Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
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 ...
in
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 ...
,
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 ...
. It is both the capital of the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Namur and 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 ...
, hosting the
Parliament of Wallonia
The Parliament of Wallonia (french: Parlement de Wallonie) (Walloon Parliament (french: Parlement wallon) in the decrees) is the legislative body of Wallonia, one of the three self-governing regions of Belgium (the other two being Flanders and t ...
, the
Government of Wallonia
The Walloon Government (french: Gouvernement wallon) or Government of Wallonia (french: Gouvernement de Wallonie) is the executive branch of Wallonia, and it is part of one of the six main governments of Belgium. It sits in Namur, where the Parli ...
and its administration.
Namur stands at the confluence of the rivers
Sambre and
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
and straddles three different regions –
Hesbaye
The Hesbaye ( French, ), or Haspengouw ( Dutch and Limburgish, ) is a traditional cultural and geophysical region in eastern Belgium. It is a loamy plateau region which forms a watershed between the Meuse and Scheldt drainage basins. It ha ...
to the north,
Condroz
The Condroz () is a natural region in Wallonia (the French-speaking part of Belgium), located to the north-west of the Ardennes. Its unofficial capital is Ciney. The region preserves the name of the Condrusi, a Germanic tribe which inhabited t ...
to the south-east, and Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse to the south-west. The city of
Charleroi is located to the west. The language spoken is
French.
The municipality consists of the following
districts:
Beez,
Belgrade,
Boninne,
Bouge,
Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
,
Cognelée,
Daussoulx,
Dave Dave may refer to:
Film, television, and theater
* ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver
* ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film
* Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
,
Erpent,
Flawinne
Flawinne ( wa, Flawene) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Namur, located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
It was formerly a municipality itself until the fusion of Belgian municipalities in 1977. , the population ...
,
Gelbressée,
Jambes
Jambes (; wa, Djambe) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the city of Namur, located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
It was formerly a municipality itself until the fusion of Belgian municipalities in 1977.
Jambes is known for the for ...
,
Lives-sur-Meuse,
Loyers,
Malonne
Malonne ( nl, Maeslangen) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the city of Namur, located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
It stood as an independent municipality until 1977 with their unification process.
Geography
Malonne lies on ...
,
Marche-les-Dames
Marche-les-Dames (; wa, MÃ¥tche-les-Dames) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the city of Namur, located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
It is located on the bank of the Meuse river. Because of the high cliffs this place is popular w ...
,
Naninne,
Saint-Servais,
Saint-Marc
Saint-Marc ( ht, Sen Mak) is a commune in western Haiti in Artibonite departement. Its geographic coordinates are . At the 2003 Census the commune had 160,181 inhabitants. It is one of the biggest cities, second to Gonaïves, between Port-au-P ...
,
Suarlée,
Temploux
Temploux ( wa, Timplou) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the city of Namur, located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
It lies in the Condroz
The Condroz () is a natural region in Wallonia (the French-speaking part of Belgium), l ...
,
Vedrin,
Wépion
Wépion () is a district of the city of Namur, Wallonia, Belgium. Located south of the city centre, it is considered as Belgian's strawberry capital, with the Wépion strawberry an established concept in Belgian cuisine.
The strawberry has bee ...
, and
Wierde
A ''terp'', also known as a ''wierde, woerd, warf, warft, werf, werve, wurt'' or ''værft'', is an artificial dwelling mound found on the North European Plain that has been created to provide safe ground during storm surges, high tides an ...
.
History
Early history
The town began as an important trading settlement in
Celtic times, straddling east–west and north–south trade routes across the
Ardennes. The
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
established a presence after
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...
defeated the local
Aduatuci
The Atuatuci (or Aduatuci) were a Gallic- Germanic tribe, dwelling in the eastern part of modern-day Belgium during the Iron Age.
They fought the Roman armies of Julius Caesar during the Gallic Wars (58–50 BC). In the Battle of the Sabis (57 B ...
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...
.
Namur came to prominence during the early
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
when the
Merovingians
The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
built a
castle or citadel on the rocky spur overlooking the town at the confluence of the two rivers. In the 10th century, it became a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in 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 of
Liège and developed more slowly into the town of Jambes (now effectively a suburb of Namur). In 1262, Namur fell into the hands of the
Count of Flanders, and was purchased by Duke
Philip the Good of
Burgundy in 1421.
After Namur became part of the
Spanish Netherlands
Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: PaÃses Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the H ...
in the 1640s, its citadel was considerably strengthened.
Louis XIV of France
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of ...
invaded in 1692, capturing the town and annexing it to France. His renowned military engineer
Vauban rebuilt the citadel.
French control was short-lived, as
William III of Orange-Nassau captured Namur only three years later in 1695 during the
War of the Grand Alliance
The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between Kingdom of France, France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by t ...
. Under the
Barrier Treaty of 1709, the Dutch gained the right to garrison Namur, although the subsequent
Treaty of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne ...
of 1713 gave control of the formerly
Spanish Netherlands
Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: PaÃses Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the H ...
to the Austrian
House of Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
. Thus, although the Austrians ruled the town, the citadel was controlled by the Dutch. It was rebuilt again under their tenure.
General
Jean-Baptiste Cyrus de Valence's column laid siege to the city on 19 November 1792 during the
War of the First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition (french: Guerre de la Première Coalition) was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797 initially against the constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French Republic that suc ...
and, 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, annexing Namur and imposing a repressive regime. After the defeat of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
in 1815, the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
incorporated what is now Belgium into the
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...
. Belgium broke away from the Netherlands in 1830 following the
Belgian 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
Namur was a major target of the
German invasion of Belgium in 1914, which sought to use the Meuse valley as a route into France. On August 21, 1914,
the Germans bombarded the town of Namur without warning. Several people were killed. Despite being billed as virtually impregnable, the citadel fell after only three days' fighting
and the town was occupied by the Germans for the rest of the war. Namur fared little better in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
; it was in the front lines of both the Battle of the Ardennes in 1940 and the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
in 1944. The town suffered heavy damage in both wars.
Namur continued to host the
Belgian Army
The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...
's
paratrooper
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...
s until their departure in 1977.
After the creation of the
Walloon Region
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 ...
, Namur was chosen as the seat of its
executive
Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to:
Role or title
* Executive, a senior management role in an organization
** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators
** Executive dir ...
and
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
. In 1986, Namur was officially declared capital of Wallonia. Its position as regional capital was confirmed by the Parliament of Wallonia in 2010.
Economy
Namur is an important commercial and industrial centre, located on the Walloon industrial backbone, the
Sambre and Meuse valley. It produces machinery, leather goods, metals and porcelain. Its
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
is also an important junction situated on the north–south line between
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
and
Luxembourg City
Luxembourg ( lb, Lëtzebuerg; french: Luxembourg; german: Luxemburg), also known as Luxembourg City ( lb, Stad Lëtzebuerg, link=no or ; french: Ville de Luxembourg, link=no; german: Stadt Luxemburg, link=no or ), is the capital city of the Gr ...
, and the east–west line between
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...
and
Liège. River
barge
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...
traffic passes through the middle of the city along the Meuse.
Culture and sights
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 a
casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
located in its southern district on the left bank of the Meuse.
The town's most prominent sight is the
Citadel of Namur
The Citadel or Castle of Namur is a fortress in the Walloon capital city of Namur, at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers. It is originally from the Roman era, but has been rebuilt several times. Its current form was designed by Men ...
, now demilitarised and open to the public. Namur also has a distinctive 18th-century
cathedral dedicated to Saint Aubain and
a belfry classified by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as part of the
Belfries of Belgium and France
The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of emerging civic indep ...
which are listed as a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
The
Couvent des Soeurs de Notre-Dame used to contain masterpieces of
Mosan art
Mosan art is a regional style of art from the valley of the Meuse in present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Although in a broader sense the term applies to art from this region from all periods, it generally refers to Romanesque ar ...
by
Hugo d'Oignies
Hugo of Oignies (french: Hugo d'Oignies, before 1187 in Walcourt – c. 1240 in Oignies) was a lay brother of Oignies Abbey. He was a metalworker and painter and is the last of the great jewelers of Mosan art. He is a representative of the sc ...
, currently presented in the Musée des Arts Anciens (Rue de Fer). Elsewhere there is an archeological museum and a museum dedicated to
Félicien Rops
Félicien Victor Joseph Rops (7 July 1833 – 23 August 1898) was a Belgian artist associated with Symbolism and the Parisian Fin-de Siecle. He was a painter, illustrator, caricaturist and a prolific and innovative print maker, particularly in ...
.
An odd Namurois custom is the
joust on stilts (dating back to 1411) practiced by th
stiltwalkers 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. Since 2021, Namur stilt jousts are registered on the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Namur possesses a distinguished
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
, the
University of Namur (previously known as the Facultés universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, FUNDP), founded in 1831. The
University of Louvain (UCLouvain) also has several facilities in the city through its
UCLouvain Namur University Hospital (CHU UCLouvain Namur), the provinces' largest employer.
Since 1986 Namur has been home to the
Namur International Festival of French-Speaking Film. A jazz (Nam'in'Jazz) and a rock (Verdur Rock) festival both take place in Namur annually.
The local
football team is named
Union Royale Namur
Union Namur, commonly known as UR Namur or Union Royale Namur, is a Belgian football club from the city of Namur. It plays in the third amateur division. The media simply refer to them as "Les merles."
Until 2018, the team was known as UR Namu ...
.
The local baseball team is named Namur Angels.
The annual
Namur cyclo-cross race, part of the
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup
The UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup is a season-long competition in cyclo-cross, organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). First held in the 1993–1994 season, there are currently five awards, tailored to the different categories of riders: ...
, takes place on the hills around the citadel.
Sights near Namur include
Maredsous Abbey
Maredsous Abbey is a Benedictine monastery at Maredsous, in the municipality of Anhée, Wallonia, Belgium. It is a founding member of the Annunciation Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation.
The abbey was founded as a priory on 15 No ...
,
Floreffe Abbey
Floreffe Abbey is a former Premonstratensian monastery, the second of the order to be founded, situated in Wallonia on the Sambre at Floreffe, about 11 km southwest of Namur, Belgium.
History
When Norbert of Xanten, founder of the Premonstra ...
, and
Annevoie Castle with its surrounding ''Jardins d'Annevoie''.
File:01-Namur-100109 (2) JPG.jpg, The citadel and the Meuse
File:01-Namur-300605 (1).jpg, The Belfry of Namur
The Belfry of Namur (french: Beffroi de Namur), also called the ''Tour Saint-Jacques'' ("Saint Jacob's Tower"), is an historical building in Namur, Belgium. The tower, constructed in 1388 as part of the city wall, became a belfry in 1746. It is ...
File:Namur Ca1JPG.jpg, St Aubin's Cathedral
St Aubin's Cathedral, Namur, Wallonia, the only cathedral in Belgium in academic Late Baroque style. It was the only church built in the Low Countries as a cathedral after 1559, when most of the dioceses of the Netherlands were reorganized. It is ...
is the only academic Late Baroque cathedral in Belgium.
File:Cheval bayard namur.jpg, The horse Bayard carrying The Four Sons of Aymon
''The Four Sons of Aymon'' (french: esQuatre fils Aymon, nl, De Vier Heemskinderen, german: Die Vier Haimonskinder), sometimes also referred to as ''Renaud de Montauban'' (after its main character) is a medieval tale spun around the four sons ...
, created by Olivier Strebelle for Expo 58.
File:La Sambre in Namur viewed from Quai de l'Abbaye (DSCF5606).jpg, Sambre
File:Arcs namur.jpg, Old town
File:Echasseurs-Echasse-Or-Fetes-de-Wallonie-3-Skuds.jpg, alt=Joust on stilts in Namur. The stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411., Joust on stilts in Namur. The stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411.
Twin towns — sister cities
Namur is
twinned with:
*
Bandung, Indonesia
"Namur, Bandung ink sister-city partnership"
/ref>
* Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada
* Subotica, Serbia
* Bourg-en-Bresse
Bourg-en-Bresse (; frp, Bôrg) is the prefecture of the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ancient province of Bresse ( frp, Brêsse, links=no). In 2018, ...
, France
* ÅŒgaki
ÅŒgaki Castle
is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 161,539, and a population density of 782 persons per km2 in 65,931 households. The total area of the city was . ÅŒgaki was the final destination for the h ...
, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
* Belmont, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, United States
* Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757â ...
, Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, United States
* Empoli, Toscana
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 = Italian
, demogra ...
, Italy
* Cluj-Napoca, Cluj
; hu, kincses város)
, official_name=Cluj-Napoca
, native_name=
, image_skyline=
, subdivision_type1 = County
, subdivision_name1 = Cluj County
, subdivision_type2 = Status
, subdivision_name2 = County seat
, settlement_type = City
, le ...
, Romania
* Tierp
Tierp () is a locality and the seat of Tierp Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 6,143 inhabitants in 2018.
Communications
Tierp is connected to Uppsala and Gävle by commuter train Upptåget and the new (2007) section of highway E4 passe ...
, Sweden
* Prishtina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
, Kosovo
Notable people
* Rémy Belvaux
Rémy Nicolas Lucien Belvaux Caroline Hanotte''Rémy Belvaux'' CinéArtistes.com, Septembre 8, 2006. Retrieved on 11 September 2006. (10 November 1966 – 4 September 2006) was a Belgian actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He was the broth ...
(1966–2006), actor, film director and screenwriter
* Julie Billiart
Julie Billiart (12 July 1751 – 8 April 1816) was a French nun, saint, educator, and founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She was born in Cuvilly, a village in Picardy, in northern France. She was paralyzed and bedridden for 22 years ...
Canonized 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
Cécile de France (; born 17 July 1975) is a Belgian actress. After achieving success in French cinema hits such as '' L'Art (délicat) de la séduction'' (2001) and ''Irène'' (2002), she gained international attention for her lead roles in ''H ...
(born 1975), actress
* Count Edouard de Woelmont, Belgian Canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
.
* Olivier Gourmet
Olivier Gourmet (born 22 July 1963) is a Belgian actor.
Gourmet was born in Namur. He won the Best Actor award at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival for his role in '' Le Fils'' by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. He also appeared in ''La Promesse ...
(born 1963), actor
* Ludivine Henrion (born 1984), cyclist
* Friedrich Hermann Otto, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
''Friedrich'' Hermann Otto of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (born 22 July 1776 in Namur; died 13 September 1838 at Schloss Lindich in Hechingen) was the penultimate Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. Friedrich was the only child of Hermann, Prince of Ho ...
(1776–1838), Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
* Pierre Jonckheer
Pierre Jonckheer (born 5 May 1951) is a Belgian economist and politician, member of the Belgian French-speaking Green party, Ecolo.
Early life and education
Jonckheer grew up in Wallonia and Brussels and studied Economics at the University of L ...
(born 1951), politician, Member of European Parliament 1999-2009
* Denzel Jubitana
Denzel Jubitana (born 6 May 1999) is a Belgian professional Association football, footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Super League Greece 2, Greek Super League 2 club Iraklis F.C. (Thessaloniki), Iraklis.
Career
He scored his first goal in ...
(born 1999), Football Player
* Philippe Kirsch
Philippe Kirsch, (born April 1, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer who served as a judge of the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2009 and was the Court's first president. Biography
Kirsch was born in Belgium in 1947 and arrived in Canada in 19 ...
(born 1947), Canadian jurist and diplomat, former president of the ICC
* Louis Leloir
Dom Louis Leloir, O.S.B., (1911–1992), originating from Namur, Belgium, was a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Clervaux, Clervaux, Luxembourg. His preoccupations were with oecumenical relations, especially with Judaism, and with research int ...
(1911–1992), Benedictine monk and orientalist
* Benjamin Lessennes (born 1999), racing driver
* Jeanne Maubourg
Jeanne Maubourg (November 10, 1873 – 9 May 1953) was a Belgian opera singer. She sang with the Metropolitan Opera in New York from 1909 to 1914, taught voice in Montreal, and was heard in Canadian radio dramas in the 1930s and 1940s.
Early l ...
(1873-1953), opera singer, radio actress in Canada
* Henri Michaux
Henri Michaux (; 24 May 1899 – 19 October 1984) was a Belgian-born French poet, writer and painter. Michaux is renowned for his strange, highly original poetry and prose, and also for his art: the Paris Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim ...
(1899–1984), French-speaking poet and painter
* Benoît Poelvoorde
Benoît Poelvoorde (, ; born 22 September 1964) is a Belgian actor and comedian.
Early life
His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still a minor. He attended the Jesuit Boarding School of Godinne before ...
(born 1964), actor and comedian
* Jacques François Rosart (1714–1777), engraver of metal type
* Christophe Rochus (born 1978), tennis player
* 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 ...
(born 1981), tennis player
* Félicien Rops
Félicien Victor Joseph Rops (7 July 1833 – 23 August 1898) was a Belgian artist associated with Symbolism and the Parisian Fin-de Siecle. He was a painter, illustrator, caricaturist and a prolific and innovative print maker, particularly in ...
(1833–1898), graphic artist and illustrator (Symbolism)
* Thierry Zéno (born 1950), director and screenwriter
See also
* Rhisnes (suburb), a suburb to the north of the city
References
Sources
* Jean-Pol Hiernaux : ''Namur, capitale de la Wallonie'', in ''Encyclopédie du Mouvement wallon'', Tome II, Charleroi, Institut Jules Destrée, 2000, (or 2d ed., CD-ROM, 2003, )
External links
*
The municipal website of The City of Namur (in French)
Namur Tourism
{{DEFAULTSORT:Namur
Cities in Wallonia
Sub-municipalities of Namur (city)
Municipalities of Namur (province)
Provincial capitals of Wallonia
World Heritage Sites in Belgium
Vauban fortifications in Belgium