Namur
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(May 2015) |
Namur
Nameur(Walloon) Namen(Dutch) | |
|---|---|
        | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Namur  | |
  Namur Location in Belgium
Location within Arrondissement of Namur (dark grey) and Namur Province  | |
| Coordinates:50°28′N04°52′E/ 50.467°N 4.867°E | |
| Country |  Belgium |
| Community | French Community |
| Region | Wallonia |
| Province | Namur |
| Arrondissement | Namur |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) |
| • Governing party/ies | Les Engagés-Ecolo-MR |
| Area | |
| • Total | 175.93 km2(67.93 sq mi) |
| Population (2024-01-01)[1] | |
| • Total | 114,007 |
| • Density | 650/km2(1,700/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 5000, 5001, 5002, 5003, 5004, 5020, 5021, 5022, 5024, 5100, 5101 |
| NIS code | 92094 |
| Area codes | 081 |
| Website | namur.be |
 Brandmarkof Namur | |
Namur(French:[namyʁ];German:[naˈmyːɐ̯];Dutch:Namen[ˈnaːmə(n)];Walloon:Nameur) is acityandmunicipalityinWallonia,Belgium.It is the capital both of theprovinceofNamurand ofWallonia,hosting theParliament of Wallonia,theGovernment of Walloniaand its administration.
Namur stands at the confluence of the riversSambreandMeuseand straddles three different regions –Hesbayeto the north,Condrozto the south-east, and Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse to the south-west. The city ofCharleroiis located to the west. The language spoken isFrench.
The municipality consists of the followingsub-municipalities:Beez,Belgrade,Boninne,Bouge,Champion,Cognelée,Daussoulx,Dave,Erpent,Flawinne,Gelbressée,Jambes,Lives-sur-Meuse,Loyers,Malonne,Marche-les-Dames,Namur proper,Naninne,Saint-Servais,Saint-Marc,Suarlée,Temploux,Vedrin,Wépion,andWierde.
History[edit]
Early history[edit]
The town began as an important trading settlement inCeltictimes, straddling east–west and north–south trade routes across theArdennes.TheRomansestablished a presence afterJulius Caesardefeated the localAduatucitribe.
Namur came to prominence during the earlyMiddle Ageswhen theMerovingiansbuilt acastleor citadel on the rocky spur overlooking the town at the confluence of the two rivers. In the 10th century, it became acountyin its own right. The town developed somewhat unevenly, as the counts of Namur could only build on the north bank of the Meuse - the south bank was owned by the bishops ofLiègeand developed more slowly into the town of Jambes (now effectively a suburb of Namur). In 1262, Namur fell into the hands of theCount of Flanders,and was purchased by DukePhilip the GoodofBurgundyin 1421.
After Namur became part of theSpanish Netherlandsin the 1640s, its citadel was considerably strengthened.Louis XIV of Franceinvaded in 1692, capturing the town and anne xing it to France. His renowned military engineerVaubanrebuilt the citadel.[2]French control was short-lived, asWilliam III of Orange-Nassaucaptured Namuronly three years later in 1695 during theWar of the Grand Alliance.Under theBarrier Treatyof 1709, the Dutch gained the right to garrison Namur, although the subsequentTreaty of Utrechtof 1713 gave control of the formerlySpanish Netherlandsto the AustrianHouse of Habsburg.Thus, although the Austrians ruled the town, the citadel was controlled by the Dutch. It was rebuilt again under their tenure.
GeneralJean-Baptiste Cyrus de Valence's column laid siege to the city on 19 November 1792 during theWar of the First Coalitionand, after 12 days, the city surrendered on 1 December and its whole garrison of 3,000 men was taken prisoner. France invaded the region again in 1794, anne xing Namur and imposing a repressive regime. After the defeat ofNapoleonin 1815, theCongress of Viennaincorporated what is now Belgium into theUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands.Belgium broke away from the Netherlands in 1830 following theBelgian Revolution,and Namur continued to be a major garrison town under the new government. The citadel was rebuilt yet again in 1887.
20th and 21st centuries[edit]
In World War I, Namur was a major target of theGerman invasion of Belgiumin 1914, which sought to use the Meuse valley as a route into France. On August 21, 1914,the Germans bombarded the townof Namur without warning. Several people were killed. Despite being billed as virtually impregnable, the citadel fell after only three days' fighting[2]and the town was occupied by the Germans for the rest of the war. Namur fared little better inWorld War II;it was in the front lines of both the Battle of the Ardennes in 1940 and theBattle of the Bulgein 1944. The town suffered heavy damage in both wars.
Namur continued to host theBelgian Army'sparatroopersuntil their departure in 1977.
After the creation of theWalloon Region,Namur was chosen as the seat of itsexecutiveandparliament.In 1986, Namur was officially declared capital of Wallonia.[3]Its position as regional capital was confirmed by the Parliament of Wallonia in 2010.[4]
Climate[edit]
| Climate data for Namur(1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.9 (42.6) |
6.9 (44.4) |
10.8 (51.4) |
15 (59) |
18.6 (65.5) |
21.5 (70.7) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.4 (74.1) |
19.7 (67.5) |
14.9 (58.8) |
9.7 (49.5) |
6.3 (43.3) |
14.7 (58.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) |
3.5 (38.3) |
6.4 (43.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
13.2 (55.8) |
16.2 (61.2) |
18.3 (64.9) |
18 (64) |
14.7 (58.5) |
10.9 (51.6) |
6.6 (43.9) |
3.7 (38.7) |
10.3 (50.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) |
0.2 (32.4) |
2 (36) |
4 (39) |
7.8 (46.0) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13 (55) |
12.5 (54.5) |
9.6 (49.3) |
6.8 (44.2) |
3.5 (38.3) |
1.2 (34.2) |
6.0 (42.8) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 72.9 (2.87) |
69.6 (2.74) |
59.5 (2.34) |
48 (1.9) |
61.1 (2.41) |
68.1 (2.68) |
75.9 (2.99) |
81.8 (3.22) |
59.6 (2.35) |
65 (2.6) |
67.8 (2.67) |
90.8 (3.57) |
820.1 (32.34) |
| Source: Royal meteorological institute[5] | |||||||||||||
Economy[edit]
Namur is an important commercial and industrial centre, located on the Walloon industrial backbone, theSambre and Meuse valley.It produces machinery, leather goods, metals and porcelain.[6]Itsrailway stationis also an important junction situated on the north–south line betweenBrusselsandLuxembourg City,and the east–west line betweenLilleandLiège.Riverbargetraffic passes through the middle of the city along the Meuse.
Culture and sights[edit]
Namur has taken on a new role as the capital of the federal region of Wallonia. Its location at the head of the Ardennes has also made it a popular tourist centre, with acasinolocated in its southern district on the left bank of the Meuse.
The town's most prominent sight is theCitadel of Namur,now demilitarised and open to the public. Namur also has a distinctive 18th-centurycathedral dedicated to Saint Aubainanda belfryclassified byUNESCOas part of theBelfries of Belgium and Francewhich are listed as aWorld Heritage Site.[7]
TheCouvent des Soeurs de Notre-Dameused to contain masterpieces ofMosan artbyHugo d'Oignies,currently presented in the Musée des Arts Anciens (Rue de Fer). Elsewhere there is an archeological museum and a museum dedicated toFélicien Rops.
An odd Namurois custom is thejoust on stilts(dating back to 1411) practiced by thestiltwalkers of Namur.The annual Combat de l'Échasse d'Or (Fight for the Golden Stilt), held on the third Sunday in September, is the most important joust of the year. Two teams, the Mélans and the Avresses, dress in medieval clothes while standing on stilts and do battle in one of the town's principal squares.[8]Since 2021, Namur stilt jousts are registered on theUNESCORepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritageof Humanity.
Namur possesses a distinguisheduniversity,theUniversity of Namur(previously known as the Facultés universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, FUNDP), founded in 1831. TheUniversity of Louvain(UCLouvain) also has several facilities in the city through itsUCLouvain Namur University Hospital(CHU UCLouvain Namur), the provinces' largest employer.
Since 1986 Namur has been home to theNamur International Festival of French-Speaking Film.[9]A jazz (Nam'in'Jazz) and a rock (Verdur Rock) festival both take place in Namur annually.
The localfootballteam is namedUnion Royale Namur.
The local baseball team is named Namur Angels.
The annualNamurcyclo-crossrace, part of theUCI Cyclo-cross World Cup,takes place on the hills around the citadel. From 1950 to 2007, the Belgian Motocross Grand Prix was held every first weekend in August on a challenging race circuit around the citadel. Between 20,000 and 50,000 spectators gathered to support the Belgianmotocrossstars such as;Joël Robert,Roger De Coster,Eric Geboers&Stefan Everts.The Namur circuit achieved iconic status and was known as theMonacoof theMotocross World Championshipsin reference to the prestigiousFormula Oneautomobile race.[10]
Sights near Namur includeMaredsous Abbey,Floreffe Abbey,andAnnevoie Castlewith its surroundingJardins d'Annevoie.
-
The citadel and the Meuse -
-
St Aubin's Cathedralis the onlyacademic Late Baroquecathedral in Belgium. -
-
The Sambre -
Old town -
Joust on stilts in Namur. The stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411.
Demographics[edit]
| Group of origin | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023[11] | ||
| Number | % | |
| Belgians with Belgian background | 77,250 | 68.19% |
| Belgians with foreign background | 24,599 | 21.71% |
| Neighboring country | 3,375 | 2.98% |
| EU27 (excluding neighboring country) | 5,326 | 4.7% |
| Outside EU 27 | 15,898 | 14.03% |
| Non-Belgians | 11,437 | 10.1% |
| Neighboring country | 2,163 | 1.91% |
| EU27 (excluding neighboring country) | 2,371 | 2.09% |
| Outside EU 27 | 6,903 | 6.09% |
| Total | 113,286 | 100% |
Twin towns — sister cities[edit]
Namur istwinnedwith:
Bandung,Indonesia[12]
Quebec City,Quebec,Canada
Subotica,Serbia
Bourg-en-Bresse,France
Ōgaki,Gifu Prefecture,Japan
Belmont,California,United States- Lafayette,Louisiana,United States
Empoli,Toscana,Italy
Cluj-Napoca,Cluj,Romania
Tierp,Sweden
Pristina,Kosovo
Notable people[edit]
- Rémy Belvaux(1966–2006), actor, film director and screenwriter
- Julie BilliartCanonized saint and Foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, died in Namur in 1816.
- Francy Boland(1929–2005), jazz pianist and arranger
- Cécile de France(born 1975), actress
- CountEdouard de Woelmont,BelgianCanon.
- Olivier Gourmet(born 1963), actor
- Ludivine Henrion(born 1984), cyclist
- Friedrich Hermann Otto, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen(1776–1838), Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
- Pierre Jonckheer(born 1951), politician, Member of European Parliament 1999-2009
- Denzel Jubitana(born 1999), Football Player
- Philippe Kirsch(born 1947), Canadian jurist and diplomat, former president of the ICC
- Louis Leloir(1911–1992), Benedictine monk and orientalist
- Benjamin Lessennes(born 1999), racing driver
- Jeanne Maubourg(1873-1953), opera singer, radio actress in Canada
- Henri Michaux(1899–1984), French-speaking poet and painter
- Benoît Poelvoorde(born 1964), actor and comedian
- Jacques François Rosart(1714–1777), engraver of metal type
- Christophe Rochus(born 1978), tennis player
- Olivier Rochus(born 1981), tennis player
- Félicien Rops(1833–1898), graphic artist and illustrator (Symbolism)
- Thierry Zéno(born 1950), director and screenwriter
- Raphaël Liégeois(born 1988), biomedical engineer and Belgian astronaut
See also[edit]
- Rhisnes, Namur,a suburb to the north of the city
References[edit]
- ^"Chiffres de la population par province et par commune, à la date du 1er janvier 2024"(PDF).
- ^abPlanet, Lonely."History in Namur, Belgium".Retrieved9 November2018.
- ^Décret instituant Namur capitale de la Région wallonne(PDF).Namur, Belgium: Walloon Regional Council. 11 December 1986.Retrieved15 September2015.
- ^Décret instituant Namur comme capitale de la Wallonie et siège des institutions politiques régionales(PDF).Namur, Belgium: Walloon Parliament. 21 October 2010.Retrieved15 September2015.
- ^"Het klimaat in uw gemeente- Namen (NIS 92094)"(in Dutch). KMI.Retrieved2024-01-06.
- ^Cohen, Saul Bernard, ed. (2008).The Columbia gazetteer of the world(2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press. p. 2587.ISBN978-0-231-14554-1.OCLC212893637.
- ^"Belfries of Belgium and France - UNESCO World Heritage Centre".whc.unesco.org.Retrieved2010-10-20.
- ^"UNESCO - Namur stilt jousting".ich.unesco.org.Retrieved2021-12-21.
- ^22ème Festival International du Film Francophone de Namurretrieved May 14, 2007. (French language)
- ^"The Circuit and its Legend".memotocross.fr.Retrieved8 March2023.
- ^"Origin | Statbel".statbel.fgov.be.Retrieved2023-07-02.
- ^"Namur, Bandung ink sister-city partnership"[permanent dead link]
Sources[edit]
- (in French)Jean-Pol Hiernaux:Namur, capitale de la Wallonie,inEncyclopédie du Mouvement wallon,Tome II, Charleroi, Institut Jules Destrée, 2000,ISBN2-87035-019-8(or 2d ed., CD-ROM, 2003,ISBN2-87035-028-7)
External links[edit]
Namurtravel guide from Wikivoyage- The municipal website of The City of Namur (in French)
- Namur Tourism
Places adjacent to Namur | |
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Populated places inNamur | ||
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| Sub-municipalities | | |
| Quarters, villages and hamlets | ||
Municipalities in theprovince of Namur,Wallonia | ||
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| Dinant |  | |
| Namur | ||
| Philippeville | ||
Boldindicatescities | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
