this blog continues the previous Part 35,
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2019/01/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in.html
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2019/01/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in.html
Saturday, June 30, 2018
“Better
to see something once than hear about it a thousand times”
Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome! If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel
Anonymos
After the picture from the Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech University I turned around and continued on the Grand'Rue. The road continued downhill and I passed a part of an old wall, possible the remains of the old abbey.
Right after it I came onto an open place which was 'decorated' with a War Memorial reminding the citizens and visitors of the fallen heroes. I stopped for a moment to take a picture...
 |
| Gembloux War Memorial |
After this memorial the road became narrow, reminding me of many European
cities of the Middle Ages. The houses were built very close to each others, a
dangerous environment for fires destroying many inner cities.
It
would be so comfortable to walk through the downhill road in the shadows of the
buildings - except for the cobbles. I passed some shop windows and thought
for a Saturday morning the streets were very empty...Until I reached the Place
de l'Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall Square) which hosted the Weekend or Farmer's
market. Local and traveling traders offer their goods ranging from free range
poultry to local hand made delicacies, from shoes to clothing and everything in
between.
As
the name of the place suggest there is the town hall nearby. I took a picture
of the old House of the Bailli (originated in the 12th century) which is
the current town hall. This building made of sandstone and limestone
rubble was rebuilt in the late sixteenth century. partly on two cellars dating
from the twelfth and thirteenth century. It belongs to the town of Gembloux
since 1951.
 |
House of the
Bailli
|
Turning back to the Grand'Rue I just
followed the narrow streets. A blessing for pedestrians the Grand'Rue
naturally forces the drivers not to explore the town by car. And if they do so
they have to slow down significantly. At one point I left right into the flat Rue
Léopold which lead me to the Place de l'Orneau, another open space but its
main purpose was to create parking.
At
the Rue Moulin I stumbled upon a reminder of ramparts as a part of the
defensive city wall. In the Middle Ages Gembloux was on the border of two
rival territories, the Duchy of Brabant, to which the town belonged, and the
County of Namur. In 1152, Frederick of Hohenstaufen, who would become the
Germanic Emperor Barberousse, authorized the small city to be surrounded by
ramparts. These ramparts had a length of approximately 1 km and
included an area of about 7 ha, three of which devolved to the former
Benedictine abbey. From
these ramparts nowadays remain two towers and a section of wall that flanked
the door from above.
 |
One
of the remaining two Rampart of Gembloux
|
At the Rue Moulin I stumbled upon a reminder of ramparts as a part of the defensive city wall. In the Middle Ages Gembloux was on the border of two rival territories, the Duchy of Brabant, to which the town belonged, and the County of Namur. In 1152, Frederick of Hohenstaufen, who would become the Germanic Emperor Barberousse (1122-1190), authorized the small city to be surrounded by ramparts. These ramparts had a length of approximately 1 km and included an area of about 7 ha, three of which devolved to the former Benedictine abbey. From these ramparts nowadays remain two towers and a section of wall that flanked the door from above.
The Rue
du Coquelet led me away from so much history through very narrow streets. It led me e to a roundabout right in from of the Gembloux train station. For convenience I went into the modern building, went upstairs and used the overpass leading me over the tracks. From there I had a nice view of the town. With this last sight and I left the old part of Gembloux.
(to be continued@
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2019/01/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_25.html
(to be continued@
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2019/01/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_25.html
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