Colfontaine

Colfontaine (in Picardy Colfontinne ) is a common French-speaking of Belgium located in Walloon region in the Province of Hainaut.

It belongs to the district of Mons, in the Borinage.

Population: 20.132 inhabitants, including 10.503 women and 9.629 men (8 501 households).

Amalgamated communes of the entity of Colfontaine

Pastures, Warquignies, Wasmes

History

The common car its name of a lord of Fountain-the Bishop which was ordered bishop of Cambric in 1100: Colart de Fontaine.

In 1850 celebrates it historian French geographer Malta-Brown described this area as being equipped with an industrial power (calculated in horse power) higher than that of all France, this because of course of the number of coal mining and the gigantic engines which equipped the winding shafts. Today, it would make of Colfontaine a more modest description but would not fail to underline the broken and green aspect of its relief which gives such an amount of charm to the commune.

Colfontaine is also one of the communes with the weakest GDP of Belgium, was seen decreeing the not very envieux title of dirtiest Commune of Wallonia what caused launching of a cleanliness campaign. However, the major evils of the area (raised unemployment, management questionnable) are still not addressed.

Famous characters

Among the famous hosts of the village of Wasmes one can count Vincent Van Gogh which exerted there the function of preacher evangelist of the Protestant Church.

Cinema

the procession of Pucelette (1926) of Antoine Castille
children of Coal-mining, letter with Henri Storck (2000) of Patric Jean

Twinnings

External bonds

Official site of the commune
Another personal site on the commune
Statistical on Colfontaine
a personal site on the commune
Site of the Communal Elections 2006
Site of the Socialist party - PS - Colfontaine
Site of only the radio Protestant Christian woman which emits since Colfontaine, and this on the 106 in Modulated Frequency
Some photographs

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