Valenciennes

	Its history: end of the 4th century: first mention of the town's name in a document, 693: Clovis presides over a court of justice, 1431: Valenciennes becomes part of the House of Burgundy, 1477: Louis XI places the town under siege, 1506: Valenciennes becomes part of the House of Austria, 1677: Louvois seizes Valenciennes, 1678: Valenciennes is annexed to France (Treaty of Nijmegen) 1824: Valenciennes becomes a sub-prefecture, 1893: demolition of the fortifications, 1918: the town is liberated by the English and Canadian, 1940: fire in the town centre, 1944: the Americans liberate Valenciennes, 1949: reconstruction begins, 1990: the renewed town. Access: By car A2 highway (Paris-Brussels), 1 km away A 23 highway (towards Lille) 1 km away National road 49 (towards Maubeuge) 1 km away By air Prouvy aerodrome, 5 km away Lesquin aiarport, 35 km away Brussels airport, 90 km away Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, 150 km away By train TGV high-speed train to (7 daily return journeys) By sea: Port of Dunkirk, 110 km away Seaside resort of Le Touquet, 130 km away

	The Mayor is Jean-Louis BORLOO. He is also a member of parliament. Other key figures in the town's history Athletes: Jo Pestia (kick boxing), Cécile NOWAK (judo), Christophe CHEVAL (athletics), Michel BERNARD (athletics), Jean STABLINSKI (cycling) Artistes : Watteau (artist), Carpeaux (sculptor and artist), but also 20 winners of the Rome Grand Prix (Crauck, Desruelles, Abel de Pujol, etc.), Harpignies (landscape artist), Jonas (artist), Jehan Froissart (chronicler, 14th century), Nungesser (aviator), Wallon (historian and politician, 19th century). Assoiations and clubs: U.S.V.O: Women's basketball team, national division 1, several times European finalist, V.A.F.C: First division football team.

	Not to be missed: The St Cordon Tower: since 1008, several thousand pilgrims tour the town each year to thank the Virgin for saving them from the plague (12th September 99), Les folies de Binbin (The Binbin Follies): carnival organised by Val-en-liesse (4th-5th September 1999), Les montgolfiades (Hot air balloon festival): meeting of some 50 hot air balloons (17th-19th September 1999), The grand open market, or braderie, with 850 stalls (13th September 1999). Specialities: Gastronomic specialities: - "Lucullus" tongue: smoked tongue with layers of foie gras. It is prepared by the company "PLID" or by Mr. Thomann, - The "Carpeaux": a pastry speciality with marzipan, sweet chestnuts and butter cream, dipped in rum. It is created by the pastry chefs of the town within a guild (the pastry chefs of Hainaut: Mr. Lescieux) - The "Germinal": chocolate with coffee and chocory, - Jenlain beer and its sister, lager beer, "Sebourg". Companies and associations : - Les Jardiniers de France (The Gardeners of France) an association uniting 400,000 members (Director: Patrick MASQUELIER). It sells 7 million packets of seeds per year.

	Le Phénix: theatre and congress hall: part of the National Theatre network, The media library: the best in multi-media but also the Jesuit library and the Saint-Eulalie cantilene (the first text ever written in French), The Fine Arts Museum, with - among other exhibits - paintings by Flemish artists and works by Carpeaux, The university and its laboratories (industrial automation, human automation, electronics, mechanics, energy, materials, etc.) and its technology transfer structures such as Valuval, Test centres for rolling stock (catapult, trial circuit, etc.) and certification centre, The Vignoble nautical base and its 54 hectares of open water, offering sailing, rowing, canoe-kayak... and fishing! Close to the only spa centres of the region in St-Amand, plus a casino, A golf course, In the city centre, a cinema complex for the south of the département (Gaumont, 3,6000 seats).

	The University: created 25 years ago, this is now attended by 15,000 students. Classical teaching (law, sciences, arts, languages, etc.) plus the most innovative subjeects (multi-media, scenography, engineering schools, etc.), it offers 130 different qualifications. It is particularly in touch with the economic sector. The ENTE (National School for Equipment Technicians): this trains technical and administrative management staff for the Ministry of Equipment. Supinfocom, the best known of the CCI schools, oriented towards virtual images and from both a technical and artistic point of view. It regularly wins awards at the "Imagina" festival of virtual images.

	Ground transport with the automobile industry (8,000 employees) and the railway industry (6,000 employees), Multi-média with the creation, research into and production of virtual images ("The image factory"). Major companies: Agro-food: - SOUFLET (pulses), - Eaux de St-Amand (water), - FIZZY(confectionery), Automobile: - SEVELNORD ("people-carriers" for PSA, FIAT), - SMAN (gear boxes), - OGURA (air conditioning), - SIENOR (seats), Building - Public Works: - STPV (TP), - OUTINORD (concrete slabs), - PAB (metal lacquering), Chemicals - surface treatments: - PPG (paints), Industrial equipment: - SNFA (bearings), - LERC (composites), Household items: - BERA (household linen), - SIMMONS (beds), Hygiene-health: - Prod'hygia (sanitary pads), - Knoll (pharmacy), Railways: - ANF (rolling stock), - ALSTOM (rolling stock), - Valdunes (axles, wheels), Papers- office: - OAC (adhesives), - Lyreco (office supplies), Services for ocmpanies: - Nétrel (waste), - Prosyst (simulation, automation), -TEAM (maintenance, transfers, etc.) - VALOUTIL (tools), Transport-logistics: - Wallon (automobiles), - Delquignies, Metals: - DELACHAUX(chrome), - FORGEVAL, - VALLOUREC

	Projects in progress: - Urban reclassification (waste land, public spaces, facades, shores of the Escaut, etc.), - The renewed city: Canonniers, Neuf-Bourg, faubourg de Paris districts, - Housing policy (2,000 new or rehabilitated housing units over 5 years), - The Agenda 21, - TOYOTA in Onnaing, - The multi-media (brain centre) complex of the CCI - The A.C.V (cultural and citizens' ring offering the public the cultural wealth of the city and making it possible to implement a genuine "virtual town hall" with all its services. It is, of course, particularly open towards the exterior via the most efficient networks and with a particularly high degree of interactive features). Projects under examination: - The heart of the town (a shopping "hypercentre of 13,000 m2) - The tram, - The opening of blingual classes by the national education system for both primary and secondary schools. Events for the year 2000 : Surprise ...

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Location :

France
Département du Nord
but also the former privince of Hainaut, today Franco-Belge

The Valenciennes motto:
" Valenciennes a bien
mérité de la patrie " (Valenciennes has earned its place)

For more informations

The town's site:
www.acv-valenciennes.fr
www.ville-valenciennes.fr

www.tourisme.fr

Key figures

Valenciennes has a population of 39,000 inhabitants, but will exceed 40,000 in 1999.

The conurbation consists of 82 communes and 330,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest conurbation in the Nord-Pas de Calais département.

The town is the administrative capital of the region and forms part of the CCVE (Community of Communes in the Escaut valley).

Specific characteristics of the town

"Winning the battles of wives"
Valencienne is seeking to become more attractive and to increase its role as a town and centre by developing equipment and services offered to the population and the economic sectors, and by reclassifying its environment.

The Town Hall

Statue of Watteau by Carpeaux