Virton
Encyclopedia
Virton is the most southerly town in Belgium
and the administrative centre of a Walloon municipality and district (arrondissement) of the same name, located in the Belgian
province
of Luxembourg. Virton is the principal town of the small region of Belgian Lorraine
known as the Gaume
, famous for its microclimate
.
Virton municipality
includes the old communes of Belmont, Bleid, Chenois
, Èthe, Gomery, Grandcourt
, Latour, Ruette, Saint-Mard
, and Saint-Remy
.
built villas there and baptized the town Vertunum. In the early 5th century, the Romans had to flee the Germanic
invasions. Their settlement was destroyed and rebuilt by the Franks
somewhat to the north.
Virton was mentioned for the first time in Pope Lucius III
’s bull
of 1183 as a fiefdom
of the House of Chiny
. As overlords of Virton, the Counts of Chiny could raise taxes (the tonlieu) on the various goods sold at the local market, which already existed in 1270. In 1441, the Duchy of Luxembourg, was sold to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy
. From that date, Virton, like many other Walloon cities, became embroiled in more than two centuries of wars between France
, Spain
, and the Netherlands
, with all the fighting, famine, epidemics (plague…), and economic disasters that ensued. The city fared better under the rule of Maria Theresa of Austria
in the 18th century, thanks in part to the development of the Lorraine
steel industry.
shattered those advances. Virton had to wait until the departure of Napoleon
in 1815 to see prosperous times again. Virton enthusiastically participated in the Belgian Revolution
and even in the French Revolution of 1848. On August 22, 1914, at the onset of World War I
, hundreds of inhabitants were summarily executed by the invading German army
, while mass deportations occurred during World War II
. Virton is now the commercial and tourist centre of the Gaume
region.
, and many other neighbouring villages were the homes of many Canadian
families whose fathers/husbands were stationed nearby at RCAF Station No. 1 (F) Wing, in Marville
, France
. Prior to moving the base to Lahr
, Germany
, there were ceremonies in these towns and in Longuyon
, France
(Permanent Married Quarters), where the Canadians left three small 'thunderbird' totem pole
s. These totems are still there and were rededicated in September 2005 on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the base.
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...
and the administrative centre of a Walloon municipality and district (arrondissement) of the same name, located in the Belgian
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...
province
Provinces of Belgium
Belgium is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five provinces each.The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Belgian Constitution...
of Luxembourg. Virton is the principal town of the small region of Belgian Lorraine
Belgian Lorraine
Belgian Lorraine is the part of Lorraine that lies in the south of the Belgian province of Luxembourg, part of Wallonia.The term is used in a geological context, bordering the Ardennes in the north...
known as the Gaume
Gaume
Gaume is a region in the far south of Belgium. Situated at a lower altitude than the Ardennes, it is delineated by borders with France, Luxembourg and the Belgian Ardennes. Gaume is the roman part of the Belgian Lorraine region...
, famous for its microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
.
Virton municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
includes the old communes of Belmont, Bleid, Chenois
Chenois
Chenois is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, Èthe, Gomery, Grandcourt
Grandcourt
Grandcourt is the name of the following communes in France:* Grandcourt, Seine-Maritime, in the Seine-Maritime department* Grandcourt, Somme, in the Somme department...
, Latour, Ruette, Saint-Mard
Saint-Mard
-Belgium:* Saint-Mard, Virton, a locality in the municipality of Virton, province of Luxembourg-France:* Saint-Mard, Aisne, a commune in the department of Aisne* Saint-Mard, Charente-Maritime, a commune in the department of Charente-Maritime...
, and Saint-Remy
Saint-Rémy
Saint-Rémy or Saint-Remy is the name or part of the name of many communes in France:*Saint-Rémy, Ain, in the Ain département*Saint-Rémy, Aveyron, in the Aveyron département*Saint-Rémy, Calvados, in the Calvados département...
.
Antiquity and Middle Ages
Several archeological finds indicate that the area was already inhabited before the RomansAncient 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....
built villas there and baptized the town Vertunum. In the early 5th century, the Romans had to flee the Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
invasions. Their settlement was destroyed and rebuilt by the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
somewhat to the north.
Virton was mentioned for the first time in Pope Lucius III
Pope Lucius III
Pope Lucius III , born Ubaldo, was pope from 1 September 1181 to his death.A native of the independent republic of Lucca, he was born ca. 1100 as Ubaldo, son of Orlando. He is commonly referred to as a member of the aristocratic family of Allucingoli, but this is not proven...
’s bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of 1183 as a fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
of the House of Chiny
Chiny
Chiny is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg.On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers , had 5,021 inhabitants, giving a population density of 44.2 inhabitants per km²...
. As overlords of Virton, the Counts of Chiny could raise taxes (the tonlieu) on the various goods sold at the local market, which already existed in 1270. In 1441, the Duchy of Luxembourg, was sold to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy
Philip III, Duke of Burgundy
Philip the Good KG , also Philip III, Duke of Burgundy was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty . During his reign Burgundy reached the height of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading center of the arts...
. From that date, Virton, like many other Walloon cities, became embroiled in more than two centuries of wars between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, with all the fighting, famine, epidemics (plague…), and economic disasters that ensued. The city fared better under the rule of Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
in the 18th century, thanks in part to the development of the Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
steel industry.
Modern times
The French RevolutionFrench 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...
shattered those advances. Virton had to wait until the departure of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
in 1815 to see prosperous times again. Virton enthusiastically participated in the Belgian Revolution
Belgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium....
and even in the French Revolution of 1848. On August 22, 1914, at the onset of 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...
, hundreds of inhabitants were summarily executed by the invading German army
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, while mass deportations occurred during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Virton is now the commercial and tourist centre of the Gaume
Gaume
Gaume is a region in the far south of Belgium. Situated at a lower altitude than the Ardennes, it is delineated by borders with France, Luxembourg and the Belgian Ardennes. Gaume is the roman part of the Belgian Lorraine region...
region.
Sights
- The small hilly streets and colourful houses.
- The church of St Lawrence, built between 1825 and 1830 with a classical façadeFacadeA facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. - Remnants of the medieval defensive wall.
- Les musées gaumais
Climate
Folklore
- The city’s mascot is D’Jean d’Mady, a typical, joyful, and resourceful GaumeGaumeGaume is a region in the far south of Belgium. Situated at a lower altitude than the Ardennes, it is delineated by borders with France, Luxembourg and the Belgian Ardennes. Gaume is the roman part of the Belgian Lorraine region...
inhabitant who was allegedly born in one of the neighbouring villages in 1585. - Since 1935, Virton owns two traditional giants who take part in the local festivities.
People born in Virton
- Maximilian Anton Karl, Count Baillet de LatourMaximilian Anton Karl, Count Baillet de LatourCount Maximilian Anton Karl Baillet de Latour was a general in Austrian service during the French Revolutionary Wars.- Biography :...
(17371806), AustrianHabsburg MonarchyThe Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
military - Benoît MariageBenoît MariageBenoît Mariage is a Belgian film director.-External links:...
, film director (born in 1961)
Canadian friendship
Virton, FlorenvilleFlorenville
Florenville is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. On 1 January 2007 the municipality had 5,448 inhabitants. The total area is 146.91 km², giving a population density of 37.1 inhabitants per km²....
, and many other neighbouring villages were the homes of many Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
families whose fathers/husbands were stationed nearby at RCAF Station No. 1 (F) Wing, in Marville
Marville, Meuse
Marville is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.An airbase built by NATO hosted fighter squadrons from the RCAF from 1952 to 1967.-Geography:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Prior to moving the base to Lahr
Lahr
Lahr is a city in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, approximately 38 km north of Freiburg in Breisgau and 100 km south of Karlsruhe...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, there were ceremonies in these towns and in Longuyon
Longuyon
Longuyon is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.The apartment blocks on the southwestern edge of town, still called "La Cité Canadienne", were home to Royal Canadian Air Force staff and their families in the 1950s and 1960s, when the RCAF had an airbase at nearby...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(Permanent Married Quarters), where the Canadians left three small 'thunderbird' totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
s. These totems are still there and were rededicated in September 2005 on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the base.
External links
- http://soleildegaume.comOfficial GaumeGaumeGaume is a region in the far south of Belgium. Situated at a lower altitude than the Ardennes, it is delineated by borders with France, Luxembourg and the Belgian Ardennes. Gaume is the roman part of the Belgian Lorraine region...
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...
, DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
) - http://gaumetourisme.beAlternative GaumeGaumeGaume is a region in the far south of Belgium. Situated at a lower altitude than the Ardennes, it is delineated by borders with France, Luxembourg and the Belgian Ardennes. Gaume is the roman part of the Belgian Lorraine region...
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...
and DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
)