Valenciennes

Valenciennes is a town and commune in northern France in the Nord département on the Scheldt river. While the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has hence rebounded. As of 1999, the commune has a population of 42 343 while the entire urban area numbers 399 677. This renewed growth is particularly notable for Valenciennes, as well as some suburbs.

Miscellaneous

• Inhabitants are called valenciennois.

Monuments and tourist attractions

Valenciennes was almost completely destroyed during World War II, and has hence been rebuilt in concrete.

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A few surviving monuments are:

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• The façade of the city offices which managed to survive the bombardments of the war.
• Notre-Dame du Saint-Cordon, to which there is an annual pilgrimage.
• La Maison Espagnole, the remains of the Spanish occupation, which ended in 1678.
• The Dodenne Tower, the remaining part of the mediaeval fortifications after Charles V ordered them reduced.

People born in Valenciennes

• Medieval chronicler Jean Froissart
• Queen consort of England Philippa of Hainault
• painter Antoine Watteau
• sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
• drawing artist Charles Eisen
• advertiser Jean Mineur
• actor Jean Lefebvre

Twin towns

• Agrigento (Sicily, Italy)
• Düren (Germany)
• Gliwice (Poland)
• Medway (United Kingdom)
• Moscow (Russia)
• Nacka (Sweden)
• Obuda (Hungary)
• Salgotarjan (Poland)
• Yichang (China)