Mariembourg
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Mariembourg
| |
|---|---|
 Mariembourg, Place Marie de Hongrie | |
  Mariembourg  Mariembourg | |
| Coordinates: 50°05′38″N 04°31′15″E / 50.09389°N 4.52083°E | |
| Country |  Belgium |
| Region |  Wallonia |
| Province |  Namur |
| Municipality |  Couvin |
Mariembourg (French pronunciation: [maʁjɑ̃buʁ]; Walloon: Mariyambour) is a town in the municipality of Couvin in the Province of Namur, Wallonia, Belgium.
The town is named after Mary of Hungary, governor of what was then the Habsburg Netherlands, who ordered the construction of a fortress town there in 1542. The fortifications were demolished in 1853, but the former arsenal remains. By 1554, it was conquered by French troops, and has throughout the centuries frequently switched hands. The town has a church (built in 1542), a Neo-Gothic former town hall and is served by a railway station.
The area around the Sambre and Meuse rivers has frequently been the scene of conflicts and battles. During the early 16th century, the development of stronger artillery necessitated a new kind of fortifications. Mary of Hungary, governor of what was then the Habsburg Netherlands, was tasked with strengthening the fortifications along the border with France by her brother, Emperor Charles V; the French had laid out a series of fortifications on their side of the border already in 1519. At Mary's initiative, the fortress of Mariembourg was created in 1542–1546 on land which had earlier belonged to the Floreffe Abbey.[1][2] It was named Mariembourg in honour of Mary of Hungary, and its main square is today also named after her.[1]
The fortress town, which at its completion was considered impenetrable, was besieged by French troops in 1554 and taken only three days later.[1] In the following centuries it was conquered and retaken several times up until 1853, when the fortifications were demolished and replaced by a ring of boulevards.[1]
