Abbeville,
town, Somme département,
Picardie region,
northern France, near
the mouth of the canalized Somme, northwest of Amiens. Stone
Age artifacts unearthed by Boucher de Crèvecoeur de Perthes
in 1844 attesting to early occupation of the site are displayed
at the Musée Boucher-de-Perthes. The town originated
as Abbatis Villa, a 9th-century dependency of the abbots of
Saint-Riquier, and was chartered in 1184. Under the English
(1272-1435), it was capital of Ponthieu. Louis XII's marriage
(1514) to Mary, sister of Henry VIII of England, took place
there.
The Gothic church of Saint-Vulfran (15th-17th centuries) and
the town hall with its 13th-century tower survived air bombardment
during World War II.
Abbeville has carpet factories (dating from the 17th century),
sugar refineries, breweries, and ironworks. Pop. (1990) 23,787.
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