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Virton (French pronunciation: [viʁ.tɔ̃] (listen); Gaumais: Viertån; Walloon: Vierton) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium. It is also the administrative centre of the district (arrondissement) of the same name, as well as the principal town of the small region of Belgian Lorraine known as the Gaume, famous for its microclimate.

Virton
Viertån (Gaumais)
Municipality
The town hall
Location of Virton
Virton
Location in Belgium
Location of Virton in Luxembourg province
Coordinates: 49°34.05′N 05°31.95′E
CountryBelgium
CommunityFrench Community
RegionWallonia
ProvinceLuxembourg
ArrondissementVirton
Government
  MayorFrançois Culot (IC-MR)
  Governing party/iesIC-MR, Ecolo+, Ensemble Autrement
Area
  Total94.49 km2 (36.48 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[1]
  Total11,323
  Density120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Postal codes
6760-6762
Area codes063
Website(in French) virton.be

The municipality consists of the following districts: Bleid, Ethe, Latour, Ruette, Saint-Mard, and Virton. Other population centers include: Chenois, Gomery, Grandcourt, and Saint-Remy.


History



Antiquity and Middle Ages


Historical affiliations

County of Chiny 1183–1364
Duchy of Luxembourg 1364–1795, part of:
  Burgundian Netherlands 1443–1482
  Habsburg Netherlands 1482–1556
  Spanish Netherlands 1556–1714
  Austrian Netherlands 1714–1794
French Republic 1795–1804
French Empire 1804–1815
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 1815–1839
 Kingdom of Belgium 1839–present

Several archeological finds indicate that the area was already inhabited before the Romans built villas there and named the town Vertunum. In the early 5th century, the Romans had to flee the Germanic invasions. Their settlement was destroyed and rebuilt by the Franks somewhat north of its original site.

Virton was mentioned for the first time in Pope Lucius III's bull of 1183 as a fiefdom of the House of Chiny. As overlords of Virton, the Counts of Chiny could levy taxes (the tonlieu) on the various goods sold at the local market, which is attested as early as 1270. In 1441, the Duchy of Luxembourg was sold to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. From that date, Virton, like many other Walloon cities, became embroiled in more than two centuries of wars between France, Spain, and the Netherlands, with all the fighting, famine, epidemics (including plague), and economic disasters that ensued. The city fared better under the rule of Maria Theresa of Austria in the 18th century, thanks in part to the development of Lorraine's steel industry.


Modern times


The French Revolution shattered those advances.[citation needed] Virton had to wait until the departure of Napoleon in 1815 to see prosperous times again. Virton enthusiastically participated in the Belgian Revolution and even in the French Revolution of 1848. On August 22, 1914, at the onset of World War I, hundreds of inhabitants were summarily executed by the invading German army, while mass deportations occurred during World War II. Virton is now the centre of commerce and tourism for the Gaume region.

The town became an icon in Israeli sports history after Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated CSKA Moscow 91:79 in a European Basketball Champions' Cup game on 17 February 1977, in the town's sports arena. CSKA hosted the game in Virton due to lack of diplomatic relations between the USSR and Israel at the time. The victory is widely considered as pivotal in Maccabi's history, thus making the town's name widely known among Israeli sports fans.


Climate


Climate data for Virton
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 4.4
(39.9)
6.0
(42.8)
10.0
(50.0)
13.5
(56.3)
18.2
(64.8)
21.0
(69.8)
23.4
(74.1)
23.3
(73.9)
19.1
(66.4)
13.9
(57.0)
7.9
(46.2)
5.3
(41.5)
13.8
(56.9)
Average low °C (°F) −0.8
(30.6)
−1.2
(29.8)
0.9
(33.6)
2.5
(36.5)
6.8
(44.2)
9.9
(49.8)
11.7
(53.1)
11.2
(52.2)
8.2
(46.8)
5.4
(41.7)
1.9
(35.4)
0.3
(32.5)
4.7
(40.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 101.0
(3.98)
78.9
(3.11)
86.7
(3.41)
61.9
(2.44)
78.8
(3.10)
78.1
(3.07)
76.7
(3.02)
63.9
(2.52)
78.2
(3.08)
92.8
(3.65)
95.1
(3.74)
118.8
(4.68)
1,010.9
(39.8)
Average precipitation days 14 11 13 10 12 11 10 9 10 12 13 15 140
Source: World Meteorological Organisation (UN)[2]

Sights


St Lawrence's church
St Lawrence's church

Folklore



Canadian friendship


Virton, Florenville, and many other neighbouring villages were the homes of many Canadian families whose fathers/husbands were stationed nearby at RCAF Station No. 1 (F) Wing, in Marville, France. Prior to moving the base to Lahr, Germany, there were ceremonies in these towns and in Longuyon, France (Permanent Married Quarters), where the Canadians left three small 'thunderbird' totem poles. These totems are still there and were rededicated in September 2005 on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the base.


People born in Virton



Notes


  1. "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. "World Weather Information Service – Virton". United Nations. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  3. www.museesgaumais.be

References





На других языках


[de] Virton

Virton (deutsch Wirten, im lokalen lothringischen Dialekt Viertan) ist eine belgische Kleinstadt in der Region Wallonien mit 11.341 Einwohnern (Stand 1. Januar 2020). Sie liegt in der Provinz Luxemburg und ist die südlichste Stadt Belgiens. Das Gemeindegebiet grenzt unmittelbar an Frankreich und liegt etwa 25 Kilometer westlich des Großherzogtums Luxemburg.
- [en] Virton

[ru] Виртон

Вирто́н — коммуна в Валлонии, расположенная в провинции Люксембург, округ Виртон. Принадлежит Французскому языковому сообществу Бельгии. На площади 94,49 км² проживают 11 165 человек (плотность населения — 118 чел./км²), из которых 48,41 % — мужчины и 51,59 % — женщины. Средний годовой доход на душу населения в 2003 году составлял 11 512 евро.



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