Ronse
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Ronse | ||
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 Ronse | ||
 Flag  Coat of arms | ||
Location of Ronse  | ||
  Ronse Location in Belgium
Location of Ronse in East Flanders 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.ronse.be | |
Ronse (Dutch pronunciation: . The municipality only encompasses the city of Ronse proper.
History
Early settlements to 14th century
The hills around Ronse show clues of human activity in the
of Saint Hermes with complete juridical and fiscal independence and its own justice system.Renaissance and Old Regime
On 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 important
King 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
The
economic crisis. Many left Ronse to join the textile plants in Northern France (Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing) or to take on agricultural work in the Somme or the Oise. From the 1870s, Ronse's textile industry prospered despite a temporary slow down during World War I. The decline of this industry started after World War II but was especially acute during the 1960s. Today, Ronse is mainly a commercial center and a touristic
destination.
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Sights
- The basilica of Saint Hermes, famous for its 13th-century Romanesque crypt.
- A folklore museum and a textile museum.
- The city's railway station, one of the oldest in Europe.
- An Art Nouveau house built by Victor Horta: the Villa Carpentier.
- The surrounding hills, several of which offer good views of the city
Festivities
- The "Bommels" fest, which takes place in January on the Saturday preceding the first Monday after Epiphany, is the first carnival of the year in Belgium. Its roots can be traced to the Middle Ages.
- The "Fiertel", also dating from the Middle Ages, takes place on Trinity Sunday. On that occasion, the reliquary of Saint Hermes is carried around the city in a 32-km long procession, with thousands of walkers and cyclists cheering in.
Sports
The
BPost Bank Trophy cyclo-cross
competition in October.
The Tour of Flanders, amongst other races in road cycling, passes every year through Ronse and includes hills like the Oude Kruisberg and since 2014 the Kanarieberg.
People born in Ronse
- 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 of Luxembourg.
- Flavie Van den Hende (1865–1925), cellist
Industry
- Associated Weavers, a textile manufacturing company.
Twin cities
Germany: Kleve
United Kingdom: Sandwich, Kent
France: Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
Czech Republic: Jablonec nad Nisou
Msaken
References
- ^ "Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2022". Statbel.
- .
- 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 in fr: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 in fr:Renaix.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ronse.
- (in Dutch) Official website
Places adjacent to Ronse | ||||||||||||||||
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| Aalst |  | |
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| Dendermonde | ||
| Eeklo | ||
| Ghent | ||
| Oudenaarde | ||
| Sint-Niklaas | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
