École_royale_du_génie_de_Mézières

The École royale du génie de Mézières (Royal Engineering School of Mézières) was a military engineering school in what is now Charleville-Mézières, France. It was founded in 1748 on proposal of the comte d'Argenson, then Secretary of state for War, and Brigadier Nicolas de Chastillon, commander of the citadel at Charleville-Mézières, with the aim of modernizing the town's fortifications. It trained a total of 542 military engineers until its merging with the École d'Application de l'Artillerie de Metz during the Reign of Terror. Since 1800 its buildings have housed the Hôtel du Département des Ardennes, which manages the Ardennes department.