Discovery tour of some renovated buildings in the village of Arquennes link to download the PDF file Password: MDLM (ease of printing)
http://www.fichier-pdf.fr / 2010/12/03/circuit-decouverte-du-village-d-arquennes / Formerly part of the Duchy of Brabant, Hainaut separate county by Samme crossing our common Arquennes today is a quiet town with a long and rich history, it is not ours to detail here. Centuries of exploitation a small deposit of granite said Ecaussinnes or treat brought to our village wealth and a reputation far beyond the boundaries of our lands. They also altered the unique names of places, whether in careers in themselves or developments that it was engaging, as the digging of the canal from Charleroi to Brussels or the establishment of the railway Manage Ottignies to try to maintain the prosperity of the stone industry and also to maintain the economic balance with the basin-Ecaussinnes Soignies. This rich history has also left us some beautiful examples of architecture, it is not always easy to relocate because of the elements listed above, for lack of available documentation or because they have undergone significant changes. We now invite you to a walk-discovery of some of these places.
Trailhead: Tithe Barn to the
This ancient building, consisting of a beautiful Gothic hall was renovated in the late 20th century care by the municipal administration, who now owns.
It was once part a larger set, including the old vicarage and garden. In 1125, the altar Arquennes was ceded by the canon of the abbey of Saint-Feuillien Fosses-La-Ville
Abbey of Saint-Feuillien Roeulx these abbeys belonging to the order Premonstratensian.
In 1279, appears the name of the first priest known: it was Hugh Bornival. Until 1827, the parish will be administered by
Premonstratensian designated by the abbey of Saint Feuillien Roeulx.
This building was purchased by private individuals, we are operating even in the last century, a mechanical workshop
(Georges Hiernaux), and it also served as a warehouse (Fernand Delvaux).
way out, you will notice the staircase on the right, installed during the renovation,
linking the main square Place Albert I and the church.
The entire renovation gives this court a certain cachet
We leave this place by the left to lead the main square.
front of us, we find a small alley which is access to the old farm of Dave, or lordship of Chatel. We also distinguish the pinion rubble of a building called patronage. It is actually built in the style Neo-Gothic, dating from the late 18 th century, built on the site of the former barn of the manor mentioned above, it was free for schools and served as patronage. The building was occupied during WWII by Rexists employees, members of the Walloon Legion, which burned during the German collapse. This building, accessible from the street Chèvremont, has undergone a major renovation in the late 20th century, at the initiative of the municipal administration, and is now a housing complex.
We go to the canal and the swing bridge.
On the right, on the parking along the Samme, once stood the old mill (mill Dubois). It was destroyed in the 1970s. A communal project is currently under study to raise at this point an apartment building.
the other side of the road at the back of the bus stop, the ground today backfilled once saw the Mock Samme flow, which was a small diversion channel mounted on said river and for bring water to the mill.
We arrive at the old swing bridge, a work of art now classified, which was built around 1885 during construction of the second canal Charleroi-Brussels. It is lined with a pedestrian bridge that allowed the passage when the bridge was in service. It was operated by one man using a crank. This man with a crank. It is a testament to the expertise of our companies and the wealth of our region, and is one of the symbols of our town and it would be a shame to see him one day disappear, like the now extinct former railway viaduct that once overlooked the canal which you can still see the basement, when we look towards Feluy.
On the other side of the canal on the left, once ranged from the ancient quarries Arquennes. These holdings of small granite deposit made the fortune of several families in the village and brought some prosperity to it.
For those interested, it is possible to cross the bridge and head to the left along the canal, where a few hundred meters after they discover the farm known as the Lower Court
or farm Lalaing , the name of a family to which she belonged.
It is a building whose main structure dates from the 16th century and would been revised to 18 th. It seems that before the digging of the canal, Samme described a meander around the property.
As for us, we will go down before the bridge on the right, via the lane which runs alongside the canal. We then stepping over the small bridge by Samme, arriving in a small square where several buildings have also undergone a renovation. We borrowed ¬ Teron stairs leading to the church.
The parish church of the Holy Virgin was once dedicated to Saint Boniface. It is an edifice erected in 1500 in Gothic style Hainaut, after the fire which followed the passage of troops of Emperor Maximilian of Austria. It was restored again several times in the late I7th century and I8eme to repair damage from fires caused by various incessant comings and goings of foreign troops, French, English, Dutch ... which then competed throughout Europe, especially on the soil of our present-day Belgium, in endless conflicts. It was the time of Louis XIV and what was later called the Grand Siècle. For our region, it was often ruin and desolation ... And include, for example, the Battle of Seneffe the bombardment of Brussels, Battle of Steenkerque ... A final restoration came in the 1950s. We noticed around the building several tombstones of the families of career teachers.
Bypassing the church on the left, we arrive in the courtyard of the Copen, whose name originates from that of a farm that raised them once with its dependencies, and contains reference back to the acts 2nd half of the 16th century. Several small houses, one of which is occupied by the former village butcher Bardiaux Mr. John and his wife have been here as a beautiful restoration.
We then descend towards the Place Albert 1er, along the former communal house, which dates from 1838 and is a neo-classical. This building should be subject to various adjustments to be made available by the municipal authorities, various associations and utilities.
front of us rises the presbytery, classical building dated from 1760 in front. The door is dominated by a cartouche of arms of the abbey of Saint Premonstratensian Feuillien of Roeulx. A staircase leading to the cellars is topped by a lintel dated 1649. This building was once surrounded by fields operated on behalf of the cure.
On the right, on the corner of the square, we will notice the coffee stage, formerly called coffee fighters
A plaque in stone, installed in front, said that it was here that Philip lived and died Demoulin, last fought in the revolution of 1830. The latter, as he wished, in 1912 received the visit of the young King Albert 1st.
This place was also formerly occupied by several businesses and has recently undergone a major renovation of roads.
We drive through the streets of schools on the left of the cure, to Castle Alcantara. We remark in passing on the pitch, the former boys' school built in 1868 and was dedicated to them in 1875. It was preceded by a dwelling occupied by the director.
We arrive at the castle and Alcantara, named in reference to the family who erected. It is really a country house with a garden high in 1722 by Ferdinand, Count d'Alcantara, husband of Suzanne Bestenraedt, daughter of the lord of the Rocq. An ancestor of this character was governor of the city of Mons.
This building was built on older buildings which bore the name of Mother Supposed Andrew. Some evidence suggests that this could be a building of the first half of the 16th century.
These goods were sold by the heirs of the family of Alcantara in 1789. According to the deed, it appears that the property was important, as it included a country house with garden, courtyard, bakery, delivery teams, courses, all surrounded by walls with a house to spare .. .
Today, a cooler is still visible, carved into the wall opposite to the tower across the street. It also seems that a well existed on the environment of the roadway and that it was closed by gates at the bottom of the street.
On this estate was built in 1875 a school for girls. It was replaced in 1963 by the school complex that we know today, opened at the time by Mr. George Bohy Arquennes and former minister.
The main building was also occupied by schools and management, and served as housing for teachers.
Today it is a municipal building, housing the public library and a center citizen. The sports complex Seneffe was also built on the neighboring site. We then descend to
the area of the fountain, via the lane which runs the sports complex to the right of the facade and that once separated the property of the cure of those Supposed Mother of Andrew.
Arriving at the fountain area, we discover the fountain called the Hoya
which owes its name to the building located on the left, above the chapel of St. Anne, we called the hospital Hoya. This building was cited late 15th century. The present building dates in part to the late I7th and early 18th
We will then on our right to lead us to the place Mathy, named in reference to Mathieu Nopère, brother of the builder of the Alcazar, who had established a farm and had installed his own dunghill outside his house, which also called pit Mathy found over time.
This little place has been a recent major renovation of roads. Several buildings have been transformed and several walls have been sandblasted to give back their original rubble walls in stone. Note also in this square building with a beautiful doorway, dating from the early 19th century and once housed a brewery. This place always housed many shops such as butchers, bakers, grocery store, cobbler, coffee and even movies ...
We reach the main square in the housing group of houses called "The Long House," which was the junction with the building of the Alcázar. Until the 1970s, a saddler had his workshop (Arthur Vandevelde).
Back on the main square, we will not fail to dwell somewhat on the building called the Alcazar. This is the name given to the late 19th century building built in 1664 by Jerome Nopère, heir of an illustrious family of master career in 1400 already cited, himself to mayeur Arquennes and large mayeur member of the Office of Nivelles in 1652.
Subsequently, the building became the property of the mill church and served as party room. In this part, which was also the old barn in the mid-1970s began a terrible fire that destroyed the right side of the building.
rebuilt, the building continued for some time yet to be exploited as a party room and coffee, before being bought by the Commune of Seneffe who endowed it with a modern wing in 1998, to accommodate the communal services of the CPAS Note the double flight staircase, windows cross-stones and many other architectural details, and his right in the doorway arch, that make this building one of the finest of our community.
In addition, several other buildings also located on the main square will also attract our attention. These buildings on the remaining right back to the Alcazar. This row of buildings dating back at least to the 17th century. It noted the stone facades that have been sanded, chamfered retaining bases and witnesses of traditional windows. One of them, preceded by a porch, supported once it seems a sundial and was called "House of the Angel" or "Hostellerie de l'Angel." It was occupied by the bailiffs of Arquennes.
We reach so our starting point.
Information Sources:
Curé D'Awan: The Story of Robert acetabular Arquennes
: Arquennes, Country Stone Glossary Historical Gazetteer
Annals
Robert Gailly: Note on the Château d'Alcantara Jean-Louis Van Belle: L industry in Wallonia
Stone Masters of Careers Arquennes under ancienrégime
Signs Lapidary-new dictionary
A. Sterling: The History of Assault Navigable canal from Charleroi to Brussels Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Wallonia
House Memory Module Seneffe History of our careers.
Website: http://mdmemoireseneffe.blogspot.com
