Saison ( French , "season," French pronunciation: [sɛzɔ̃] ) is a pale-colored ale that is highly carbonated, dry , fruity, spicy, and often bottle conditioned . It was historically brewed with low alcohol levels, but modern productions of the style have moderate to high levels of alcohol. Along with several other varieties, it is generally classified as a farmhouse ale .
116-473: 'Bière de saison' is first mentioned in the early 19th century. It was most widely known as a beer from the industrial city of Liège , where it was brewed by professional breweries as a keepable version of the city's spelt beer that had been produced for a few centuries. It was made with malted spelt , unmalted wheat and only a small amount of barley malt. It was typically brewed in winter and drunk after four to six months. While Liège's saison disappeared after
232-531: A langue d'oïl , the Sequence of Saint Eulalia , has characteristics of these three languages and was likely written in or very near to what is now Wallonia around 880 AD . From the 4th to the 7th century, the Franks established several settlements, probably mostly in the north of the province where the romanization was less advanced and some Germanic trace was still present. The language border (that now splits Belgium in
348-478: A martyr for his faith. To enshrine St. Lambert's relics , his successor, Hubertus (later to become St. Hubert), built a basilica near the bishop's residence which became the true nucleus of the city. A few centuries later, the city became the capital of a prince-bishopric , which lasted from 985 till 1794. The first prince-bishop , Notger , transformed the city into a major intellectual and ecclesiastical centre, which maintained its cultural importance during
464-486: A 'farmhouse ale': in older sources it is never indicated as such and though there has been a limited tradition in Belgium of brewing on farms or brewing for farm workers, it seems to have been conflated with saison only from the 1980s onwards. Modern saisons are not exclusively brewed seasonally anymore. Generally they are highly carbonated, fruity and spicy — sometimes from the addition of spices. The type of malt determines
580-400: A bus stop. There were six fatalities, including the attacker (who shot himself), and 123 people were injured. On 29 May 2018, two female police officers and one civilian—a 22-year-old man—were shot dead by a gunman near a café on Boulevard d'Avroy in central Liège. The attacker then began firing at the officers in an attempt to escape, injuring a number of them "around their legs", before he
696-731: A democratic spirit in Liège that survived the Middle Ages. At the end of the Liège Wars , a rebellion took place against rule from Burgundy . In 1468 Duke Charles the Bold of Burgundy, witnessed by King Louis XI of France , captured and largely destroyed the city after a bitter siege which was ended with a successful surprise attack. The rebellion figures prominently in the plot of Sir Walter Scott 's 1823 novel Quentin Durward . The Prince-Bishopric of Liège
812-576: A formal split of the university in two and the creation of a brand new campus in Wallonia, a wider series of State reforms was passed in Belgium , which resulted in the federalisation of the nation and the creation of the Walloon Region and the French Community (comprising both Wallonia and Brussels), administrative entities each of which would gain various levels of considerable autonomy. Wallonia
928-520: A frequent target of armies and insurgencies over the centuries. It was fortified early on with a castle on the steep hill that overlooks the city's western side. During this medieval period, three women from the Liège region made significant contributions to Christian spirituality: Elizabeth Spaakbeek, Christina the Astonishing , and Marie of Oignies . In 1345, the citizens of Liège rebelled against Prince-Bishop Engelbert III de la Marck , their ruler at
1044-496: A hard-headed but resourceful Walloon boy who lived during Charlemagne 's times. Tchantchès is remembered with a statue, a museum, and a number of puppets found all over the city. Liège hosts one of the oldest and biggest Christmas Markets in Belgium, and the oldest kermesse , the Foire de Liège held each year from 28 October. The city is well known for its very crowded folk festivals. The 15 August festival ("Le 15 août") may be
1160-770: A major philanthropist and gave its name to the Solvay Institute of Sociology , the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management and the International Solvay Institutes for Physics and Chemistry which are now part of the Université libre de Bruxelles . In 1911, he started a series of conferences, the Solvay Conferences on Physics and Chemistry, which have had a deep impact on the evolution of quantum physics and chemistry. Georges Lemaître of
1276-544: A part of the southern coast of the late London-Brabant Massif . The valley, along with Haine and Vesdre valleys form the sillon industriel , the historical centre of the Belgian coalmining and steelmaking industry, and is also called the Walloon industrial backbone. Due to their long industrial historic record, several segments of the valley have received specific names: Borinage , around Mons , le Centre , around La Louvière ,
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#17328485231071392-422: A rampage and severely damaged the central railway station Guillemins. The unrest was so intense that "army troops had to wade through caltrops , trees, concrete blocks, car and crane wrecks to advance. Streets were dug up. Liège saw the worst fighting on 6 January 1961. In all, 75 people were injured during seven hours of street battles." On 6 December 1985, the city's courthouse was heavily damaged and one person
1508-539: Is Elio Di Rupo . Following several state reforms , especially the 1993 state reform, Belgium became a federal state made up of three communities and three regions, with Wallonia being represented by the Walloon Region and its two language communities. The directly elected Walloon Parliament was created in June 1995, replacing the Conseil régional wallon (Regional Council of Wallonia). The first Council had sat on 15 October 1980 and
1624-434: Is landlocked , with an area of 16,901 km (6,526 sq mi), or 55 percent of the total area of Belgium. The Sambre and Meuse valley , from Liège (70 m (230 ft)) to Charleroi (120 m (390 ft)) is an entrenched river in a fault line which separates Middle Belgium (elevation 100–200 m (330–660 ft)) and High Belgium (200–700 m (660–2,300 ft)). This fault line corresponds to
1740-560: Is a city and municipality of Wallonia , and the capital of the province of Liège , Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse , in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the Netherlands ( Maastricht is about 33 km (20.5 mi) to the north) and with Germany ( Aachen is about 53 km (32.9 mi) north-east). In Liège, the Meuse meets the river Ourthe . The city
1856-401: Is a large Italian community, and Italian can be heard in many places. The city has a number of football teams, most notably Standard Liège , who have won several championships and which was previously owned by Roland Duchâtelet , and R.F.C. de Liège , one of the oldest football clubs in Belgium. It is also known for being the club who refused to release Jean-Marc Bosman , a case which led to
1972-516: Is a relatively flat and agriculturally fertile area. The south and southeast of Wallonia is made up of the Ardennes , an expanse of forested highland that is less densely populated. There is a German-speaking minority in eastern Wallonia, resulting from the annexation of three cantons previously part of the German Empire at the conclusion of World War I . This community represents less than 1% of
2088-548: Is almost entirely composed of members of Wallonia's and Brussels' parliaments, so the bodies are governed by the same individuals. Additionally, the French Community of Belgium has controversially begun referring to itself exclusively as the 'Wallonia-Brussels Federation' to emphasize the links between the French Community, Wallonia and Brussels. The Walloon Region has a unicameral parliament with 75 members elected for five years by direct universal suffrage , and an executive,
2204-576: Is also home to the small German-speaking Community of Belgium in the east, which has its own government and parliament for culture-related issues. Although in Flanders , the Flemish Region assigned all of its powers to the Flemish Community , the Walloon Region remains in principle distinct from and independent from the French Community, and vice versa. Despite this, the French Community's parliament
2320-582: Is also official. The German-speaking Community of Belgium accounts for about 2% of the region's population. Belgian French , which is also spoken in the Brussels-Capital Region , is similar to that spoken in France, with slight differences in pronunciation and some vocabulary differences, notably the use of the words septante (70) and nonante (90), as opposed to soixante-dix and quatre-vingt-dix in France. There are noticeable Walloon accents, with
2436-449: Is currently an effort to revive Walloon dialects; some schools offer language courses in Walloon, and Walloon is also spoken in some radio programmes, but this effort remains very limited. Literature is written principally in French but also in Walloon and other regional languages, colloquially called Walloon literature. Walloon literature (regional language not French) has been printed since
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#17328485231072552-415: Is divided into five provinces , 20 arrondissements and 262 cities or municipalities . The province of Walloon Brabant is the most recent one, being formed in 1995 after the splitting of the province of Brabant . The largest cities in Wallonia are: The 10 largest groups of foreign residents in 2018 are: Contributions to the development of science and technology have appeared since the beginning of
2668-503: Is going down and now is a mere shadow of its former self, the manufacture of steel goods remain important. The economy of the region is now diversified; the most important centres are: Mechanical industries ( Aircraft engine and Spacecraft propulsion ), space technology, information technology , biotechnology and the production of water , beer or chocolate . Liège has an important group of headquarters dedicated to high-technology, such as Techspace Aero , which manufactures pieces for
2784-417: Is high on the political agenda, and the government is encouraging development of industries, notably in cutting-edge technology and in business parks. The economy is improving, but Wallonia is not yet at the level of Flanders and is still suffering from difficulties. The current Walloon economy is relatively diversified, although certain areas (especially around Charleroi and Liège) are still suffering from
2900-810: Is of Germanic origin and is reconstructible as * liudik- , from the Germanic word * liudiz "people", which is found in for example Dutch lui(den) , lieden , Polish "ludzie", Czech "lidé", German Leute , Old English lēod (English lede ), Icelandic lýður ("people"), Latvian ļaudis ("people"), Lithuanian liaudis ("people"). It is found in Ukrainian as liudy ("people"), in Russian as russian: люди, romanised: liudi ("people"), in Latin as Leodicum or Leodium , in Middle Dutch as ludic or ludeke . Until 17 September 1946,
3016-582: Is owned by the Walloon government along with some private investors. The Port of Liège , located on the river Meuse , is the 3rd largest river port in Europe. Liège also has direct links to Antwerp through the Albert Canal and to Rotterdam via the river Meuse. It stretches over a distance of 26 kilometres and comprises 32 port areas and covers 3.7 square kilometres. Liège is served by many direct rail links with
3132-419: Is part of the sillon industriel , the former industrial backbone of Wallonia. It still is the principal economic and cultural centre of the region. The municipality consists of the following sub-municipalities : Angleur , Bressoux , Chênée , Glain , Grivegnée , Jupille-sur-Meuse , Liège proper, Rocourt , and Wandre . In November 2012, Liège had 198,280 inhabitants. The metropolitan area , including
3248-477: Is predominantly of Christian heritage. In 2016, 68% of residents of Wallonia declared themselves to be Roman Catholic (21% were practising Catholics and 47% were non-practising), 3% were Muslim , 3% were Protestant Christian, 1% were of other religions and 25% were non-religious. Religion in Wallonia (2016) French is the official language of Wallonia and by far the most used; in the East Cantons , German
3364-540: Is the Place du Marché. The "Batte" market is where most locals visit on Sundays. The outdoor market goes along the river Meuse and also attracts many visitors to Liège. The market typically runs from early morning to 2 o'clock in the afternoon every Sunday year long. Produce, clothing, and snack vendors are the main concentration of the market. Liège is home to the Opéra Royal de Wallonie (English: Royal Opera of Wallonia ) and
3480-462: The Airbus A380 or the rocket Ariane 5 . Other stand-out sectors include Amós which manufactures optical components for telescopes and Drytec , which produces compressed air dryers. Liège also has many other electronic companies such as SAP , EVS , Gillam , AnB , Balteau , IP Trade . Other prominent businesses are the global leader in light armament FN Herstal , the beer company Jupiler ,
3596-478: The Bosman ruling . In spring, Liège hosts the start and finish of the annual Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycling race , one of the spring classics and the oldest of the five monuments of cycling . The race starts in the centre of Liège, before heading south to Bastogne and returning north to finish in the industrial suburb of Ans . Traveling through the hilly Ardennes , it is one of the longest and most arduous races of
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3712-472: The First World War , it continued to be brewed, generally as a barley-only beer, by professional breweries in the province of Hainaut , who sold it as a 'cuvée réservée' luxury beer, which was 'to be served at room temperature like a good wine' and 'to be poured with care'. In the late 1980s, American importer Don Feinberg was urged by beer writer Michael Jackson to import Brasserie Dupont 's saison to
3828-798: The Gaume ) is more reflective of the physical geography. The larger region, the Ardennes, is a thickly forested plateau with caves and small gorges. It is host to much of Belgium's wildlife but little agricultural capacity. This area extends westward into France and eastward to the Eifel in Germany via the High Fens plateau, on which the Signal de Botrange forms the highest point in Belgium at 694 metres (2,277 ft). The Walloon region covers 16,901 km (6,526 sq mi) and
3944-464: The General strike against Leopold III of Belgium and "seized control over the city of Liège". The strike ultimately led to Leopold's abdication. Liège began to suffer from a relative decline of its industry, particularly the coal industry, and later the steel industry, producing high levels of unemployment and stoking social tension. During the 1960–1961 Winter General Strike , disgruntled workers went on
4060-660: The Government of Wallonia , elected by a political majority in Parliament. The Government has nine members with the president. Each member is called a Walloon minister . The head of the Government is called the Minister-President of Wallonia . The coalition government for the 2014–2019 legislature was a centre-left coalition PS - cdH until July 28 when it was replaced by a centre-left coalition MR-cdH. The current Minister-President
4176-678: The Hainaut Province , the Gaume (district of Virton ) with the Lorrain language and a Champenois zone. There are also regional Germanic languages, such as the Luxembourgish language in Arelerland (Land of Arlon ). The regional languages of Wallonia are more important than in France, and they have been officially recognized by the government. With the development of education in French, however, these dialects have been in continual decline. There
4292-630: The Kingdom of the Netherlands under King William of Orange . The Walloons played an active part in the Belgian Revolution in 1830. The Provisional Government of Belgium proclaimed Belgium's independence and held elections for the National Congress . In the 19th century, the area began to industrialize, and Wallonia was the first fully industrialized area in continental Europe . This brought
4408-602: The Middle Ages . Pope Clement VI recruited several musicians from Liège to perform in the Papal court at Avignon , thereby sanctioning the practice of polyphony in the religious realm. The city was renowned for its many churches, the oldest of which, St Martin's, dates from 682. Although nominally part of the Holy Roman Empire , in practice it possessed a large degree of independence. The strategic position of Liège has made it
4524-506: The N-VA . The first appearance of the French word Wallonie as a reference to the romance world as opposed to Germany is said to date from 1842. Two years later, it was first used to refer to the Romance part of the young country of Belgium. In 1886, the writer and Walloon militant Albert Mockel , first used the word with a political meaning of cultural and regional affirmation, in opposition with
4640-636: The Pays noir , around Charleroi and the Basse-Sambre, near Namur . To the north of the Sambre and Meuse valley lies the Central Belgian plateau, which is characterized by intensive agriculture . The Walloon part of this plateau is traditionally divided into several regions: Walloon Brabant around Nivelles , Western Hainaut (French: Wallonie picarde , around Tournai ), and Hesbaye around Waremme . South of
4756-623: The Russian Far East and the fellow Francophone province of Quebec . Summers are also moderated by the maritime air, with average temperatures being similar to areas as far north as in Scandinavia . Being inland though, Liège has a relatively low winter seasonal lag . On 1 January 2013, the municipality of Liège had a total population of 197,013. The metropolitan area has about 750,000 inhabitants. Its inhabitants are predominantly French -speaking, with German and Dutch-speaking minorities. Akin to
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4872-617: The Thirty Years' War , the city was besieged by Imperial forces under Johann von Werth from April to July. The army, mainly consisting of mercenaries, extensively and viciously plundered the surrounding bishopric during the siege. The Duke of Marlborough captured the city from the Bavarian prince-bishop and his French allies in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession . In the middle of
4988-453: The Treaty of Verdun gave the territory of present-day Wallonia to Middle Francia , which would shortly fragment, with the region passing to Lotharingia . On Lotharingia's breakup in 959, the present-day territory of Belgium became part of Lower Lotharingia , which then fragmented into rival principalities and duchies by 1190. Literary Latin , which was taught in schools, lost its hegemony during
5104-530: The United Kingdom of the Netherlands . Dutch rule lasted only until 1830, when the Belgian Revolution led to the establishment of an independent, Catholic and neutral Belgium which incorporated Liège. After this, Liège developed rapidly into a major industrial city which became one of continental Europe's first large-scale steel making centres. The Walloon Jacquerie of 1886 saw a large-scale working class revolt. No less than 6,000 regular troops were called into
5220-559: The Université catholique de Louvain is credited with proposing the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe in 1927. Three Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine were awarded to Walloons: Jules Bordet ( Université libre de Bruxelles ) in 1919, Albert Claude (ULB) together with Christian De Duve (UCLouvain) in 1974. In the present day, Bureau Greisch has acquired an international reputation as consulting engineer and architect in
5336-499: The Virgin Mary . It is one of the biggest folkloric displays in the city, with a religious procession, a flea market, dances, concerts, and a series of popular games. Nowadays these celebrations start a few days earlier and last until the 16th. Some citizens open their doors to party goers, and serve "peket", the traditional local alcohol. This tradition is linked to the important folkloric character Tchantchès ( Walloon for François ),
5452-572: The Walloon Region (French: Région wallonne ; Walloon: Redjon walone ), is one of the three regions of Belgium —along with Flanders and Brussels . Covering the southern portion of the country, Wallonia is primarily French-speaking . It accounts for 55% of Belgium's territory, but only a third of its population. The Walloon Region and the French Community of Belgium , which is the political entity responsible for matters related mainly to culture and education, are independent concepts, because
5568-538: The Walloon jacquerie of 1886 , the Belgian general strikes of 1893 , 1902, 1913 (for universal suffrage ), 1932 (depicted in Misère au Borinage ), and 1936. After World War II , major strikes included the general strike against Leopold III of Belgium (1950), and the 1960-1961 Winter General Strike for autonomy for Wallonia. The profitability of the heavy industries to which Wallonia owed its prosperity started declining in
5684-496: The " Walha " by their Germanic neighbours. The "Walha" abandoned their Celtic dialects and started to speak Vulgar Latin . The Merovingian Franks gradually gained control of the region during the 5th century, under Clovis . Due to the fragmentation of the former Roman Empire , Vulgar Latin regionally developed along different lines and evolved into several langue d'oïl dialects, which in Wallonia became Picard , Walloon and Lorrain . The oldest surviving text written in
5800-581: The 12th and 13th centuries, the iron masters of Liège developed a method of refining iron ore by the use of a blast furnace, called the Walloon Method . There were also a few coal mines around Charleroi and the Borinage during this period, but their output was small, and was principally consumed as fuel by various industries such as the important glassmaking industry that sprang up in the Charleroi basin during
5916-657: The 13th century and was replaced by Old French . In the 15th century, the Dukes of Burgundy took over the Low Countries . The death of Charles the Bold in 1477 raised the issue of succession, and the Liégeois took advantage of this to regain some of their autonomy. From the 16th to the 18th century, the Low Countries were governed successively by the Habsburg dynasty of Spain (from
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#17328485231076032-478: The 14th century. In the 19th century, the area began to industrialize, mainly along the so-called sillon industriel . It was the first fully industrialized area in continental Europe , and Wallonia was the second industrial power in the world, in proportion to its population and its territory, after the United Kingdom. The sole industrial centre in Belgium outside the collieries and blast furnaces of Wallonia
6148-448: The 16th century. But it did have its golden age, paradoxically, during the peak of the Flemish immigration to Wallonia in the 19th century: "That period saw an efflorescence of Walloon literature, plays and poems primarily, and the founding of many theaters and periodicals." The New York Public Library possesses a surprisingly large collection of literary works in Walloon, quite possibly
6264-402: The 20th century, Wallonia was the more prosperous half of Belgium. Since World War II , the importance of heavy industry has greatly diminished, and the Flemish Region has exceeded Wallonia in wealth as Wallonia has declined economically. Wallonia now suffers from high unemployment and has a significantly lower GDP per capita than Flanders. The economic inequalities and linguistic divide between
6380-439: The Bavarian royal house of Wittelsbach , with second sons of the Bavarian monarch ruling as prince-bishop. Beginning with the ascension of Ernest of Bavaria in 1581, Bavarian princes ruled over Cologne , Münster , and other bishoprics in the northwest of the Holy Roman Empire in addition to Liège. Ferdinand of Bavaria (bishop) ruled from 1612 to 1650, and Maximilian Henry of Bavaria ruled from 1650 to 1688. In 1636, during
6496-458: The Belgian population. It forms the German-speaking Community of Belgium , which has its own government and parliament for culture-related issues. Wallonia borders Flanders and the Netherlands (the province of Limburg ) in the north, France ( Grand Est and Hauts-de-France ) to the south and west, and Germany ( North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate ) and Luxembourg ( Capellen , Clervaux , Esch-sur-Alzette , Redange and Wiltz ) to
6612-401: The French Community of Belgium encompasses both Wallonia and the bilingual Brussels -Capital Region but not the German-speaking Community of Belgium . During the Industrial Revolution , Wallonia was second only to the United Kingdom in industrialization, capitalizing on its extensive deposits of coal and iron. This brought the region wealth, and from the beginning of the 19th to the middle of
6728-403: The Germans until the end of the war. Liège received the Légion d'Honneur for its resistance in 1914. As part of Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg 's Septemberprogramm , Berlin planned to annexe Liege under the name Lüttich to the German Empire in any post-war peace agreement. The Germans returned in 1940 , this time taking the forts in only three days. Most Jews were saved, with
6844-520: The Meuse valley and the Ardennes en route to France. The German invasion of Belgium on 5 August 1914 soon reached Liège, which was defended by 30,000 troops under General Gérard Leman in the Battle of Liège . The forts initially held off General Alexander von Kluck 's German First Army of about 100,000 men but were pulverised into submission by a five-day bombardment by heavy artillery, including thirty-two 21 cm mortars and two German 42 cm Big Bertha howitzers . Due to faulty planning of
6960-476: The Netherlands, making Liège the first city that has hosted stages of all three cycling Grand Tours. Liège is also home to boxer Ermano Fegatilli , the current European Boxing Union Super Featherweight champion. Liège is the most important city of the Walloon region from an economic perspective. In the past, Liège was one of the most important industrial centres in Europe, particularly in steel -making. Starting in 1817, John Cockerill extensively developed
7076-472: The Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL) (English: Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ). The city annually hosts a significant electro-rock festival Les Ardentes and jazz festival Jazz à Liège . Liège has active alternative cinemas, Le Churchill, Le Parc and Le Sauvenière. There are also two mainstream cinemas, the Kinepolis multiplexes. Liège also has a particular Walloon dialect, sometimes said to be one of Belgium's most distinctive. There
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#17328485231077192-624: The STA1 gene in these strains causes them to produce glucoamylase enzymes, facilitating this extra attenuation. Cross-contamination of diastatic strains has been known to cause beer spoilage in breweries. In some cases, the resulting unexpected over-fermentation has caused over-carbonated bottles and cans, necessitating recalls. Li%C3%A8ge Liège ( / l i ˈ ɛ ʒ , l i ˈ eɪ ʒ / lee- EZH , lee- AYZH ; French: [ljɛʒ] ; Walloon : Lîdje [liːtʃ] ; Dutch : Luik [lœyk] ; German : Lüttich [ˈlʏtɪç] )
7308-557: The US tend to copy the yeast used by the Dupont Brewery , which ferments better at warmer temperatures like 29 to 35 °C (84 to 95 °F) than the standard 18 to 24 °C (64 to 75 °F) fermenting temperature used by other Belgian ales. Saisons are a particularly dry style of beer, due to the highly attenuating strain of saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast typically used to ferment them. These strains, referred to as "diastatic strains," can break down more sugars that are normally unfermentable by conventional strains. The activation of
7424-423: The United States. It was Feinberg who re-styled saison as a 'farmhouse ale': 'People asked: is it a wheat beer? Is it a lambic? I told them it was a hoppy farmhouse ale.' Saison's reputation was further cemented by Phil Markowski's 2004 book Farmhouse ales and has since become a popular beer style worldwide. It was however only these developments in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s that cemented saison's reputation as
7540-419: The University; for a few days before the event, students (wearing very dirty lab-coats) beg for money, mostly for drinking. Liège is renowned for its nightlife. Within the pedestrian zone behind the Opera House, there is a square city block known locally as Le Carré (the Square) with many lively pubs which are reputed to remain open until the last customer leaves (typically around 6 am). Another active area
7656-399: The accent from Liège and its surroundings being perhaps the most striking. Other regions of Wallonia also have characteristic accents, often linked to the regional language. Walloons traditionally also speak regional Romance languages, all from the Langues d'oïl group. Wallonia includes almost all of the area where Walloon is spoken, a Picard zone corresponding to the major part of
7772-401: The best known. The population gathers in a quarter named Outre-Meuse with plenty of tiny pedestrian streets and old yards. Many people come to see the procession but also to drink alcohol (mostly peket ) and beer, eat cooked pears, boûkètes or sausages or simply enjoy the atmosphere until the early hours. The Saint Nicholas festival around 6 December is organized by and for the students of
7888-418: The chocolate company Galler , and the water and soda companies Spa and Chaudfontaine . A science park south east of the city, near the University of Liège campus, houses spin-offs and high technology businesses. In 1812 there were three coal pits ( Bure ) in close proximity just outside the city gates: Bure Triquenotte, Bure de Beaujone and Bure Mamonster. The first two shafts were joined underground, but
8004-406: The city to quell the unrest, while strike spread through the whole sillon industriel . Liège's fortifications were redesigned by Henri Alexis Brialmont in the 1880s and a chain of twelve forts was constructed around the city to provide defence in depth . This presented a major obstacle to the Imperial German Army in 1914, whose Schlieffen Plan relied on being able to quickly pass through
8120-454: The city's name was written Liége , with the acute accent instead of a grave accent . In French, Liège is associated with the epithet la cité ardente ("the fervent city"). This term, which emerged around 1905, originally referred to the city's history of rebellions against Burgundian rule, but was appropriated to refer to its economic dynamism during the Industrial Revolution . Although settlements already existed in Roman times,
8236-453: The color of the saison, and although most saisons are of a cloudy golden color as result of the grist being mostly pale or pilsner malt, the use of darker malts results in some saisons being reddish-amber. Some recipes also use wheat . Spices such as orange zest, coriander , and ginger may be used. Some spice character may come through due to the production of phenols during fermentation at warm temperatures. Modern examples brewed in
8352-509: The country's history. The baptismal font of Renier de Huy is not the only example of medieval Walloon technical expertise: the words "houille" (coal) or "houilleur" (coal miner) or "grisou" (damp) were coined in Wallonia and are Walloon in origin. The economically important very deep coal mining in the course of the First Industrial Revolution has required highly reputed specialized studies for mining engineers . But that
8468-690: The course of the 1794 campaigns of the French Revolution , the French Revolutionary Army took the city and imposed strongly anticlerical regime, destroying St. Lambert's Cathedral . The overthrow of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège was confirmed in 1801 by the Concordat co-signed by Napoléon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII . France lost the city in 1815 when the Congress of Vienna awarded it to
8584-764: The early 16th century until 1713–14) and later by Austria (until 1794). This territory was enlarged in 1521–22 when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor gained the Tournai region from France. Present-day Belgium was conquered in 1795 by the French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars . It was annexed to the Republic, which later became the Napoleonic Empire . After the Battle of Waterloo , Wallonia became part of
8700-488: The east. Wallonia has been a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie since 1980. The term "Wallonia" can mean slightly different things in different contexts. One of the three federal regions of Belgium is still constitutionally defined as the "Walloon Region" as opposed to "Wallonia", but the latter has been adopted by the regional government and is in common use. Prior to 2010, when
8816-607: The eighteenth century the ideas of the French Encyclopédistes began to gain popularity in the region. Bishop François-Charles de Velbrück (1772–84), encouraged their propagation, thus prepared the way for the Liège Revolution which started in the episcopal city on 18 August 1789 and led to the creation of the Republic of Liège before it was invaded by counter-revolutionary forces of the Habsburg monarchy in 1791. In
8932-648: The fields of structures, civil engineering and buildings, including the Millau Viaduct in France. Wallonia is rich in iron and coal, and these resources and related industries have played an important role in its history. In ancient times, the Sambre and Meuse valley was an important industrial area in the Roman Empire . In the Middle Ages , Wallonia became a center for brass working and bronze working, with Huy , Dinant and Chimay being important regional centers. In
9048-414: The first half of the 20th century, and the centre of industrial activity shifted north to Flanders. The loss of prosperity caused social unrest, and Wallonia sought greater autonomy in order to address its economic problems. In the wake of the 1960-1961 Winter General Strike , the process of state reform in Belgium got underway. This reform started partly with the linguistic laws of 1962–63 , which defined
9164-481: The first references to Liège are from 558, when it was known as Vicus Leudicus. Around 705, Saint Lambert of Maastricht is credited with completing the Christianization of the region, indicating that up to the early 8th century the religious practices of antiquity had survived in some form. Christian conversion may still not have been quite universal, since Lambert was murdered in Liège and thereafter regarded as
9280-542: The first time in Verviers , commemorating the participation of Walloons during the Belgian Revolution of 1830. It is held annually on the third Sunday of September. The Assembly also chose a motto for Wallonia, "Walloon Forever" ( Walloon : Walon todi ), and a cry, "Liberty" (French: Liberté ). In 1998, the Walloon Parliament made all these symbols official except the motto and the cry. The population of Wallonia
9396-711: The four language areas within the constitution . But the strikes of 1960 which took place in Wallonia more than in Flanders are not principally linked with the four language areas nor with the Communities but with the Regions. In 1968, the conflict between the communities burst out. French speakers in Flanders (who were not necessarily Walloons) were driven out of, most notably the Leuven-based Catholic University amid shouts of " Walen buiten !" ("Walloons out!"). After
9512-675: The help of the sympathetic population, as many Jewish children and refugees were hidden in the numerous monasteries. Liege was liberated by the British Second Army in September 1944. After the war ended, the Royal Question came to the fore, since many saw King Leopold III as collaborating with the Germans during the war. In July 1950, André Renard , leader of the Liègian FGTB launched
9628-400: The iron and steel industry. The industrial complex of Seraing was the largest in the world. It once boasted numerous blast furnaces and mills. Liège has also been an important centre for gunsmithing since the Middle Ages and the arms industry is still strong today, with the headquarters of FN Herstal and CMI Defence being located in Liège. Although from 1960 on the secondary sector
9744-456: The larger Gallia Belgica province which originally stretched from southwestern Germany to Normandy and the southern part of the Netherlands. The population of this territory was Celtic with a Germanic influence which was stronger in the north than in the south of the province. Gallia Belgica became progressively romanized . The ancestors of the Walloons became Gallo-Romans and were called
9860-424: The largest outside Belgium, and its holding are representative of the output. Out of nearly a thousand, twenty-six were published before 1880. Thereafter the numbers rise gradually year by year, reaching a peak of sixty-nine in 1903, and then they fall again, down to eleven in 1913. See 'Switching Languages', p. 153. Yves Quairiaux counted 4800 plays for 1860–1914, published or not. In this period plays were almost
9976-458: The last one was a separate colliery. The shafts were 120 fathoms (720 ft; 220 m) deep. Water was led to a sump ( serrement ) from which it could be pumped to the surface. At 11:00 on 28 February 1812 the sump in the Beaujone mine failed and flooded the entire colliery. Of the 127 men down the mine at the time 35 escaped by the main shaft, but 74 were trapped. [These numbers are taken from
10092-581: The middle) began to crystallize between 700 under the reign of the Merovingians and Carolingians and around 1000 after the Ottonian Renaissance . French-speaking cities, with Liège as the largest one, appeared along the Meuse , while Gallo-Roman cities such as Tongeren , Maastricht and Aachen became Germanized. The Carolingian dynasty dethroned the Merovingians in the 8th century. In 843,
10208-399: The only popular show in Wallonia. But this theater remains popular in the present-day Wallonia: Theater is still flourishing, with over 200 non-professional companies playing in the cities and villages of Wallonia for an audience of over 200,000 each year. There are links between French literature and (the very small) Walloon literature. For instance Raymond Queneau set Editions Gallimard
10324-456: The opening up of borders within the European Union , surging steel prices, and improved administration. Several new shopping centres have been built, and numerous repairs carried out. On 13 December 2011, there was a grenade and gun attack at Place Saint-Lambert . An attacker, later identified as Nordine Amrani, aged 33, armed with grenades and an assault rifle, attacked people waiting at
10440-474: The other side of the border; they are often called frontaliers . The Ardennes area south of the Meuse is a popular tourist destination for its nature and outdoor sports, in addition to its cultural heritage, with places such as Bastogne , Dinant , Durbuy , and the famous hot springs of Spa . The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 105.7 billion € in 2018, accounting for 23% of Belgian economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power
10556-499: The outer commuter zone, covers an area of 1,879 km (725 sq mi) and had a total population of 749,110 on 1 January 2008. This includes a total of 52 municipalities, among others, Herstal and Seraing . Liège ranks as the third most populous urban area in Belgium, after Brussels and Antwerp , and the fourth municipality after Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi . The city is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion . The name
10672-463: The protection of the underground defence tunnels beneath the main citadel, one direct artillery hit caused a huge explosion, which eventually led to the surrender of the Belgian forces. The Belgian resistance was shorter than had been intended, but the twelve days of delay caused by the siege nonetheless contributed to the eventual failure of the German invasion of France. The city was subsequently occupied by
10788-458: The publication of a Walloon Poets' anthology. Ubu roi was translated in Walloon by André Blavier , a Verviers pataphysician , for the new and important Puppets theater of Liège of Jacques Ancion, the Al Botroûle theater "at the umbilical cord" in Walloon indicating a desire to return to the source (according to Joan Cross). But Jacques Ancion wanted to develop a regular adult audience. From
10904-550: The region great economic prosperity, which was not mirrored in poorer Flanders and the result was a large amount of Flemish immigration to Wallonia . Belgium was divided into two divergent communities. On the one hand, the very Catholic Flemish society was characterized by an economy centred on agriculture; on the other hand, Wallonia was the centre of the continental European Industrial Revolution , where classical liberal and socialist movements were rapidly emerging. Major strikes and general strikes took place in Wallonia, including
11020-409: The renaming came into effect, Wallonia could sometimes refer to the territory governed by the Walloon Region, whereas Walloon Region referred specifically to the government. In practice, the difference between the two terms is small and what is meant is usually clear, based on context. Wallonia is a cognate of terms such as Wales , Cornwall and Wallachia . The Germanic word Walha , meaning
11136-522: The report, the 18 miner discrepancy is unexplained.] The trapped men attempted to dig a passageway into Mamonster. After 23 feet (7.0 m) there was a firedamp explosion and they realised that they had penetrated some old workings belonging to an abandoned mine, Martin Wery. The overseer, Monsieur Goffin, led the men to the point in Martin Wery which he judged closest to Mamonster and they commence to dig. By
11252-577: The rest of Belgium, the population of minorities has grown significantly since the 1990s. The city has become the home to large numbers of Algerian, Moroccan, Turkish, and Vietnamese immigrants. Liège also houses a significant Afro-Belgian community. The city is a major educational hub in Belgium. There are 42,000 pupils attending more than 24 schools. The University of Liège , founded in 1817, has 20,000 students. The "Le Quinze Août" celebration takes place annually on 15 August in Outremeuse and celebrates
11368-480: The rest of Western Europe. Its three principal stations are Liège-Guillemins railway station , Liège-Carré, and Liège-Saint-Lambert. The InterCity Express and Thalys call at Liège-Guillemins, providing direct connections to Cologne and Frankfurt and Paris-Nord respectively. Wallonia Wallonia ( / w ɒ ˈ l oʊ n i ə / wol- OH -nee-ə ; French : Wallonie [walɔni] ; Walloon : Waloneye or Walonreye ), officially
11484-563: The risk of a firedamp explosion. By 7pm that evening an opening was made, 511 feet (156 m) of tunnel had been dug by hand in five days. All of the 74 miners in Goffin's part survived and were brought to the surface. Liège is served by Liège Airport , located in Bierset, a few kilometres west of the city. It is the principal axis for the delivery of freight and in 2011 was the world's 33rd busiest cargo airport. Passenger services are very few. It
11600-502: The season. Liège is the only city that has hosted stages of all three cycling Grand Tours . It staged the start of the 1973 and 2006 Giro d'Italia ; as well as the Grand Départ of the 2004 , 2012 , and 2017 Tour de France making it the first city outside France to host the Grand Départ twice or more times. In 2009 , the Vuelta a España visited Liège after four stages in
11716-423: The second day they had run out of candles and dug the remainder of a 36 feet (11 m) gallery in darkness. On the surface the only possible rescue was held to be via Mamonster. A heading was driven towards Beaujone with all possible speed, including blasting. The trapped miners heard the rescuers and vice versa. Five days after the accident communication was possible and the rescuers worked in darkness to avoid
11832-462: The signing of treaties, and in many domains, even the Belgian federal government is not able to sign an international treaty without the agreement of the Parliament of Wallonia. Wallonia is also home to about 80 per cent of the population of the French Community of Belgium , a political level responsible for matters related mainly to culture and education, with the remainder living in Brussels . Wallonia
11948-481: The sillon industriel, the land is more rugged and is characterized by more extensive farming . It is traditionally divided into the regions of Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse, Condroz , Fagne - Famenne , the Ardennes and Land of Herve , as well as the Belgian Lorraine around Arlon and Virton . Dividing it into Condroz , Famenne , Calestienne , Ardennes (including Thiérache ), and Belgian Lorraine (which includes
12064-408: The steel industry crisis, with an unemployment rate of up to 30 percent. Nonetheless, Wallonia has some companies which are world leaders in their specialized fields, including armaments , glass production, lime and limestone production, cyclotrons and aviation parts. The south of Wallonia, bordering Luxembourg , benefits from its neighbour's economic prosperity, with many Belgians working on
12180-667: The strangers , referred to Gallic or Celtic people. Wallonia is named after the Walloons , a group of locals who natively speak Romance languages . In Middle Dutch (and French), the term Walloons included both historical secular Walloon principalities, as well as the French-speaking population of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège or the whole population of the Romanic sprachraum within the medieval Low Countries . Julius Caesar conquered Gaul in 57 BC. The Low Countries became part of
12296-423: The time, and defeated him in battle near the city. Shortly after, a unique political system formed in Liège, whereby the city's 32 guilds shared sole political control of the municipal government. Each person on the register of each guild was eligible to participate, and each guild's voice was equal, making it the most democratic system that the Low Countries had ever known. The system spread to Utrecht , and left
12412-514: The two are major sources of political conflicts in Belgium and a major factor in Flemish separatism . The capital of Wallonia is Namur , and the most populous city is Charleroi . Most of Wallonia's major cities and two-thirds of its population lie along the east–west aligned Sambre and Meuse valley , the former industrial backbone of Belgium. To the north of this valley, Wallonia lies on the Central Belgian Plateau, which, like Flanders,
12528-574: The word Flanders used by the Flemish Movement . The word had previously appeared in German and Latin as early as the 17th century. The rising of a Walloon identity led the Walloon Movement to choose different symbols representing Wallonia. The main symbol is the "bold rooster" (French: coq hardi ), also named "Walloon rooster" (French: coq wallon , Walloon : cok walon ), which is widely used, particularly on arms and flags. The rooster
12644-614: Was already the case before the Industrial Revolution, with an engineer as Rennequin Sualem for instance. Engineer Zenobe Gramme invented the Gramme dynamo , the first generator to produce power on a commercial scale for industry. Chemist Ernest Solvay gave his name to the Solvay process for production of soda ash , an important chemical for many industrial uses. Ernest Solvay also acted as
12760-478: Was chosen as an emblem by the Walloon Assembly on 20 April 1913, and designed by Pierre Paulus on 3 July 1913. The Flag of Wallonia features the red rooster on a yellow background. An anthem, Le Chant des Wallons ( The Walloons' Song ), written by Theophile Bovy in 1900 and composed by Louis Hillier in 1901, was also adopted. On September 21, 1913, the "national" feast day of Wallonia took place for
12876-662: Was composed of members of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the Belgian Senate elected in Wallonia. Wallonia is considered to be left-wing politically, in contrast to Flanders, which is more right-wing. The region has been described as one of the few places in Europe without a significant right-wing populism presence. In Wallonia, there is a cordon sanitaire in the media, where far-right politicians are banned from interviews and live appearances. The ban has also affected more mainstream right-wing parties such as
12992-744: Was killed in a bomb attack by a lawyer . Liège is also known as a traditionally socialist city. In 1991, powerful Socialist André Cools , a former Deputy Prime Minister, was gunned down in front of his girlfriend's apartment. Many suspected that the assassination was related to a corruption scandal which swept the Socialist Party , and the Belgian Federal Government in general, after Cools' death. Two men were sentenced to twenty years in jail in 2004, for involvement in Cools' murder. Liège has shown some signs of economic recovery in recent years with
13108-547: Was shot dead. Belgian broadcaster RTBF said the gunman was temporarily released from prison on 28 May where he had been serving time on drug offences. The incident is currently being treated as terrorism. In spite of its inland position Liège has a maritime climate influenced by the mildening sea winds originating from the Gulf Stream , travelling over Belgium's interior. As a result, Liège has very mild winters for its latitude and inland position, especially compared to areas in
13224-579: Was technically part of the Holy Roman Empire which, after 1477, came under the rule of the Habsburgs . The reign of prince-bishop Érard de La Marck (1506–1538) coincides with the dawn of the Renaissance . During the Counter-Reformation , the diocese of Liège was split and progressively lost its role as a regional power. By the 17th century, the bishopric of Liège became a virtual Secundogeniture of
13340-468: Was the historic cloth making town of Ghent . The two World Wars curbed the continuous expansion that Wallonia had enjoyed up till that time. Towards the end of the 1950s, things began to change dramatically. The factories of Wallonia were by then antiquated, the coal was running out and the cost of extracting coal was constantly rising. It was the end of an era, and Wallonia has been making efforts to redefine itself. The restoration of economical development
13456-526: Was €25,700 or 85% of the EU27 average in the same year. Belgium is a federal state made up of three communities and three regions, each with considerable autonomy. One of these is the Walloon Region, which is governed by the Parliament of Wallonia and the executive Government of Wallonia . The Walloon Region's autonomy extends even to foreign policy; Wallonia is entitled to pursue its own foreign policy, including
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