Saint-Hubert ( Sint-Houbert in Walloon) is a French-speaking city in Belgium located in the Region of Walloon in the province of Luxembourg.

The site, is occupied already by the Gallo-Roman, develops through the first clerics installed by Pepin II, then to the Benedictines and their internal and external schools, pilgrimages from Ardennes, Famenne, the Lothier and Rhineland, but also thanks to the regional market and fairs that accompany the city of nascent until modern times. Enjoying early freedoms, jurisdictions and municipal rights, the city retained its front steps and its jurisdiction until the French Revolutionary occupation. The Cantatorium (written around the year 1100) reports that the first church was built there by saint Materne. The city bears the title of European capital of hunting and nature' since 1991 and is sometimes still referred to as 'Rome in the Ardennes' in reference to the international influence of its Abbey for 11 centuries, its 8 Priories and 2 colleges of canons, its renowned monastic schools and Teresian college, its 130 parishes at the prelate convocation, its religious buildings such as St. Peter's Basilica or the Abbey of Saint-Hubert... its status as sanctuary international, A high place of pilgrimages in the Western Europe since the year 850 about and frankly sovereign politics of the prelates, Roman Catholics convinced, displayed and proselytes, claiming to depend only on Rome and the emperor...

The city and all its sections had 5 652 inhabitants in the year 2014.

St-Hubert is located in the heart of the Ardennes, in the upper Belgium, to the Southeast and about 130 km from Brussels and 65 km from Namur, and 65 km approximately to the Northwest of Arlon. The city still develops in the primitive clearing, crossed by a dozen of international roads or regional significance, the E46 (route that joined the Normandy to the Rhineland), express way blending in Belgium with the N89 and linking Sedan and Charleville (direction Reims) towards the southeast to Vielsalm and Liège (Cologne Branch) towards the Northeast. The N803 connects itself to Rochefort and Ciney, two towns such as St-Hubert equidistant from the N4 and the A4 or E411 linking Brussels to Luxembourg.

There is also the N808 Paliseul and the Semois Valley, as well as the N848 towards Bastogne, Martelange and the Grand Duchy.

The Galata, the town's highest point is also the one of Saint-Hubert plateau, one of the "peaks" (shale-Rhine) massif ardennais. It is located on the East of the city, at the edge of the air base EBSU. It is accessible via the hamlet of Hurtebise (Benedictine monastery), just off the Radar of the Ardennes (Belgocontrol). Saint-Hubert Airport (EBSH) is equidistance from the Charleroi airports (Gosselies), Luxembourg (Findel) and Liège (Bierset), is about 90 km from each, in the center of the triangle formed by these three airports. St-Hubert is also located at the intersection of the two direct routes linking the old regional capitals of Roman Gaul (Belgium I and II and Germania I and II), either Bavay Cologne to Trier and from cologne to Reims.

The town Sections are Arville, Awenne, Hatrival, Mirwart, Saint-Hubert and Vesqueville. The other villages are Lorcy and Poix, hameaux: St. Michael, St. Adeline, Hurtebise, Pont à Lomme and Libin bridge (Fingris / Banalbois). the Sartay, mill, Forges, red pit.

History

Découvertes archéologiques

In the year 2010, archaeological excavations began at Abbey place: the excavations service of the Region of Walloon brought to light the Porterie of the old Abbey, which was well situated, and as it was assumed since the Roman discoveries made since the year 1970 in the grand clearing of Saint. - Hubert of the important vestiges of the Roman villa or castrum, given the thickness of the walls and the finishing of these. The excavation progressed towards Abbatial church, researchers have discovered numerous bones from the medieval cemetery (11th to 13th century) about 30 cm from the pavement of the place: bones of men, women and children, covered only with shroud that hundreds of thousands of people have trampled without knowing it for centuries, but also several primitive dominates buildings and basements for 16th and 17th centuries.

These discoveries represent an historic leap over 400 years in the knowledge of the origins of the city. After the Cantatorium, the castrum ruins, should be the ones that visit the Plectrude, The wife of Pepin II. We know that all the villas and Gallo-Roman buildings on Ambra estate was burnt at the end of the 3rd century, but a lot of grey areas still exist in the historical and archaeological early knowledge. ("Plectrude arrives in a vast clearing, near the ruins of Ambra castle"). With this discovery, these texts became clear: the Roman construction is known as "Ambra" and which is specifically mentioned in the Charter Foundation the cloister Andain ("Andaina") in 687 and was recalled by the "Cantatorium".

Saint-Hubert

Formerly named Andain, in the second appellation, the future city of Saint-Hubert established a religious community, at the end of the 7th century on the initiative of Pepin of Herstal and his wife Plectrude, a community led by Beregise, their chaplain. It is endowed with important possessions in the heart of the royal fisc Ambra. A little more than a century later, to 817, the first community of canons is replaced by a benedictine Abbey, which will be led by Alveus, first Abbot. The first religious probably suffered from their isolation, on an ungrateful land, among a population less familiar with the Christian beliefs but it is the Abbey of Saint-Hubert that will enhance and organize all of evangelization in the Ardennes since the High Middle Ages until modern times. It is the decision of the regional Council  of Aix in 817, with the agreement of the Metropolitan of Cologne and the Emperor Louis himself, on the initiative of Walcaud, the Bishop of Liège, that this change can take place: the canons of St. Peter's in Ardennes (Andain) will take over the Abbey of St. Peter Liège of which will become the oldest collegiate Liège, at two steps from Notre-Dame Cathedral and St-Lambert and the Benedictines of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre Liège founded by saint Hubert himself, are coming to start again the canons college of  St Peter  in Andain. The Council granted them power to take with them (30 September 825) the intact body of the great Holy miracle-worker, their founder. At this occasion, the Abbey, which became the Southern relay of the diocese of Liège, receives already many seigneuries, fiefs, farms, mills, vineyards, forests, rights and pension endowment...presages of what will become the " St. – Hubert countries " in the middle ages and the modern times (in the time where thousands of villages, towns and hamlets of France, Germany or Lotharingia will be concerned to the material plan or religious from far or near, of importance or influence by the "famous monastery", "Lighthouse of the Ardennes"). (see Abbey, land, hubertins sites, and " St. – Hubert Countries ")

Life and the legend of saint Hubert

Hubert of Liège, was attached to the Court of Pepin in Herstal, also the contemporary of Charles Martel who was born around 650. He was appointed the Bishop of Tongeren Maastricht around 705. This bishopric understood in the past the current territory of Liège province, some parts of the provinces of Namur and Luxembourg, part of Eiffel (Bad Aachen, Jülich) as well as the two Limburg (Belgian and Dutch). At first, the Hubert residence was in Maastricht, but around 710, this one was established in liege on martyrdom site of Lambert and two "basilicas" which was already built. It is therefore considered by the Church and the people of Liège as the founder and the principal owner of Liège city. As these regions were still a bit Christianized, he traveled with horse, on foot or by boat within his diocese to meet and perfect the evangelization of the people living in these country, which he did until his death in 727 in Fourons-le-Comte (Professor Thys van Oudenaarde). The Great miracle-worker, many miracles were reported by his contemporaries and realized both during his lifetime than on his tomb in St. Peter's Abbey of Liège,earned him to be "high on the altars" by the Church, Hubert is therefore already canonized on the 3^rd of November 743. On this occasion, his grave was opened in the presence of several bishops, of many Lords and pilgrims, King Carloman himself: they discovered his body and his Episcopal garments were perfectly intact (Bishop Jonas of Orléans, Vita prima) the owner of foresters, loggers and hunters, First and foremost Hubert was the owner of the Ardennes who recognize in him, their saint protector since the 9th century. Since that time, the supplication for protection and the results of a good Hunting, the presages offering of hunting was made quite natural and in a spontaneous way by the local and regional lords, the protection of the day-to-day activities of the craftsmen, the harvest and the presages offering of the whole population of Ardennes pilgrimage to the tomb of the saint confirmed the attachment and the choice of the Ardennes.

The mundane cross was instituted a few decades by the bishopric of Liège and who led the parishes each in their turn by the Dean or the Christianity of Graide, Behogne, Bastogne, Famenne, Ardennes, Houille, Semois, Paliseul, Givet..., banners and processional cross on head, by foot, bullock cart in family and parish, accompanied by their clergy and this, up to the Abbey bringing offerings and donations. They lasted until the end of the old regime..., the monks having been requisitioned their carting by the French occupier and all the processions and pilgrimages being banned, they were able to organized the harvest of cross cheeses thanks to the "vans of the Republic"... Some great pedestrian pilgrimages there still exist...

Since the 15th century, the ((Vita V, written without doubt by Hubert of Prevost for Philippe the Good, a great hunter and the royal blood prince, pretends to be Hubert the son of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, the great province of France, married to Floribane, the daughter of Leuven count (County which doesn’t exist yet but that will be one of the first strongholds of  Burgundians at home and which is at the Duchy origin of Brabant): proclaiming the Hubert descendants of  Liège and by this lineage, to possess the same powers as Hubert ,to know how to cure rabies, protect hunters, horses and bloodhound to hunt, grant respite to patients and bitten people who will not have to go to St-Hubert, also, for him, it is extremely important that Hubert had offspring, including at least a son! His choice falls on St. Floribert, the Hubert's successor to the bishopric. Floribert, already a spiritual son of Hubert, thus became for the narrator, a son according to the flesh and his personal ancestor.

Since this episode, the life and legend of Hubert: today, always reports that Hubert, "attached to the Court of Austrasia, but son of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, married to Floribane, daughter of Leuven count, hunted a Good Friday... He did meet a beautiful deer wearing a bright crucifix in the middle of its Woods." Christ calls him to conversion and to devote his life to evangelization: "how long will this vain passion make you forget the salvation of your soul?" back in Herstal, then in Maastricht, Hubert became a disciple of Lambert and began a pilgrimage to Rome. Encouraged by Pope Sergius I, who learned the assassination of Lambert, chooses and Hubert consecration as the new Bishop of Tongeren-Maastricht. It is on this occasion that he would have received from Saint-Hubert himself the key to protect men and beasts and an Angel would have brought him the Holy stole, venerate and imposed always against all rages, and especially the people bitten by furious animal. These keys tell of saint Hubert, his cornet and the effigies of St. Pierre and Hubert have always been represented in the arms of Abbey. The cornet remains the emblematic memories of the hubertin pilgrimage among all "beatiles" carried by the pilgrims, as the shell remains that of Saint-James pilgrims for Compostela.

Contemporary era

Monopolize from 1795, then partially returned to religious by the (france)French revolutionary for better dispossess on the 7^th of January 1797, that all the monks were permanently expelled, and it was in October the same year as the Abbey, and its numerous sites, buildings, churches and property were sold in piece (up to the crucifix at the crossroads!).Under the French and the Dutch occupation, the neighborhood, the buildings of  Abbey site, and the dependencies that were not sold or even  redeemed to the first buyers by the Republic , firstly received the central administration of the Forestry Department before becoming the headquarters of the sub-prefecture and a judicial district of the Department of Sambre and Meuse, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg under the Dutch domination  and, until 1839 and the separation of the "two Luxembourgs", always accompanied by numerous administrations including the Constabulary...

Its famous library was squandered among the public figure of the regime, people, "enlightened" occupants and vandals of all edges before the balance was conveyed by the Republic of the departmental Archives (currently the Archives of the State) in Namur. 50 years later what remains was cede by the State free of charge to the Archaeological Institute of Namur. Discovered in the attics of it by dom Thierry Rejalot, it was bought by the new Abbey of Maredsous around the year 1925.

"To compensate" the city loss of its status as provincial capital for the benefit of Arlon, but also the loss of its status as the capital judicial districts and administrative, for the benefit of market and Neufchâteau and of course many administrations associated with it, the whole Abbey site welcomes from 1844 to 1956, a penitentiary for children and young people (10 to 21 years old) of the whole country, handled in both languages by the Ghent order of the brothers of mercy;

(whose grave is still in the old Saint. -Giles cemetery), before being administered and kept in both languages always by the contractual employees of the Minister of Justice, after the dismissal of the brothers (an application of the law says" unhappiness"), which bring many Flemish to settle in the "Borq" and to strain: Petermans, Teymans, Uytenhove, Derweduwen, Van Buylaere, backer, Van Slambroek, etc. The penitentiary will be deleted after the trial process in the year 1954 and the construction of the first IPPJ in Wauthier-Braine.

Since the year 1958, the site has been the Province headquarters of the Cultural Affairs, the outdoor and forests lesson of different provincial governments, of which since the 1980s the Department citizen which was dismantled currently by looting, service by service, for Marche and Libramont. Since the year 1961, also, he received a significant deposit of the State archives, whose own non-political archives of the Abbey, the balance been in Brussels, Paris, the Hague, London, Luxembourg, Arlon, Namur...

Resources

Saint-Hubert is an important tourist center in Ardennes. The city enjoys a vast wooded environment shared between the private, municipal, provincial, regional and Royal possessions. The St-Hubert forest, the Northern and southern Freyr forests, the Hazeilles forest, Michael forest, the King Albert forest, the Mirwart domain, etc. are also the contiguous of mixed forests offering a wide variety of landscapes and an exceptional biological quality on thousands of hectares of 10 major forest Commons: "The great Saint-Hubert forest ".

The practice of tourism cohabits with hunting, logging, of agronomic studies and major civil engineering companies. The city is also an important place for prison Center, an administrative center of the State, a network of secondary education and aeronautical training, a craft area and a commercial area, practical center of Nordic skiing, numerous hotels, cottages, group vacation center, housing and camp land for youth movements, several Stud and Equestrian centers.

 Heritage

The main tourist attractions of Saint-Hubert are outside the saint Pierre Abbey (see Basilica)

• The Abbey district was rebuilt in its present appearance from 1727 to 1729 by the prelate Célestin of Jongh but the West Wing (Chancellery of the Abbey and of the "country of St. - Hubert") still contains many elements of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Northeast wing is completely of the 17th century (1639 by dom Nicolas of Fanson) for the refectory of monks the cloister, the kitchens, the archives, the library, the bastion ... As for the central wing, it has features the reception rooms, music lounge and housing for "guests who count" for the Abbey and the country, therefore choose...

• St. Giles Church, whose construction dates back to the beginning of the 11th century (some already sees at the X ° s), was initially dedicated to St. Denis, the patron saint of France Kingdom. Change of tenure holder in 1064, following the acquisition by St. Thierry of Leernes of relics of St. Gilles from Gard, Abbot, which makes it the oldest parish church dedicated to saint Gilles in Belgium.Choir, its windows and its Gothic vault, the redevelopment of the nave, the columns, the saint Crépin chapel (patron of shoemakers, leather currier, saddler...) and the opening of the Tower date from the middle of the 16th century, (likely 1567) by the prelate, dom Remacle of Waha, known as "Marche", just at the end of the reconstruction work of the Abbey Church, which he completed and before the bag of it. The main Bell, the oldest in the city, maybe dated from 1575, was offered with two sisters, stolen also, by dom Jean VII known as "Balla" that reinstalls a partial carillon in the Abbey Church at the same time. The altars are from the end of the 17th century (1675 for the altar of the Virgin, saint Hubert and saint Eloi and 1685 for the main altar dedicated to saint Gilles, both offered by the prelate, dom Cyprien Mareschal, primary city parish priest), as for the third, dedicated to saint barbe, patron of the "scailteux" and the miner, we don't know yet the date of construction, it bears the characteristics of the 17th century and seems a bit older. The antependium dedicated to saint Hubert must likely come as high altar, both of very high quality, of the works of the great master from Liège, Arnold of Hontoire and his students, present in Saint-Hubert on a very regularly basis for the last 25 years of his life. The porch and the 'new' windows are put under the abbatiat of dom Jong Celestine, in 1734 as presbytery, the year before the great general fire of the city.

• 7 kilometres north of the city, Saint-Michel, along Masblette, we find in 1771the  Fourneau of Masblette  dom Dominique Nicolas Spirlet, in a hamlet-museum dedicated to the beginnings of the industry of the iron and steel industry in Wallonia as well as an open air museum collecting different types of houses and old buildings from the various regions of Walloon "Museum of rural in Wallonia" ("Walloon Bokrijk").

• The Mirwart castle is remarkable. The old feudal Castle, whose first citations dating back to 940, housed internally (since taking possession of the Castle by the Abbey who received him in homage of the prince-Bishop of Liège), Prieuré Saint-Michel, either from the 11th century until the middle of the 16th century. The current Castle was rebuilt in a classical style in the early 1700s by the new owners (of Smaeckers), knight’s industry. The field and the Castle redeemed to the family of von der Blocke (Antwerp) in 1951 by the province of Luxembourg, have seen suffered many avatars and spoliation...

• The Gate Park, was rebuilt with the rampart of the Abbey of 1659 to 1662 by Abbot dom Benedict Laurenty of Lessive, represent with the bastion of dom Nicolas V of Fanson, the small remnant of the abbatial defences still standing. The first fortifications were built in the year 940 by Abbot Frédéric: one kilometre of walls approximately, 9 towers and at least 4 doors...

• The Monastery "N-D d'Hurtebise", whose initial buildings and property were given to the Benedictine nuns by the family of the Vallée-Poussin, is a haven of peace and prayer at the edge of the forest, the nuns organize retreats and Bible sessions as well as the manufacturing host for Catholic parishes. It was built from 1938 to the location of one of the three bouveries that the Abbey had in the area and managed as a direct asset. The monks there also raised "red beasts", but especially the famous "roux of the Ardennes" who enjoyed the Royal princesses and the Court of Versailles, sheep sent by carriages through the French Priories of the Abbey (correspondence of dom Nicolas-Dominique Spirlet)

• The Bouverie of Chermont, who enjoys a splendid panorama,was  built by Nicolas V of Fanson around the year 1645 at the location of ruins and land in the hamlet of Chermont, whose owners all died during the great plague and which nobody wanted (neither the land nor the hovels!), included after the redemption to the heirs, an area of one hundred hectares where the Abbey raised important cattle ("red beasts"). It was seized by the Republic and sold with the abbatiaux property in 1797, transformed in the 19th century in an agricultural farm and livestock by the successive owners to accommodate numerous servants, the chartil, livestock, the harvests of an important operation. Redeveloped a few years ago, in the residence by the Saverys family, it was formed with the farms of Bure and Hurtebise, (like Hatrival, Seviscourt, Tavier, Terwagne,, and many others...), the "3 bouveries", Abbey neighbors, managed in direct valor by the Oblates, convers, and the domestic.

• The "Converserie", currently located in the town of Tenneville, still contains the old buildings. The first "hospice" was built in the year 1152 by the Abbey on the land donated by the count Henri of the rock and held by the convers, hence his name. It was intended to accommodate pilgrims and sick people at the tomb of saint Hubert and crossing the great forest at the risk of getting lost by time of mist and fog, darkness, attack of the wolves, in the dirt, snow, etc. At night and in bad weather, a bell rang at regular intervals to guide the astray...the land is Operated by the monks and cleared on the forest, the Moor and the fagne is always a clearing around the "hospital" buildings and the old agricultural renovated buildings by the County's Center for hunting the "princes of Rethy" before being purchased and exploited as a seminary by the baron Coppée Center as soon as the King Baudoin renounced the Royal Freyr and saint Hubert hunting. They were recently transferred to a Dutch hospital association to make it a medical center...

• The Saint-Roch chapel, was built in the 1682, by dom Cyprien Mareschal, ex-votos offered to saint Roch of Montpellier for protection during the great plague of 1636, where half of the population of the city and one-third of the monks died and pray to him to continue to protect the borquins against any return of the epidemic. They were committed with their prelate for an annual pedestrian pilgrimage, in procession on August 16, the day of his feast. Built in raw materials, stones of shale and sandstone, lime binding and red sand, semicircular and Gothic chevet, limed as Ardennes special home that undergoes the weather, small bell tower and the external statue of Virgin in niche. The holy statue is safe at a neighbor place: but what is the right formula?

• The old hospital Saint Eloi (see also below), sold by the revolutionaries to an individual, was built for King Léopold I who called him "my little foot on the ground" and who occupied each fall for nearly twenty years. The St. Michael forests, Warinsart and Freyr are closer to Saint-Hubert forest whose hunting had been offered to him by the city during the "joyous entry" in 1843. They were also the only forests in Belgium that contains big game including deer in the middle of the 19th century... but also of the wolves which it is claimed that he killed the last one !

• The city has a dozen buildings and monuments listed as Walloon heritage.

Transport

Air

Main article: Saint-Hubert aerodrome.

The civil aerodrome of Saint-Hubert (EBSH or Saint-Hubert Airport) was created in the early 1930s

From the beginning, an aviation school and workshops to build airplanes were installed under the authority of the captain Orta. Facilities were transferred to its main financial shareholder, the Belgian State in 1946 and managed by the Airway control room until the Belgium federalization. The Aeroclub of the Ardennes has been operating since 1958 and the National Flight Gliding Center since 1960.There is also there is an operational weather station since 1925. which was for a long time the most important in Belgium and which is currently completely automated. Aerodrome, owned by the city since its creation, is currently managed together by Sowaer (Walloon airports company) and a cooperative of pilots and users.Gliding is the main activity of airfield in Saint-Hubert, ADEPS internships, discovered flights, introduction and development on helicopters, tourism aircraft , ULM, hot-air-balloons, tourism aviation  are also practiced by several private companies located on the site... Hotel-restaurant-cafeteria, many sheds, maintenance and repair workshops, control tower, weather station, Ardennes radar , academies aviation, meeting rooms and companies offices, management and maintenance services, fuel suppling, housing...: it is just the customs offices that is not there, air police and boarding platforms!

The aerodrome military of Saint-Hubert (EBSU or Saint-Hubert Air Base), owned and managed by the Ministry of defence, was built from 1950 to 1959, as part of NATO reserve bases. He was assigned before the end of its construction to the Royal Canadian Air force and, for a dozen years before being handed over to the Brasschaat light aviation school (Voltac) which managed it until the reform of the Belgian army after 1990, the city was the godmother of the 16th squadron of aviation light based in Butzweilerhof RFA. In bad shape, he is held regularly for maneuvers and exercises by the para commandos, Ardennes hunters, whose City is the current sponsor of the Regiment, various NATO bodies... The track concrete of 2 700 m x 45 m and its installations (taxiway,ops block, hangars, kerosine depots, etc.) are maintained in operating condition.

Rail

The first railway station in poix (lez) Saint-Hubert, on the Grand Luxembourg line, and the new road to connect this station to the city were inaugurated in 1859. Until 1956 and the electrification of the line, all direct or "express" trains were stopping in this important station, which will be linked as early as 1888 by vicinal railways to St-Hubert. The city has experienced the oldest track metric of Wallonia from 1888 until 1960. It was also connected earlier by vicinal to Libin, Paliseul, Bouillon, Sedan, Nouzonville (Ardennes Department) then Rook, Walter, Libramont, Bastogne... There was also in poix the only transshipment SNCV-SNCB for the center and the North of the province with Melreux station. Hatrival station and the stopping point of Mirwart, in Saint-Hubert town , on the same line 162 (Namur-Sterpenich), have been removed as early as 1983.

 Festivities and folklore

• Each fall, the last weekend of September brings together butchers, pork butchers, mangons, and masqueliers from Belgium and the Northern France to honor their patron saint.

• Pilgrimages to the tomb of St Hubert remain alive, although less numerous than in the past, and take place at fixed dates.

• The Borqtour, rock and electro music festival, takes place in August.

• Every summer, as part of Wallonia Festival, the musical July of Saint-Hubert organizes concerts in the city, in the Center and the Northern cities of the province and in the neighboring villages.

•  Each spring, in May, were held Belgium Championships (or Benelux) gliding

•  Since 2015, in the early July, the international trompe of hunting have again resumed.Every summer, at the beginning of July, stands the we of Rose.

• Every summer, the first weekend of September, international days of hunting and nature takes places.

source : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Hubert_(Belgique)