Gembloux (; wa, Djiblou; nl, Gembloers, ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—al ...

located in the

province of Namur Namur (; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a province of Wallonia, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders (clockwise from the West) on the Walloon provinces of Hainaut, Walloon Brabant, Liège and Luxembourg in Belgium, and the French depar ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 21,964 inhabitants. The total area is 95.86 km², yielding a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of 229 inhabitants per km². The mayor, who was elected on 8 October 2006, is Benoît Dispa. The municipality consists of the following

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

: Beuzet, Bossière,

Bothey Bothey ( wa, Bôtè) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Gembloux, located in the province of Namur, Belgian. Bothey was its own municipality until the fusion of the Belgian municipalities in 1977 when it merged wi ...

, Corroy-le-Château, Ernage, Gembloux, Grand-Leez, Grand-Manil, Isnes,

Lonzée Lonzée ( wa, Lonzêye) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Gembloux, located in the province of province of Namur, Belgium. It was a municipality in its own right until the fusion of the Belgian municipalities in 1 ...

Mazy Mazy ( wa, Mazi) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Gembloux, located in the province of Namur, Belgium. Geography Mazy is crossed by the Orneau (a tributary of the Sambre). Heritage Falnuée Castle Falnuée Ca ...

, and Sauvenière. This city is well known for its Agricultural University and for its

cutlery Cutlery (also referred to as silverware, flatware, or tableware), includes any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in Western culture. A person who makes or sells cutlery is called a cutler. The city of Sheffie ...

. The university is housed in the historical Abbey of Gembloux, which dates from the tenth century. Gembloux's belfry is a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

, as part of the

Belfries of Belgium and France The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of emerging civic indep ...

site, in recognition of its architecture and testimony to the rise in municipal power in the area.

History

The central city grew around the

Gembloux Abbey Gembloux Abbey was a Benedictine abbey in Wallonia near the town of Gembloux in the province of Namur, Belgium. Since 1860, its buildings host the University of Liège's Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech faculty and campus (previously known as Agronomical Un ...

, founded in the tenth century. In the vicinity of the city, in 1578, the Battle of Gembloux was fought during the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Ref ...

. 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 The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wor ...

Notable inhabitants

* The Marquess of Trazegnies d'Ittre *

Christophe Szpajdel Christophe Szpajdel (; born 29 September 1970) is a Belgian-born international calligraphist and illustrator, principally known for designing band logos. Life Szpajdel was born on 29 September 1970 in Gembloux, Namur, Belgium, and grew up in ...

, sketch artist (born 1970)

Twin towns

Gembloux is twinned with * -

Épinal Épinal (; german: Spinal) is a commune in northeastern France and the prefecture of the Vosges department. Geography The commune has a land area of . It is situated on the river Moselle, south of Nancy. Épinal station has rail connecti ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

: since 1974 * -

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second large ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

: since 1993 * -

Skyros Skyros ( el, Σκύρος, ), in some historical contexts Latinized Scyros ( grc, Σκῦρος, ), is an island in Greece, the southernmost of the Sporades, an archipelago in the Aegean Sea. Around the 2nd millennium BC and slightly later, the ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

: since 1994 * - Aller,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

: since 2007

Gallery

Gembloux JPG05.jpg, Gembloux town hall square and belfry Gembloux Abbey, current home of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (DSCF7631).jpg, University Faculty of agronomic sciences Tour du Guet in parc d'Epinal, Gembloux, Belgium (DSCF7618).jpg, Tour du Guet fortification Castle of Corroy-le-Château (DSCF7659-DSCF7662).jpg, 13th century Château de Corroy-le-Château

References

External links