Canton of Bilge

The canton of Bilge is a French administrative division , located in the department of the Northern and the area Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Composition

The canton of Bilge gathers the common following:

History

Old lake city being neighborly with the prestigious camp of César, installed strategically on the slopes of the Scheldt, with its junction with the valley of Judicious, the town of Bilge (formerly successively Bulcinum, Bilcinius, Bolcen, Bochanium, Bouçain, Bouchin, Bouchaing) was from time immemorial a crossing point in particular for the various invasions.

So the history of the east commune intimate related to all the military events which followed one another in our country, it since the most moved back times.

According to a well established but disputed tradition, the foundation of Bilge, as a city, would go back to year 691 and would be due to Pépin of Héristal (Herstal), great-grandfather of Charlemagne, Maire of the Palate of Autrasie.

A diploma of Charles the Simple one, year 899, confirms the existence of the city well and allots the possession of it to the abbey of Amand Saint.

The lords of the manor of Valencians, juniors by the Counts of this name, made the capital of Ostrevant of it, sits of a châtellenie grouping 76 villages.

The emperor Henri IV delivered it to plundering; Godefroid, 3rd of the name, sold it to Bauduin IV, Count de Hainaut says Edifieur, which added a tower (that which remains today) to the castle built in VIIe century and will arrange some crenelated ditches and walls.

These fortifications will evolve/move with progress of artillery with fire, the high city is regarded as a true citadel also, see it us, during the history, many times besieged, set fire to, occupied by the French Armies, Austrian and Danish.

This small fortified town, called " the key of the Netherlands " , acquired its reputation thanks to its defense system by flood started in XVe century and constantly improved during the following centuries.

Bilge is one of the fortified towns of the Pre-square which extends on 3 countries: France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The stoppings of Bilge made it possible to flood the valleys of the Scheldt and Judicious, a perfect way in less than one week and to effectively prohibit the access of the place to the South and the West.

This defense system reached the perfection after work of fortifications low downtown at the XIXe century.

The defensive floods were each time about to be started at the time of the principal seats of the city and for the last time in 1870, but finally did not have to be useful.

On the other hand, water, retained behind the stoppings and released quickly, saved, twice, the town of Valencians besieged in 1656 and 1793.

Louis XI failed to be killed by besieging the capital of Ostrevant, François 1st burned it, Charles Quint strengthened it strongly. Since 1532, it made gird the high city broad and deep ditch, walls and curtains with 4 bastions, the whole covered by some detached works. Those will resist until their dismantling in 1893.

In 1676, the armies of Louis XIV take Bouchain. Vauban will modernize there defenses with the construction of the explosives magazine and the barracks. The tower is with the apogee of its military power.

During the last years of the reign of the sun king Soleil, the city knew two more seats. That of 1711 imposed by the Duke of Marlborough and, the following year, that where Villars seizes the place definitively to supplement the victory of Denain.

In 1793 and 1815, the enemy guns still resounded around the old ramparts.

Bilge had to suffer from the First World War but more still of the second world deflagration, in May 1940, where the fourth division of infantry (45e IH) defended with eagerness during 6 days the passage of the Scheldt. The city was destroyed to 80%. Hitler and the state major of the German army was made comment on the adventures of the battle, one week after the end of the engagements on June 2nd, 1940, the top of the Tower of Ostrevant. This vestige of the keep of XIIe century is arranged today in museum of history, folklore and industrial archeology.

Bilge, with the money armorial bearings to a crenelated door of mouths, obtained the Military Cross 1914-1918 with palm by quotation of January 9th, 1922 and the Military Cross 39-45 with money star by quotation dated November 11th, 1948.

Of this glorious passed, it remains today: • The Tower of Ostrevant of XIIe century • The Explosives magazine of 1687 • the Bastion of the Forging mills with part of the curtain of XVIe century • Underground galleries - two splendid rooms under the place Timothée Trim • The Casmaté Mask of the XIXe century • Old moats low downtown • Strong Black and the Arsenal and • . memory.

See too

Cantons of North | Common of North | List of the general advisers of North

Random links: