Gembloux

Gembloux

Gembloux

Municipality in Namur Province, Belgium

Gembloux (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃.blu] ⓘ; Walloon: Djiblou; Dutch: Gembloers, Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣɛmˌbluːrs]) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium.

Quick Facts Djiblou (Walloon)Gembloers (Dutch), Country ...

On 1 January 2006, the municipality had 21,964 inhabitants. The total area is 95.86 km2, yielding a population density of 229 inhabitants per km2. The mayor, who was elected on 8 October 2006, is Benoît Dispa.

The municipality consists of the following districts: Beuzet, Bossière, Bothey, Corroy-le-Château, Ernage, Gembloux, Grand-Leez, Grand-Manil, Isnes, Lonzée, Mazy, and Sauvenière.

This city is well known for its Agricultural University and for its cutlery. The university is housed in the historical Abbey of Gembloux, which dates from the tenth century.

Gembloux's belfry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, in recognition of its architecture and testimony to the rise in municipal power in the area.[2]

History

The central city grew around the Gembloux Abbey, founded in the tenth century. In the vicinity of the city, in 1578, the Battle of Gembloux was fought during the Eighty Years' War. In May 1940, the Battle of Hannut and the Battle of the Gembloux Gap took place nearby, tank battles during the larger Battle of France.

Notable inhabitants

Twin towns

Gembloux is twinned with

  • Gembloux town hall square and belfry
  • University Faculty of agronomic sciences
  • Tour du Guet fortification
  • 13th century Château de Corroy-le-Château

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. [2]
    "World Heritage List | Belfries of Belgium and France". UNESCO. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
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