Rochefort, Belgium
Rochefort
Rotchfoirt (Walloon) | |
---|---|
Arrondissement | Dinant |
Government | |
• Mayor | Corinne Mullens (MR, CAP 2030 - IC) |
• Governing party/ies | CAP 2030 - IC |
Area | |
• Total | 166.34 km2 (64.22 sq mi) |
Population (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 12,554 |
• Density | 75/km2 (200/sq mi) |
Postal codes | 5580 |
NIS code | 91114 |
Area codes | 084 |
Website | www.rochefort.be |
Rochefort (French pronunciation: [ʁɔʃ.fɔʁ] ⓘ; Walloon: Rotchfoirt) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium, close to the Ardennes. On 1 January 2006, Rochefort had a total population of 12,038. The total area is 165.27 km² which gives a population density of 73 inhabitants per km². It was a resort in the 19th century.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Ave-et-Auffe, Buissonville, Éprave, Han-sur-Lesse, Jemelle, Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, Lessive, Mont-Gauthier, Rochefort, Villers-sur-Lesse, and Wavreille.
Its ancient position at the crossroads where the route to Saint-Hubert crossed that from Liège to Bouillon required fortifying: the ruins of the old castle, which gave the place its name and a title to a long line of counts who had the right of coining their own money, still exist. This castle underwent many sieges and suffered at the hands of Marshal de Châtillon (1636).
Near Rochefort are the red marble quarries of St. Remy, and
The town was the site of the
Caves
Rochefort is well known for its caves. The Grotto of Rochefort, within the town, contains six chambers, the largest and highest of which was called the Sabbat (Encyclopædia Britannica 1911). It was swept clear of its prehistoric remains before electric lighting was installed. The cave has recently been given the Christian name of "Lorette" after a nearby chapel of Our Lady of Loreto.
Twin City
Rochefort is twinned with the city of Broussard, Louisiana.
Image gallery
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The Lomme River in Rochefort
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Rochefort town hall
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The abbey church of the Trappist monks of Rochefort
See also
References
- ^ "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
External links
- Media related to Rochefort (Belgium) at Wikimedia Commons
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.