Calais, a seaport town of France, in the department of Pas-de-Calais, on the Strait of Dover, here 21 miles wide, by rail is 184 miles N. of Paris. It ranks as a fortress of the first class, the old walls, dividing it from its suburb, Saint Pierre, having been demolished since 1883, and their place supplied by a ring of exterior forts. The gate built by Richelieu in 1635, and immortalised by Hogarth, has disappeared; but the cardinal's citadel (1641) still stands on the west of the town. On the south and east are low marshy grounds, which could be submerged in the event of an invasion. The harbour, which was nearly dry at low tide, and which had rarely more than from 15 to 18 feet of water in it, has been greatly improved since 1875 at a cost of more than £2,700,000. Calais is one of the chief ports of debarkation for travellers from England to France, and has steam communication thrice a day with Dover, with which since 1851 it has also been connected by submarine telegraph. With the air of a Flemish more than of a French town, Calais has not much to boast of in the way of objects of interest. The church of Nôtre Dame has a fine 'Assumption' by Seghers. The picturesque hôtel-de-ville was rebuilt in 1750, and restored in 1867. The adjoining Tour de Guet (1214) served as a lighthouse till 1848; the present lighthouse is 190 feet high. A museum (1884) occupies the site of the Hôtel Dessin, where Sterne lodged, and Scott, and Lady Hamilton. A handsome English church was built in 1862. The chief manufacture is tulle or bobbin-net, introduced by English from Nottingham in 1818. The fisheries, once important, have greatly declined. Pop. (1872) 39,700; (1881) 44,315; (1891) 52,522. See HARBOUR, Vol. V. p. 553.
Calais was a small fishing-village till in 997 it was improved by Baldwin IV., Count of Flanders, whilst in 1224 it was enlarged and strengthened by Philip of France, Count of Boulogne. In 1347, after a twelvemonth's siege, it was captured by Edward III. of England, and the self-devotion then shown by six of the citizens, who were saved by the entreaties of Queen Philippa, forms one of the noblest passages of history. The English retained it until 1558, when it was captured by the Duke of Guise, its garrison of 800 men holding it for a week against his 30,000. Since then (with the exception of two years, 1596-98, when it was in the possession of the Spaniards) Calais has continued French. In 1659 Charles II. of England resided some time here; and about a quarter of a century later James II. arrived here with French troops for the invasion of England, which the destruction of the French fleet prevented him from accomplishing. Louis XVIII. landed at Calais in 1814, after his exile.