Lucheux () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Geography

Lucheux is situated on the D5 road, some southwest of Arras, near the border with the neighbouring département of the Pas-de-Calais.

Population

History

The château was taken by the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

s under Captain Cocqueville in 1568 during the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

. Laid to siege and taken again in 1595 during the same wars, this time by the Spanish under Hernando Teillo de Porto Carrer.

Places of interest

Lucheux is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

town with many remarkable monuments: * The belfry, listed as an historic monument in 1896 and a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

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 h ...

in 2005 (as part of a group of

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 ...

) because of its architecture and historical importance in civic affairs. * The fifteenth-century château. Dominating the town on the road leading north to

Avesnes-le-Comte Avesnes-le-Comte (; pcd, Avesne-el-Comte) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Geography A small farming town located 11 miles (17 km) west of Arras at the junction of the D8, D75 and D339 roads. Population S ...

), it presents an abrupt wall into the valley and the forest with the ruins of some round towers. The moat surrounding the fortress is preserved and can be visited. Some parts are overgrown and inaccessible.Noted in this state in the spring of 2007 The vestiges of the round towers are hidden on their exterior face, but the entrance is well restored. The interior allows an understanding of the dimensions of the dwelling space available to the lord of the manor, with its walls and double bays of the Great Hall, below which one can see the
moat and a preserved section of the keep or ''

donjon A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in ...

''. * The church, dating from the twelfth century. * An unusual hollow tree, known as the "marriage tree" * Many restored typical Picardy houses. Image:Lucheux château (tour ronde bordant fossé) 1.jpg, Château walls and moat Image:Lucheux donjon 1.jpg, Ruins of the donjon Image:Lucheux cimetière (croix de fonte) tombe DONNETTE-HURET.jpg, Cemetery Image:Lucheux cadran solaire 1.jpg, Sundial

People

* Saint Leger, who was killed in the forest of Sarcing in 678.

References