Just shy of the Belgian border in the Nord department, Valenciennes is a city noted for culture and creativity, which gave it the nickname, “Athens of the North”. To use up flax yarn, women began to make the famous During the Enlightenment era, the economic situation of Valenciennes was in decline until the discovery of coal. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently built Stade du Hainaut located within the city. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. The city of Valenciennes is a big french city located north of France. Musee des Beaux-Arts Valenciennes. Valenciennes stood in the path of two World Wars, but restored its monuments and has just revamped its centre with a trendy shopping mall.In a city that has long prided itself on its culture Valenciennes’ fine arts museum is a treat.It opened in 1801, presenting the works of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture and today is loaded with works by French, Flemish and Dutch masters.One that everybody will know is Peter Paul Rubens, and he’s accompanied by a host of familiar names like Bosch, van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens, Sébastien Bourdon and Camille Pissarro.Valenciennes’s biggest contribution to the art world was Antoine Watteau, born here in 1684 and one of the first to paint in the Rococo style.His work, La Vraie Gaieté is on show at the museum.Valenciennes, like a lot of the eastern Nord region, lies above rich coal seams which were first exploited in the 18th century.The industry was waning by the 20th century and almost all sign of it is gone today.But if you’re interested in this chapter of the town’s past there are dozens of sites to visit with hints about what went on here across two centuries.The best of these is Fosse Dutemple, a UNESCO site for its colossal reinforced concrete headframe, which was placed above the shaft just after the First World War.By the Church of Saint-Géry on the Rue de Paris is a refined little garden around a fountain with a dignified statue of Antoine Watteau.Here he is shown with paint brush and palette in hand on a decorative plinth with muses and scrolls.The statue is from the 19th century and was crafted by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, another of Valenciennes’ notable artists.Carpeaux shot to prominence in the 1850s when he received a series of commissions from Napoleon III.
Get inspired and compare offers.Find a great selection of ideas for your holidays! Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.The town flourished under the counts of Hainaut. Find detailed maps for France, Hauts-de-France, Nord, Valenciennes on ViaMichelin, along with road traffic and weather information, the option to book accommodation and view information on MICHELIN restaurants and MICHELIN Green Guide listed tourist sites for - Valenciennes.
It is a subprefecture of the Département du Nord. Categories
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Things to Do in Valenciennes.
Find what to do today, this weekend, or in June. Expats In Valenciennes, France. The #1 Best Value of 28 places to stay in Valenciennes. Numerous works of the painters and sculptors of Valenciennes can be admired at the Fine art museum.Find a great selection of ideas for your holidays! Préface de Jean Nouvel. Login Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The area code for Valenciennes is 59606 (also known as code INSEE), and the Valenciennes zip code is 59300. We have reviews of the best places to see in Valenciennes.
Attractions. Expats In Valenciennes, France.
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This reflects the economic trouble that the Hainaut region has been experiencing in the last decades. Some believe that it stems from one of the three Roman emperors called Valentinian. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
The town could be architecturally interesting; it is a shame that so many buildings are in such a poor state of repair. Free Wifi.
The first pit was dug in Fresnes in 1718 and the discovery of burnable coal in 1734 at the porte d'Anzin led to the formation of the On 6 August 1890, a law downgraded the town's fortified status, and so from 1891 to 1893, its fortifications were demolished. A few surviving monuments are: 1) The façade of the town hall, which managed to survive the bombardments of the war; 2) Notre-Dame du Saint-Cordon, to which there is an annual pilgrimage; 3) La Maison Espagnole, the remains of the Spanish occupation, which ended in 1678. Valenciennes, sub-prefecture of the department of North, capital of the province of Hainaut French, is located in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, 3rd economic region of France. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in August. Valenciennes is located in: France, Hauts-de-France, Nord, Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football.