Neufchâteau
Encyclopedia
Neufchâteau is a Walloon municipality of Belgium
located in the province of Luxembourg.
On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 113.79 km², had 6,652 inhabitants, giving a population density
of 58.5 inhabitants per km².
It includes the former municipalities of Grandvoir, Grapfontaine, Hamipré, Longlier, and Tournay
as well as the localities of Cousteumont, Fineuse, Gérimont, Harfontaine, Hosseuse, Lahérie, LeSart, Malome, Marbay, Massul, Molinfaing, MonIdée, Montplainchamps, Morival, Namoussart, Nolinfaing, Offaing, Petitvoir, Respelt, Semel, Tronquoy, Verlaine, and Warmifontaine.
megalith
dating form about 2000 BC and a Celt
ic necropolis
dating from between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC have been found in this area, attesting to early human activity. Gallo-Roman sepultures and a small Roman
villa were found here as well, showing the presence around the 2nd century AD of a minor agricultural domain. The region was used in Carolingian
times mostly as a hunting area and population remained sparse throughout the Middle Ages
. A document dating from 1100 shows that one of the many tiny hamlets in the area, Semel, was donated to the Abbey of Amdain (currently Saint-Hubert
). In 1239, that same hamlet was mentioned as being part of the lordship of Neufchâteau, at the time when it was now given to the Orval Abbey
. Like many of its neighbours, the lordship of Neufchâteau was part of the Duchy of Luxembourg.
An important document for the history of the Neufchâteu region is a 1609 painting entitled “LA TERRE ET PREVOSTEE DE NEVFCHASTEAV AVECQZ SES DESPENDENCES", now kept in the Arlon archives. The painting shows the town of Neufchâteau within its protective walls, at the foot of its castle, surrounded by a number of villages and hamlets. In the mid-17th century, the plague and Louis XIV’s wars decimated the area. After the French Revolution
and until 1815, Neufchâteau became the chief town of the old French département of Forêts
. During World War I
, its governor, Count Hans von Blumenthal, was one of a small number of German military officials who struck up a rapport with the local population, chiefly through his interest in hunting. Fighting in the area, however, was heavy, as more than 200 soldiers lost their lives in the first month of the war.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
located in the province of Luxembourg.
On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 113.79 km², had 6,652 inhabitants, giving a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 58.5 inhabitants per km².
It includes the former municipalities of Grandvoir, Grapfontaine, Hamipré, Longlier, and Tournay
Tournay
Tournay may refer to:* Tournai , a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut* Tournay, a commune of the Hautes-Pyrénées département, in southwestern France...
as well as the localities of Cousteumont, Fineuse, Gérimont, Harfontaine, Hosseuse, Lahérie, LeSart, Malome, Marbay, Massul, Molinfaing, MonIdée, Montplainchamps, Morival, Namoussart, Nolinfaing, Offaing, Petitvoir, Respelt, Semel, Tronquoy, Verlaine, and Warmifontaine.
Early history
A NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
megalith
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
dating form about 2000 BC and a Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
dating from between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC have been found in this area, attesting to early human activity. Gallo-Roman sepultures and a small Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
villa were found here as well, showing the presence around the 2nd century AD of a minor agricultural domain. The region was used in Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
times mostly as a hunting area and population remained sparse throughout the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. A document dating from 1100 shows that one of the many tiny hamlets in the area, Semel, was donated to the Abbey of Amdain (currently Saint-Hubert
Saint-Hubert, Belgium
Saint-Hubert is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg.On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 111.16 km², had 5,737 inhabitants, giving a population density of 51.6 inhabitants per square kilometre....
). In 1239, that same hamlet was mentioned as being part of the lordship of Neufchâteau, at the time when it was now given to the Orval Abbey
Orval Abbey
Orval Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 in the Gaume region of Belgium and is located in Villers-devant-Orval, part of Florenville in the province of Luxembourg...
. Like many of its neighbours, the lordship of Neufchâteau was part of the Duchy of Luxembourg.
17th century until now
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and until 1815, Neufchâteau became the chief town of the old French département of Forêts
Forêts
Forêts was a département of the French First Republic, and later the First French Empire, in present Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. Its name, meaning 'forests', comes from the Ardennes forests. It was formed on 24 October 1795, after the Southern Netherlands had been annexed by France on 1...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, its governor, Count Hans von Blumenthal, was one of a small number of German military officials who struck up a rapport with the local population, chiefly through his interest in hunting. Fighting in the area, however, was heavy, as more than 200 soldiers lost their lives in the first month of the war.
Sights
- The city hall, law courts, and main church.
- The Griffon tower, last remnant of the medieval castle that gave the city its name.
- The rural-life museum.
- The nearby Neufchâteau Lake.
See also
- Fort d'Aubin-NeufchâteauFort d'Aubin-NeufchâteauThe Fort of Aubin-Neufchâteau is a Belgian fortification located near Neufchâteau. The fort was built in the 1930s as part of the fortified position of Liège, augmenting the twelve original forts built to defend Liège in the 1880s with four more forts closer to the Belgian frontier with Germany...
, a companion to Fort Eben-EmaelFort Eben-EmaelFort Eben-Emael is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, and designed to defend Belgium from a German attack across the narrow belt of Dutch territory in the region. Constructed in 1931–1935, it was reputed to be...
, located just outside of the town
External links
- Official city web site (in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
)