Area 18.02 km² | Canton Saint-Omer-Nord Population (1999) 689 Local time Monday 11:50 AM | |
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Weather 9°C, Wind W at 14 km/h, 76% Humidity | ||
Clairmarais is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Contents
Map of Clairmarais, France
Geography
A farming village situated in reclaimed marshland, 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Saint-Omer, on the D209 road. The Neufosse Canal, which connects the Aa and Lys Rivers, passes by the commune.
History
It owes its origin to the famous Cistercian abbey founded by St. Bernard in 1140. He gave the village the name of Claromarisco (later to be Clarus Mariscus and then Clermarez) because of the huge marshes and many rivers in the vicinity. The Dutch Klaarmares and West Flemish Cleremeersch names reflect the nature of the terrain, too.
Clairmarais became a fully-fledged common in 1790 when the abbey was going to be destroyed and sold as a national asset during the French Revolution.