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Ronse(Dutch:[ˈrɔnsə];French:Renaix[ʁənɛ]) is a Belgiancityand amunicipalityin theFlemishprovinceofEast Flanders.The municipality only encompasses the city of Ronse proper.
Ronse | |
|---|---|
 Ronse | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Ronse  | |
  Ronse Location in Belgium
Location of Ronse in East Flanders  | |
| Coordinates:50°45′N03°36′E/ 50.750°N 3.600°E | |
| Country |  Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province | East Flanders |
| Arrondissement | Oudenaarde |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ignace Michaux (CD&V) |
| • Governing party/ies | CD&V,N-VA |
| Area | |
| • Total | 34.7 km2(13.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2022-01-01)[1] | |
| • Total | 26,702 |
| • Density | 770/km2(2,000/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 9600 |
| NIS code | 45041 |
| Area codes | 055 |
| Website | www |
History
editEarly settlements to 14th century
editThe hills around Ronse show clues of human activity in thePaleolithicperiod. In theNeolithic,the area was populated with settled farmers and cattle breeders. Assorted fragments of building structures also attest of settlements in the area duringRomantimes. Ronse's urban center took shape in the 7th century, whenSaint Amand– or one of his successors – built a church and monastery in honour ofSaint PeterandSaint Paul.In the 9th century, Ronse and its monastery were given to theIndeMonastery (inCornelismünster,nearAachen) byLouis the Pious.It is around that time that the relics ofSaint Hermesarrived in Ronse. During those troubled times,Vikingraids forced the monks to flee the town more than once, and the monastery was burnt by theNormansin 880. The relics were recovered in 940 and housed in aRomanesque-stylecryptin 1083. The church of Saint Hermes, which was later built on top of the crypt, wasconsecratedin 1129. A pilgrimage in honour of the Saint, who had by then become known to cure mental illnesses, sustained the local economy. There is still a French saying today which translates as "Saint Hermes cures the area's madmen but keeps the Ronse dwellers as they are". TheLordof Ronse, Gerard de Wautripont, who was also in charge of the Inde Monastery at that time, gave the town all the privileges of a city in 1240. A few years later, the economy was flourishing and the Inde Monastery sold all its Ronse-based possessions. Until theFrench Revolution,the Ronseseigneury– abaronyas of 1549 – included anenclave,the RonseFranchise,which was administered by theChapterof Saint Hermes with complete juridical and fiscal independence and its own justice system.
Renaissance and Old Regime
editOn March 26, 1478, French troops pillaged and burned the city. It quickly recovered, however, thanks to its booming economy based on the fabrication and preparation of linen. Around the middle of the 16th century, the city became an importantCalvinistcenter in theSpanish Netherlands.The religious troubles of that century, especially the terrible repression of theDuke of Alba,forced a large number of the city'sweaversandfullersto find permanent refuge inHolland,England, and Germany. The fire of July 21, 1559 completely ruined the city. At the beginning of the 17th century, Ronse took advantage of the relative peaceful period under thearchdukes Ferdinand and Isabellato get back on its feet. It is during that period that one of the most beautiful castles of theSouthern Netherlands(demolished in 1823) was built forCount Jean de Nassau-Siegen,baronof Ronse since 1629, thecastle of Ronse.Theplaguein 1635–1636 nearly emptied the city. Despite opposition by theKing of Spain,Ronse was annexed to France from 1680 to 1700. During the following Austrian period, on March 31, 1719, a gigantic fire again turned most of the city to ashes. Thanks to the perseverance of its inhabitants, Ronse could again rank as a city, with its commerce and businesses still based on the textile industry.
After the French Revolution
editTheFleurus Victory,on June 26, 1794, allowed France to occupy and annex the country. Ronse faced importantexpropriationsand the city soon found itself in financial difficulty. In 1796, the old city administration was disbanded and a municipality was created. French legislation was applied from this point on, until Belgium merged with theNetherlandsin 1815. In 1798, the so-called "farmers' war", a reaction to the militaryconscriptionimposed by France, cost many lives. In 1799, Ronse counted about 10,000 inhabitants but a third of the population lived in poverty. In 1840, within the newly created Kingdom of Belgium, more than 55% of the city's inhabitants derived a living from the textile industry. A few years later, however, increasedmechanisationgave rise to a deepeconomic crisis.Many left Ronse to join the textile plants in Northern France (Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing) or to take on agricultural work in theSommeor theOise.From the 1870s, Ronse's textile industry prospered despite a temporary slow down duringWorld War I.The decline of this industry started afterWorld War IIbut was especially acute during the 1960s. Today, Ronse is mainly a commercial center and atouristicdestination.
Sights
edit- The basilica of Saint Hermes, famous for its 13th-centuryRomanesquecrypt.
- Afolkloremuseum and a textile museum.
- The city's railway station, one of the oldest in Europe.
- AnArt Nouveauhouse built byVictor Horta:the Villa Carpentier.
- The surrounding hills, several of which offer good views of the city
Festivities
edit- The "Bommels" fest, which takes place in January on the Saturday preceding the first Monday afterEpiphany,is the firstcarnivalof the year in Belgium. Its roots can be traced to theMiddle Ages.
- The "Fiertel", also dating from the Middle Ages, takes place onTrinity Sunday.On that occasion, thereliquaryof Saint Hermes is carried around the city in a 32-km longprocession,with thousands of walkers and cyclists cheering in.
Sports
editTheGP Mario De Clercqis aBPost Bank Trophycyclo-crosscompetition in October.
TheTour of Flanders,amongst other races in road cycling, passes every year through Ronse and includes hills like theOude Kruisbergand since 2014 theKanarieberg.
It is the home of former football clubK.S.K. Ronse.
People born in Ronse
edit- Cipriano de Rore,Flemishcomposer and teacher (16th century)
- Alphonse Francois Renard,geologist and petrographer (19th century)
- Ovide Decroly,teacher and psychologist (19th century)
- Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein(20th century)
- Rudy Demotte,socialist politician (20th century)
- Roland Cardon(1929–2001), composer and teacher
- Nicolas Provost,film maker (1969–)
- Ann De Renais,Soprano (b. 1971)
- Astrid Stockman,Soprano (b. 1987)
- Stéphanie de Lannoy(b. 1984), Hereditary Grand Duchess ofLuxembourg.
- Flavie Van den Hende(1865–1925), cellist
Industry
edit- Associated Weavers,a textile manufacturing company.
Twin cities
edit
References
edit- Sanderus A.,Flandria Illustrata, 1638 and 1644, inLatin,reproduced by Tielt, Veys, 1978, In folio, (24) + 654 + (12) pp., cited infr:Renaix.
- Delghust O., Renaix à travers les âges, presses de Julien Leherte-Delcout, Renaix, 1936 and 1948, in French, reproduced by Culture et Civilisation, Brussels, 1975, In-8, 170 pp., cited infr:Renaix.
- Gadeyne G., Aperçu de l’histoire de l’industrie textile à Renaix jusqu’en 1900, Annales de Renaix (C.H.A.R.T.I.), tome XXV, 1976, in French, cited infr:Renaix.
External links
edit
- (in Dutch)Official website