Auvelais ( wa, Åvlè) is a town of

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...

and a district of the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Sambreville Sambreville (; wa, Sambveye) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On January 1, 2006, Sambreville had a total population of 26,949. The total area is which gives a population density of . Villages and towns ...

, located in the province of Namur,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. The town lies in a meander of the River Sambre. The town of Auvelais was formed in 1809 from the merger of the villages of Auvelais-la-Comté and Auvelais-le-Voisin. In 1977, as part of the post-1974

fusion of the Belgian municipalities The fusion of the Belgian municipalities (French: ''fusion des communes'', Dutch: ''fusie van Belgische gemeenten'') was a Belgian political process that rationalized and reduced the number of municipalities in Belgium between 1975 and 1983. In 19 ...

, Auvelais became part of the newly-created municipality of Sambreville, serving as the administrative centre.

Landmarks

* The

neo-Romanesque Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

Eglise Saint-Victor, built in 1911, stands in the centre of town. In the northern part of the town, north of the Sambre, is the Eglise Saint-Barbe. * There is a French

military cemetery A war grave is a burial place for members of the armed forces or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. Definition The term "war grave" does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to b ...

, burial place for fallen

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

soldiers from the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The cemetery features a Breton lighthouse. * The town contains a crossing over the River Sambre, which is where an Imperial German Army division commanded by General

Erich Ludendorff Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff (9 April 1865 – 20 December 1937) was a German general, politician and military theorist. He achieved fame during World War I for his central role in the German victories at Liège and Tannenberg in 1914 ...

broke through

Charles Lanrezac Charles Lanrezac (31 July 1852 – 18 January 1925) was a French general, formerly a distinguished staff college lecturer, who commanded the French Fifth Army at the outbreak of the First World War. His army, originally intended to strike the Ger ...

's Fifth French Army defenses during the Battle of Charleroi at the beginning of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Famous people

* Aeroplane * Kevyn Ista * Christophe and

Olivier Rochus Olivier Rochus (; born 18 January 1981) is a retired Belgian tennis player. He is the younger brother of Christophe Rochus, also a former top-40 tennis player. Rochus won two singles titles in his career and in 2004 won the French Open doubles ...

References

External links

* 1809 establishments in the Southern Netherlands Former municipalities of Namur (province) Sub-municipalities of Sambreville {{Namur-geo-stub