Ath

Ath , (in Dutch Aat , in Picardy Ât , in Walloon Ate ) is a French-speaking city of Belgium located in Walloon region, chief town of district in Province of Hainaut.

It has a population of 27  000 inhabitants (2005) and his surface is of 127,920 km ²

Ath is the city of the giants where each fourth Sunday of August, the giants dance. ducasse It (eul ducasse) is one moment full with emotions which Athois owes of living.

Ath is the capital of the green country .

Armorial bearings

Blasonnement: of gold, has a eagle with two heads of sand, charged in heart with a gold escutcheon, with the sand lion. These weapons were granted in 1818 and were confirmed in 1840.

History

About 1160, Baudouin IV, known as the Builder, count de Hainaut, buys part of the ground of Ath with Gilles of Trazegnies, which had some properties there. It built a square keep, there the Tower Burbant, in order to protect north from its county. Equipped with freedoms, the “new city” attracts the population around its market and is girdled by a fortification between 1330 and 1350. The growth of the population involves the construction of one second enclosure lengthening towards the south and is completed at the end of the 14th century.

At the 15th century, some 5000 people live downtown. The production activities (Cloths, Fabrics, Skins, stone) and the craft industry of luxury (Goldsmithery, cabinet work, Sculpture) are in full rise. The market of Thursday and the annual fair generate an intense commercial animation.

In this general atmosphere develops the procession, celebration of the dedication of the parish church. Y ravel groups, illustrations of the accounts of Old and Testament, gilded Légende or Cycle of Charlemagne.

In 1667, the armies of Louis XIV conquer Ath. After this conquest, Vauban makes build a new fortification between 1668 and 1674. This imposing enclosure includes/understands eight Bastion S, connected by curtains, themselves protected by clippers and Demi-lune S. the fortified town will be dismantled after the seat of 1745. The city is besieged by Vauban in 1697.

In 1824, the Dutchmen build strong Féron whereas the place has just found all its strategic value. The dismantled fortifications will release from the grounds for industries and the allotments essential to a population in full expansion.

If Ath counts 7300 inhabitants at the end of the 18th century, it passes through an serious attack in first half of the 19th century. From 1850 to 1914, she knows a new period of growth thanks to the rise of the industry of wood, agricultural processing industry (Brasserie S, Moulin S) and of the textile.

At the 20th century, the industrial decline highlighted the commercial, administrative and school role of the city of Goliath. During 20 last years, the urban renovation allowed the rebirth and the development of many districts whereas the public monuments (town hall, churches, museums, administrative buildings) were renovated or restored. The dynamism of the city continued with the successful installation of the Town square or the development projects tourist.

Political evolution

Under the Old Mode, Ath was controlled by the notable ones. The aldermen are always wire or sons-in-law of aldermen. The leaders and communal senior officials are selected in a restricted circle and not very accessible.

Under the mode censitaire, it still was thus, but the evolution of the electoral law attenuated then removed this oligarchy. Under the unionistic period, the spirit of 1830 was maintained. The catholics carried it with the legislative elections, the liberals controlling the town council. The question of the college of Ath broke this agreement and the parties clashed in the press since 1841. As of its constitution, the liberal party carried it and preserved the majority until 1903. But the two wings of this one, the doctrinary conservatives and the radicals progressists, were opposed vigorously. These. the last, led by the burgomaster Jean-Baptiste Delescluse and the communal secretary Henri Marichal, carried it of 1848 to 1855. Doctrinary and catholic reconstituted for a time (1852-1857) unionism. The defeat of the radicals returned the majority to the liberals, same if they were divided on the social question (liberal Association against democratic Ligue).

The elections of 1894, made by the vote for all moderated by the plural vote, allowed the appearance on stage of the Socialists, who will play a part of referee. With the adoption of the pure and simple vote for all (1919), they became the most important party athois and even carried the absolute majority of 1932 to 1938, and since 1945.

Monuments

  • Downtown area
    • the Tower Burbant, keep of the 12th century.
    • the Town hall: built between 1614 and 1620 according to the drawings of the architect of Albert and Isabelle, Wenceslas Cobergher. In fact, it drew only the frontage of it. The control of work was entrusted to its substitute, a young German named Sommer, simple wood-carver. In 1617, one added the pinions and the two bodies, one on two floors, the other to three. The Town hall was the object of important work of restoration of 1980 to 1983.
    • the church Saint-Julien: it was since 1394 on a ground given by Jean Séjournet, alderman of Ath and lord of Bétissart (Ormeignies). It replaced the vault of Ath Old man, to the suburb of Mons, and was devoted in 1415. Only one tower, on the left of the gate, was carried out in 1462. The arrow which sumrmontait it was finished in 1465. After the fire of 1817, the church was rebuilt by the architect Gabriel François Florent in neo-classic style (1819 to 1822). Old church, it remains the Gothic tower and the vault of the Good Death located at the Chevet. Interior decorations are the work of Lambert Mathieu and Jean-Baptiste Ducorron. The Carillon is attested since 1520. The remarkable current instrument (41 bells) date of 1953.
    • the Saint Martin's day Church: of Gothic style hennuyer, built since 1585, it was devoted in 1603. It replaced the old parish church of the hamlet of Brantignies destroyed in 1578. It is about a church-market of three Nef S bordered of pseudo collateral. Outside one can see a martyrdom in oak of the 16th century. Inside, one preserves a setting at the Gothic polychrome stone tomb and Renaissance of the 16th century also.
:
Eùl Pâtêr

Vous No Pa, that your summers O Sky,
Qu' vo name sunche sanctifieu,
Qu' vo rin.gne ariviche,
Qu' all chô that your voleuz sunche fét
Dôchi, as E ôt.
Douneuz us ôjordwî eùl pin
qu' our of have danjeu all the joûs.
Pardouneuz us chô that our have fét mô
of the min.me maniêre that our pardounons
à the ciuns which our have fét tôrt.
Èt fètes that our sunche gneu ratireus Po djâle,
mès dèlèbèreuz us dou mô.

Âmèn.

Demonstrations

  • the Ducasse d' Ath is a chief of work of the oral and immaterial Patrimoine of humanity

  • the Fair of winter
  • the " Contest-foire" bovine race Blanc Belgian blue
  • the market of Thursday is attested as of the 13th century

Religious and sporting organizations

The lists do not want to be exhaustive.

Culture

  • cultural House with the multiple activities
  • Theater
    • the " Troop of Huit"
  • dialectal Theater
    • " Francs of Bruges"
  • Fanfares
    • Pratiquement in each commune of the entity
  • Chorales
    • the Choral society Meets
    • the Sailors of Dendre (operettas)
  • Histoire
    • the royal Circle of History and Archeology
    • the Heirs to the Memory

Sports

  • Aikido, Judo, karate
  • Athlétisme
  • Badminton
  • Balle with the pediment
  • Balle winds into a ball
  • Basket-ball
  • Cyclisme
  • Equitation
  • Football
  • Foot in room
  • Marche
  • Natation
  • Plongée under navy
  • Squash
  • Tennis
  • Table tennis
  • Tir
  • Tir with the Arc
  • Triathlon
  • Volley

Famous characters

Administration

Villages of the commune

Tree, Autreppe, Bouvignies, Ghislenghien, Gibecq, Houtaing, Irchonwelz, Isières, Lanquesaint, Line, Maffle, Mainvault, Meslin-l' Bishop, Moulbaix, Ormeignies, Ostiches, Rebaix, Villers-Our-Lady and Villers-Saint-Amand

See too

External bonds

  • Site of the town of Ath
  • literary production Walloon/Picardy and old texts in lites for all Wallonia
  • Site on Ducasse d' Ath
  • Site on the Farandole in Ducasse d' Ath
  • Wikiz: collaboratif site of infos local
  • Site of the Union of the Cities and Communes of Wallonia
  • railway Sabotages of Resistance 1940-1945

Sources

Random links:Burushaski | Halsou | Tourville-on-bridge-Audemer | Billiat mount | Gianluca Galasso | 486