Meaux

Meaux is a commune in the Île-de-France region of northern France. It is the seat of the arrondissement of Meaux in the Seine-et-Marne department. The town lies on the left bank of the Marne River, about 40 kilometers east of Paris, at the heart of the Brie region. Its location has long shaped its role as a market town and regional center.

Meaux has roots dating to the Gallo-Roman era and grew in the Middle Ages as a bishopric and commercial town. The city preserves a medieval core with timber-framed houses and narrow lanes, and its monuments include the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne de Meaux and the surrounding episcopal palace. The palace houses the Musée Bossuet, dedicated to Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, the 17th-century bishop and orator who lived there.

Meaux is closely associated with Brie de Meaux, a soft cow’s milk cheese that has protected designation of origin and is strongly linked to the town’s culinary heritage. The surrounding countryside remains agricultural, producing Brie and other regional specialties.

The town is connected to the Paris metropolitan area by road and rail. The A4 autoroute passes nearby, and Meaux is served by the Transilien Paris-Est rail network on line P, linking it with central Paris and other suburbs.

Prominent figures associated with Meaux include Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, whose episcopal palace and residence figure in the city’s cultural identity. Meaux remains a regional center for history, cheese production, and commerce in the Brie country.