Valenciennes
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Valenciennes
Valincyinne (Picard) | |
---|---|
Subprefecture and commune | |
Coordinates: 50°21′29″N 03°31′24″E / 50.35806°N 3.52333°E | |
Country | France |
Region | Hauts-de-France |
Department | Nord |
Arrondissement | Valenciennes |
Canton | Valenciennes |
Intercommunality | CA Valenciennes Métropole |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Laurent Degallaix[1] (UDI) |
Area 1 | 13.82 km2 (5.34 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[2] | 42,991 |
• Density | 3,100/km2 (8,100/sq mi) |
Demonym(s) | Valenciennois (masculine) Valenciennoise (feminine) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 59606 /59300 |
Elevation | 17–56 m (56–184 ft) (avg. 42 m or 138 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Valenciennes (
It lies on the Scheldt (French: Escaut) river. Although the city and region experienced a steady population decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded. The 1999 census recorded that the population of the commune of Valenciennes was 41,278, and that of the metropolitan area was 399,677.
History
Before 1500
Valenciennes is first mentioned in 693 in a legal document written by
In 1008, a terrible famine brought the Plague. According to the local tradition, the Virgin Mary held a cordon around the city which, miraculously, has since protected its people from the disease. Since then, every year at that time, the Valenciennois used to walk around the 14 km (9 mi) road round the town, in what is called the tour of the Holy Cordon. Many counts succeeded, first as Margraves of Valenciennes and from 1070 as counts of Hainaut.[citation needed]
In 1259 Valenciennes was the site of a General Chapter of the
In 1285, the currency of Hainaut was replaced by the currency of France: the French écu. Valenciennes was full of activity, with numerous corporations, and outside its walls a large number of convents developed, like that of the Dominicans (whose church was excavated by the Valenciennes Archaeological Service in 1989 and 1990).[citation needed]
In the 14th century, the Tower of Dodenne was built by
1500–1793
In 1524,
In 1576, when for a time the Southern Netherlands joined the revolt, the Spanish forces massed at the porte d'Anzin (in a fortress known as "La Redoute") were besieged by Valenciennes.[citation needed] However, in 1580, Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma took Valenciennes and Protestantism was eradicated there. Hereafter, Valenciennes remained under Spanish protection, no longer directly involved in later fighting of the Eighty Years' War. With its manufacturers of wool and fine linens, the city was able to become economically independent.[citation needed]
The French army laid siege to the city in 1656 (
In 1677, the armies of
1793–1914
The city was besieged by the
In 1824 Valenciennes became a sous-préfecture. In the 19th century, thanks to coal, Valenciennes became a great industrial centre and the capital of Northern France's steel industry.[citation needed]
On 6 August 1890, a law downgraded the town's fortified status, and so from 1891 to 1893, its fortifications were demolished. The town was granted the
First World War
During World War I the German army occupied the town in 1914. They were finally driven out by British forces at the Battle of Valenciennes in 1918, 'in which seven British divisions attacked eleven German divisions'. One dramatic first-hand experience of this battle is provided by A. S. Bullock who fought at a section of the front near Maresches.[18]
A significant personality of this period was Louise de Bettignies (born in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux), a pupil of the Ursulines in Valenciennes from 1890 to 1896. Fluent in four languages (including German), in 1915 she created and directed the main British intelligence network behind enemy lines, nearly 60 km (37 mi) from the front around Lille.[citation needed] Arrested at the end of September 1915, and imprisoned in Germany, she died of mistreatment in September 1918 two months before the Armistice. It is estimated that she saved the lives of nearly a thousand British soldiers by the remarkably precise information she obtained. For example, it enabled the British to conduct the first aerial bombing of a train (that of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who came to visit the front at Lille), though both aircraft were not equipped with suitable viewfinders and so the raid narrowly missed its target.[citation needed] The German High Command, based in Brussels, then put all its efforts into neutralising the accursed network that allowed the British to see everything and know everything about this part of the front. Louise's arrest was associated with the escape of Szeck Alexandre, a young Austrian radio operator who got out of Brussels in August 1915, allowing the British to get their hands on the secret German diplomatic code.[citation needed] This code was exploited by Secret Service Room 40 ("Room 40"), under the supervision of Sir Reginald Hall, and in January 1917 allowed the decipherment of the famous Zimmermann Telegram, which triggered the United States' entry into the war in April 1917.[citation needed]
Valenciennes was retaken after bitter fighting in 1918, by British and Canadian troops (one of whose soldiers, a recipient of the Victoria Cross Sergeant Hugh Cairns, was honoured in 1936 when the city named an avenue after him). Canada named a mountain, Valenciennes Mountain, after the town in 1920.[citation needed]
Second World War
A huge fire devoured the heart of the town, fuelled in particular by a fuel depot. German troops then occupied the ruined city on May 27. Former Prince Wilhelm was wounded in Valenciennes and later died of his wounds.[citation needed]
On September 2, 1944, after bloody fighting, American troops entered Valenciennes and liberated the city.[citation needed]
1945 to present
The town's first antenna was set up in Lille in 1964, then the Centre universitaire was set up in 1970, becoming independent in 1979 as the University of Valenciennes and Hainaut-Cambrésis.[citation needed]
In 2005, a local resident, Isabelle Dinoire, became the first person to have a partial face transplant.
Geography
Climate
Valenciennes has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Valenciennes is 11.0 °C (51.8 °F). The average annual rainfall is 694.1 mm (27.33 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 18.7 °C (65.7 °F), and lowest in January, at around 3.9 °C (39.0 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Valenciennes was 40.9 °C (105.6 °F) on 25 July 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −14.9 °C (5.2 °F) on 7 January 2009.
Climate data for Valenciennes (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1987−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
19.2 (66.6) |
23.9 (75.0) |
28.0 (82.4) |
31.2 (88.2) |
35.0 (95.0) |
40.9 (105.6) |
37.2 (99.0) |
34.8 (94.6) |
28.6 (83.5) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.0 (60.8) |
40.9 (105.6) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.4 (43.5) |
7.6 (45.7) |
11.4 (52.5) |
15.1 (59.2) |
18.8 (65.8) |
21.9 (71.4) |
24.0 (75.2) |
24.0 (75.2) |
20.4 (68.7) |
15.5 (59.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
6.9 (44.4) |
15.2 (59.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.9 (39.0) |
4.5 (40.1) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.1 (50.2) |
13.6 (56.5) |
16.6 (61.9) |
18.7 (65.7) |
18.6 (65.5) |
15.5 (59.9) |
11.7 (53.1) |
7.3 (45.1) |
4.5 (40.1) |
11.0 (51.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) |
1.4 (34.5) |
3.3 (37.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
8.4 (47.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
13.5 (56.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
10.7 (51.3) |
8.0 (46.4) |
4.4 (39.9) |
2.0 (35.6) |
6.9 (44.4) |
Record low °C (°F) | −14.9 (5.2) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−11.9 (10.6) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
1.1 (34.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
5.6 (42.1) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 54.3 (2.14) |
47.3 (1.86) |
50.8 (2.00) |
41.8 (1.65) |
57.9 (2.28) |
63.1 (2.48) |
66.4 (2.61) |
67.6 (2.66) |
52.1 (2.05) |
60.1 (2.37) |
63.9 (2.52) |
68.8 (2.71) |
694.1 (27.33) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 11.3 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 9.1 | 9.6 | 9.2 | 9.9 | 9.4 | 8.9 | 10.7 | 12.0 | 12.3 | 122.3 |
Source: Météo-France[19] |
Population
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Source: EHESS[20] and INSEE (1968-2017)[21] |
Main sights
The Hindenburg Line ran through Valenciennes during World War I, leading to extensive destruction. Valenciennes was again almost completely destroyed during World War II, and has since been rebuilt in concrete.
A few surviving monuments are: 1) The façade of the town hall, which managed to survive the bombardments of the war; 2) the Basilica of Notre-Dame du Saint-Cordon, to which there is an annual pilgrimage; 3) La Maison Espagnole, the remains of the Spanish occupation, which ended in 1678. The building is now used as the town's tourist information office; 4) The Dodenne Tower, the remaining part of the medieval fortifications after Charles V ordered them reduced; 5) Théâtre le Phenix, a theatre and performing arts venue constructed in 1998; 6) The "Beffroi", a large, pin-like monument 45 m (148 ft) in height, built in 2007 on the site of the former belfry.
Economy
Valenciennes is historically renowned for its
On 15 July 2004, the Administrative Board of the
Public transport
Line No. 1 of the
Valenciennes railway station offers connections with Lille, Paris and several regional destinations.
Administration
Valenciennes is a subprefecture of the Nord département.
Mayors since 1947
- 1947–1988: Pierre Carous, resigned (died in 1990)
- 1988–1989: Olivier Marlière
- 1989–2002: national government
- 2002–2012: Dominique Riquet
- 2012–present: Laurent Degallaix
Notable people
- Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827 – 1875), sculptor, painter and tutor.
- Louis Cattiaux (1904-1953), philosopher, painter and poet, was born in Valenciennes.
- Alphonse Chigot (1824-1917), historical painter, soldier and art tutor, particularly associated with the city of Valenciennes.
- Gustave Crauck (1827 - 1905), sculptor and painter
- Marine Nationale.
- Henri Harpignies (1819 - 1916), painter and watercolourist.
- Fabrice Jaumont, author, educator, advocate for dual-language bilingual education.
- Joseph Layraud (1834 - 1912), painter and tutor.
- Auguste Désiré Saint-Quentin (1838 - 1906), painter
- Jean-Antoine Watteau(1684-1721), French painter, was born in Valenciennes.
- Philippa of Hainault (1310/1315-1369), Queen of England, was born in Valenciennes.
Sport
Valenciennes FC is based in the city.
Twin towns – sister cities
Valenciennes is twinned with:[22]
- Agrigento, Italy
- Central AO (Moscow), Russia
- Düren, Germany
- Gliwice, Poland
- Medway, England, United Kingdom
- Yichang, China
See also
- Vendémiaire Pavot Sculptor of La Faunesse in Valenciennes
References
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Valenciennes". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020.
- ^ "Valenciennes". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
- ^ "Valenciennes". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
- ^ "Valenciennes". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
- ^ INSEE commune file
- ^ Histoire literaire de la France: XIIIe siècle (in French). Chez Osmont, à l'Olivier, Huart l'aîné, a la Justice, Clousier, à l'Ecu de France, Hourdel, David le jeune, à l'Esperance, Chaubert, à la Renommée & Gissey. 1838.
- ^ Probably Florentius de Hidinio, aka Florentius Gallicus, Histoire literaire de la France: XIIIe siècle, Volume 19, p. 104, Accessed October 27, 2012
- ^ Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Volume 10, p. 701. Accessed 9 June 2011
- ^ "The Place of Study In the Ideal of St. Dominic" Archived 2010-12-29 at the Wayback Machine, J. A. Weisheipl, O.P. (1923–1984), 1960. Accessed 19 March 2013
- ^ The Eighty Years War (1568-1648)
- ^ Tracy p.82
- ^ Duffy. Siege Warfare: Fortress in the Early Modern World
- ISBN 2-35039-028-4, p 166
- ^ Barros et alii, p. 167.
- Lord Hesketh's collection at Easton Neston.
- ^ Bullock, A. S., Gloucestershire Between the Wars: A Memoir, The History Press, 2009, pages 84–85
- ^ "Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Valenciennes, EHESS (in French).
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
- ^ "Valenciennes (Frankreich): Dürens Partnerstadt seit 1959" (PDF). dueren.de (in German). Düren. p. 9. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
External links
- Official website (in French)