Visit Avesnes and other Avesnes-sur-Helpe, France Things to Do Tips

AVESNES

Picturesque city fixed on the side of a rock cliff, Avesnes-on-Helpe is founded by Wédric the Bearded one in XIème century. Its lords are famous since the House of Avesnes gives rise to Philippa de Hainaut, future Queen of England, which obtains the grace of the Middle-class men of Calais.

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Address: Betweem Brussels and Paris
Directions: Take the A19 highway. Exit in Mons and take the R5 to Maubeuge, Laon . Avesnes is on the main road N2 , 15 km farther of Maubeuge.
Website: http://www.avesnes-sur-helpe.com/

Cityhal

The Town hall of 1757 rather severe of aspect announces the style Louis XVI. There is a curious passage under the building who's take you to an other street.

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Address: Town center, on the market

Sint Louis

I took this pic in a side street of the main marked. But I did know more about it for now. Perhaps later? I update them. Promise!

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Address: Town center

City view

The first fortifications go up in XIème century. They followed a perimeter including part of the high city in the quadrilateral delimited by the Street Léo Lagrange, the cliff and the public garden of the Madeleine.

In XIIIème century, a broader enclosure corresponding to the three districts of the old city: Downtown area, Chémerault Plate and low city are built with round towers of which there remains a specimen beside the Bastion of the Queen on the Chémerault plate.

After the destruction of the city in 1477 per Louis XI, one built towards 1530-1540 of the bastionnées fortifications being pressed on the medieval rampart. There remains about it the Bastion of the Queen going back to 1538 with underground rooms.

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Address: Around the oldtown

Collegiate Saint-Nicolas Church

The collegial Saint Nicolas's Day In the current of XIIème century is arranged in edge of the initial core of the town of Avesnes a place intended to receive the market, on which gives the Market and later the belfry. It is the current place of the Leclerc General in the characteristic rectangular plan. It is probably following this creation that is dedicated to Saint Nicolas, owner of the merchants, a church on the northern side is place, according to a frequent diagram in the old Netherlands. This building will remain the single parish church of the city, which explains its dimensions.

The first Gothic church will know higherst moment on August 2, 1461 when the king of France Louis XI made celebrate, in the presence of the duke of Burgundy Philippe the Good, Charles the Bold one then designated as the count de Charolais and of the essence of the nobility of France, with Burgundy and the Netherlands, a funeral service in the honor of his father, the king Charles VII, and covered for the first time the royal badges before returning to France and being crowned in Reims. This church was strongly damaged by the troops of the same Louis XI at the time of the catch of the city in June 1477 then the French attempts to seize the fields of Marie of Burgundy. A fire which has occurred in 1514 added new damage. It is in Louise d' Albret that one owes the essence of the rebuilding of the church,
The French revolution caused only few damage at the building itself…
The damage of the second world war made it possible to raise the bell-tower with identical, to reconstitute with pinions of origin. The current gross bell called Charlotte is the faithful copy of that which had been given by Charles-Quint in 1514. On the other hand it y have practically not of interior renovation work.

The unit is classified historic building since 1913.

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JUSTICE

The Law courts of 1828 also have an important peristyle in the form of Greek temple of the enough successful Doric order.

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City view (2)

The Bastions, except the Bastion of the Queen, are widened and of the outer works are established towards 1630 pennies the direction of the Knight of City. From this time goes back the door to Mons (1628) and the Rider of the Bastion of France.
Vauban integrates the place, conquered by France in 1659, in the network of fortified towns of the “Pre Square”. It does not touch with the curtains and bastions (except the Bastion of the Queen which it widens on a side). On the other hand it sets up the modern network of outer works (fear and half-moons) and the system of flood (Bridge of the Ladies).

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Address: Town center

Special building way

Please have a look on the local traditions tips !

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Local dévotion

It is a very old tradition. The inhabitants (farm and people of the ground for the majority) called upon the saints for all kinds of reasons: plague, the lightning, storms , diseases as well for people for the animeaux ones.

What there is the very particular one here, it is that the many small vaults (which one names "potales") are built out of “blue” stones. They are superb and in general are well maintained.

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Address: every where in the lanscape

Local Tradition

We walked in the nature from 10 am to 12 o clock. In Beugnies we found the MaryDy cafe where we stopped for drinking and eating our lunch.

Beugnies is a very little village near Sars Potterie.

Sars Potterie was always known for the glass blowers.

See tip "local traditions" (2)

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Address: Beugnies