Saint-Python (; officially spelt Sainct-Pieton and St-Piton during different periods preceding 1800) 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 Nord department 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 ...

.INSEE commune file
/ref> It was named after Piatus of Tournai. Its inhabitants are called Saint-Piatiens or Piatonnais.

Toponymy

* In 1176, a

Leprosarium A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. ''M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East Afr ...

Title of Cambrai first mentions Santus Piatus'.'' * Sancto Piato is found in a letter by Roger de Wavrin, évêque de Cambrai in 1182 and in the Communal Charter of Solesmes in 1202. * Python is a deformation of 'Piatus or Piat'. The church of the commune is also under the name of Saint-Piat also named Piat de Seclin or Piatus of Tournai, thus confirming the origin of the name of the village.

Heraldry

History

Chronology

The following chronologically-ordered dates mark the historical events which had the most impact on Saint-Python: *57 BC: The legions of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

marched on the Mourmont, a ''

lieu-dit ''Lieu-dit'' (; plural: ''lieux-dits'') (literally ''said-location'') is a French toponymic term for a small geographical area bearing a traditional name. The name usually refers to some characteristic of the place, its former use, a past event, ...

'' between Saint-Python and Solesmes to lead the

Battle of the Sabis The Battle of the Sabis, also (arguably erroneously) known as the Battle of the Sambre or the Battle against the Nervians (or Nervii), was fought in 57 BC near modern Saulzoir in Northern France, between Caesar's legions and an association of B ...

, and were nearly defeated. *1074: Saint Lietbertus donated lands and properties located in Saint-Python to the Abbaye Saint-André du Cateau in

Le Cateau-Cambrésis Le Cateau-Cambrésis (, before 1977: ''Le Cateau'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The term Cambrésis indicates that it lies in the county of that name which fell to the Prince-Bishop of Cambrai. Le Cateau station has ...

. *1185: Saint-Python was set on fire by

Philip I, Count of Flanders Philip I (1143 – 1 August 1191), commonly known as Philip of Alsace, was count of Flanders from 1168 to 1191. During his rule Flanders prospered economically. He took part in two crusades and died of disease in the Holy Land. Count of Flanders ...

. *April 1263: Founding of a chapel belonging to Abbaye Saint-André. *24 February 1416: The Burgundians are housed in Saint-Python. *1437-1440: The '' écorcheurs'' (French: kɔʁʃœʁ lit. "flayers") devastated the country including Saint-Python. *1450: The

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...

struck Saint-Python at least in 1450 and around 1669 (as quoted in Solesmes' Public Registers). *1536: Reconstruction of Saint-Python Church. *1544-1581: The village is periodically abandoned during French occupation of the region, with some inhabitants taking refuge in Cambrai,

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...

Le Quesnoy Le Quesnoy (; pcd, L' Kénoé) is a commune and small town in the east of the Nord department of northern France. It was part of the historical province of French Hainaut. It had a keynote industry in shoemaking before the late 1940s, followed ...

. *

1559: Traités du Cateau-Cambrésis: Peace between

Henry II of France Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...

and Philip II of Spain. *7 July 1637:

Landrecies Landrecies (; nl, Landeschie) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. History In 1543, Landrecies was besieged by English and Imperial forces, who were repulsed by the French defenders. In 1794, it was besieged by Dutch force ...

and Le Cateau taken by the French (Turenne). Saint-Python is declared to have been abandoned after taking Landrecies. Rocroi, el último tercio, por Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau

Rocroi, el último tercio, por Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau

*7 November 1659: The

Treaty of the Pyrenees The Treaty of the Pyrenees (french: Traité des Pyrénées; es, Tratado de los Pirineos; ca, Tractat dels Pirineus) was signed on 7 November 1659 on Pheasant Island, and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635. Negotiations were ...

was signed to end the 1635–1659 Franco-Spanish war. Saint-Python then becomes French. *2 May 1668: Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle: France takes over

Douai Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, Dou ...

Saint-Amand-les-Eaux Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (; former nl, Sint-Amands-aan-de-Skarpe, link=no) is a commune in the Nord department, northern France. It lies on the river Scarpe, 12 km northwest of Valenciennes. In French, the town people are named ''Amandinois ...

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

. *March 1675: Saint-Python is obliged to deliver to many cities many carts full of fodder for the king such as in

, Avesnes-les-Aubert, Fayt, Charleroi, Ors,

Philippeville Philippeville (; wa, Flipveye) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. The Philippeville municipality includes the former municipalities of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, N ...

). *On 10 August 1678: Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen (Traités de Paix de Nimègue)that gives France

Bouchain Bouchain (; vls, Boesem) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It lies halfway between Cambrai and Valenciennes. Bouchain, seat of the early medieval County of Ostrevent, was taken by Arnulf I, Count of Flanders, in the 10th ...

, Cambrai,

Bavay Bavay () is a commune in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The town was the seat of the former canton of Bavay. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Bavaisiens'' or ''Bavaisiennes'' Geography Bava ...

and Maubeuge. *1757: Construction of the current Saint-Python's Church. *1790: Saint-Python's first municipal election. The first mayor is Charles J. Marlier. * 1793: Several conflicts occur when Catholic clerics refuse to follow the Decadary Cult. * 1832, 1848 and 1866: Cholera raged in Saint-Python. * 9 May 1944: Saint-Python hit by Allied bombing.

Government

Until 1790 many different lords owned Saint-Python's lands and properties and had administrative power over the town. Notable lords included Claude Lamoral De Ligne, a nobleman, soldier, and diplomat from the

Spanish Netherlands Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the H ...

in the service of

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

and

Charles II of Spain Charles II of Spain (''Spanish: Carlos II,'' 6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700), known as the Bewitched (''Spanish: El Hechizado''), was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. Best remembered for his physical disabilities and the War ...

, who controlled Saint-Python from 1641 to 1679. Saint python center of the village

On 3 February 1790, voters elected Mr. Duplessy, vicar of St-Python, as public prosecutor, but he refused. On February 23, Etienne Dambrinne was elected prosecutor but already held another office, so the function was given to Mr. Lernou, priest of St-Python. This first municipal act was recorded on a sheet of paper from St-Python's Marlier paper mill, decorated with a drawing of three

fleurs-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

inside a circle. Georges Flamengt has been mayor of Saint-Python since election in March 2001. In the

2017 French presidential election The 2017 French presidential election was held on 23 April and 7 May 2017. As no candidate won a majority in the first round, a Two-round system, runoff was held between the top two candidates, Emmanuel Macron of La République En Marche!, En Ma ...

, Marine Le Pen came in first place in the 2nd (final) round with 59.41% of the votes in Saint-Python, ahead of Emmanuel Macron (En Marche!) who received 40.59% of the votes. 7.21% of voters returned a blank ballot paper. The participation rate was 77.73% for the 2nd round, a decline in turnout of 1.68 points from the first round of the election. Saint-Python Rue de Solesmes

Geography

The town of Saint-Python is located in the department of Nord part of the Hauts-de-France region. It belongs to the

arrondissement of Cambrai The arrondissement of Cambrai is an arrondissement of France in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region. It has 116 communes. Its population is 162,045 (2016), and its area is . Composition The communes of the arrondissement of Cambr ...

(19 km) and the canton of Caudry (11 km). The town is a member of the 'Communauté de communes du Pays Solesmois', which brings together 15 municipalities (

Beaurain Beaurain () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord department of the French Republic. The communes ...

Bermerain Bermerain () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. History Bermerain was the scene of action to drive back the Germans at the end of World War I. A dramatic account of fighting that took place between Bermerain and Sepmeries ...

, Capelle,

Escarmain Escarmain is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord department of the French Republic. The communes cooperate in the ...

, Haussy, Montrécourt, Romeries, Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon, Saint-Python, Saulzoir, Solesmes, Sommaing, Vendegies-sur-Écaillon, Vertain and Viesly) for a total population of just under 15,000. Saint-Python Rue de Vertain

Population and society

In 2019, the municipality had 1,027 inhabitants, a decrease of 0.3% compared to 2008. In January 2019, mayor Georges Flamengt announced two major social projects: a renovation of Haussy Street and the rehabilitation of a former company building into social housing units.

Education

The town has one public primary school: the École maternelle et élémentaire de Saint-Python. It is contractually regulated by the Academy of Lille. Secondary schools include the public Collège Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the private Catholic Institution Saint-Michel, both located in Solesmes.

Places and monuments

One of the paths of Camino de Santiago the ''via septentriones templi'' passes through the village coming from Haussy. It goes through the municipal park, then the church, before leaving by meandering in the streets towards Saint-Vaast-en Cambrésis by hiking trails. Several tags are in fact embedded in the tar, plus two labels on the way. Saint-Python Leterme Castle

Saint-Python has two castles: the Cardon Castle, referred to as "Saint-Python's Castle", and the smaller Leterme Castle. In 1185, Saint-Python's Castle was set on fire by

. On 28 September 2007 the castle, which now belongs to the Pavot family, endured another fire devastating the floors and roofs. It was once again restored the following year.

Religion

As of 2019, Saint-Piatiens have always been almost exclusively

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

with a minority of

atheists Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

. Few Muslim families arrived and settled in the late 2000s and 2010s in Saint-Python and its neighbouring villages.

Culture

Saint-Python's "Culs de Caudron" celebrations taking place in September and involving the Géants du Nord has been inscribed by

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 ...

on the lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, originally proclaimed in November 2005 as it is included in the set of folkloric manifestations representing the processional giants and dragons ( French: ''Géants et dragons processionnels'') of Belgium and France. Those gigantic figures, incarnating fictitious or real beings, are inherited from medieval rites and are carried or rolled around to dance in the streets during processions or festivals. The "Culs de Caudron" often coincide with a ducasse.
File:Le cuirassier J1.jpg File:Goliath-Mme2005.jpg File:T'chio Blaise.jpg File:Trith-Saint-LégerGéantHubert.jpg File:Géant de Bouvines Philippe Auguste.jpg File:Babe tisje zoon tisje.jpg File:Jean le bûcheron (III) J1b.jpg

Conspicuous people affiliated to the commune

* Raymond Poirette (1928–1944): He was born on 16 March 1928 in Solesmes and died on 2 September 1944 in Saint-Python. He was a French Resistant and was arrested and shot dead at close range at 16 years old while he was handing out leaflets near ''‘N° 61 of the Rue d'Haussy. Solesmes' resistance network was headed by Victor Poirette, Raymond's older brother, and Georges Mailloux. Teenagers then served as liaison agents: Raymond Poirette is among them. Their role was to transport documents, weapons, to transmit orders from one point to another. In addition to his role as liaison officer, Raymond participated in some sabotage operations with the aim of hindering the German retreat. As a tribute to the young resistance fighter, several places bear his name, a street in Solesmes and a school restaurant in Saint-Python.

Bibliography

* Louis Boniface, ''Etude sur la signification des noms topographiques de l'arrondissement de Cambrai'', Valenciennes, Impr. Louis Henry, 1866.