning of the Christian Era, the site was already occupied by the Romans. Metz became one of the principal towns of Gallia, more populous than Lutetia, rich thanks to its wine exports and having one of the largest amphitheatres of the country. As a well-fortified town at the junction of several military roads, it soon grew to great importance. One of the last Roman strongholds to surrender to the Germanic tribes, it was captured by Attila in 451, and finally passed, about the end of the fifth century, through peaceful negotiations into the hands of the Franks.

Early Frankish Metz

Though the first Christian churches were to be found outside the city, the existence in the fifth century of the oratory of St. Stephen within the city walls has been fully proved. In the beginning of the seventh century the oldest monastic establishments were those of St. Glossinde and St. Peter.

Since King Sigibert I, Metz frequently was the residence of the Merovingian kings of Austrasia and especially the reign of Queen Brunhilda reflected great splendour on the town.

The town preserved the good-will of the rulers, when the Carolingians acceeded to the Frankish throne, as it had long been a base of their family and one of their primal ancestors, Saint Arnulf of Metz, as well as his son Chlodulf, had been bishops of Metz. Charlemagne considered making Metz his chief residence before he finally decided in favour of Aachen.

There is evidence that the earliest Western musical notation, in the form of neumes in camp aperto (without staff-lines), was created at Metz around 800, as a result of Charlemagne's desire for Frankish church musicians to retain the performance nuances used by the Roman singers.

In the basilica, Louis the Pious and his half-brother the Bishop Drogo were buried and Charles the Bald was crowned there.

Lotharingian Metz

In 843 Metz became the capital of the Kingdom of Lotharingia, and several diets and councils were held there. Numerous Christian manuscripts, the product of the Metz schools of writing and painting, such as the famous "Trier Ada" manuscript and the Drogo Sacramentary for the personal use of a bishop of the royal house (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris), are evidence of the active intellectual lives and sumptuous patronage of Carolingian Metz.