Waremme

Waremme (Dutch: Borgworm) is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Liège, in Belgium. The city is located on the River Geer (Dutch: Jeker), in the loessic Hesbaye region. The economy is based on the cultivation of cereals and sugar beet, and on the food industry.

The municipality of Waremme includes the following villages: Bettincourt (Dutch: Bettenhoven), Bleret, Bovenistier,Grand-Axhe, Lantermange, and Oleye (Dutch: Liek).

Demographics

On January 1st, 2016 it had 14, 905 inhabitants, (7, 078 men and 7, 827 women, covering an area of 31.04 km² giving a population density of 480, 19 inhabitant per km².

Geography

The city is situated in Geer in the lœssique region, Hesbaye. The main economy of the region is agriculture (grain and sugar beet) and the development of the food industry.

The wildlife sanctuary was created, its area is near 17 ha and the outside and internal seawalls are more than 3 kilometres in length. It is a quiet and comparatively isolated site.

Herbaceous vegetation is constituted of rudérales, messicoles and absorbent.

The ancient basins draw attention by their ornithological interest. They constitute, in Hesbaye, a humid islet favourable for the concentration of birds and various biotopes. Every year, in collaboration with the Royal Institute of Natural sciences of Belgium, the members of Reservation undertake research. The research takes note of migratory movements and takes an inventory of the birds which pass in transit by Waremme.

History

Several findings were unearthed near Waremme containing remnants of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements. The main Roman road linking Bavai to Cologne passed right through the territory. Tumuli and Roman villas were found nearby. Romans have also left a horse burial.

The medieval hamlet of Woromia was cited for the first time in 965. On February 5, 1078, Woromia was ceded to the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, together with its castle, five mills, and six breweries.

By 1215, with its 815 inhabitants, it had grown to town size. Its frontier position near the Duchy of Brabant, however, attracted several raids from the duke, causing it to be burnt to the ground and rebuilt at least a couple of times. In the 14th century, the town built a market place and a hospital, slowly becoming an important regional center, where coins were issued and important meetings held.

During his conquest of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, Charles the Bold burnt the city once more in 1468. In the 16th century, the town became one of the 21 bonnes villes (main cities) of the prince-bishopric. In 1748, a quarter of the city was again destroyed by fire, this time accidentally. In 1792, the French Revolutionary troops entered the city and closed the convents. Three years later, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège was dissolved and the city became French.

The 19th century was prosperous, thanks to the advent of the railways linking Mechelen to Ans, and the construction of two sugar refineries and several schools. World War I did not bring any destruction to the city, except for that of the old surrounding walls. World War II, however, was a lot worse as half of the city was destroyed by air raids, only days before Liberation Day. The city then counted about 5,000 inhabitants.

Attractions

• The City Hall dates from 1900.
• The town’s main church dates from 1881 and houses 14th-century baptismal fonts.
• A nature reserve can also be found on the territory of Waremme.

The castle of Longchamps: is one of the rare important residences, of the First Empire (1810) which exists in Belgium, at a time when in the ancient Country of Liège, the lavish style of buildings and décor utilized what is described as ‘Louis XVI’ style.

The late baron Maurice de Sélys-Longchamps, a big art collector, had furnished this castle in harmony with the epoch of his building. The rectangular main building imposes its horizontal lines. A vast park kept in this residence gives evidence of its past greatness. Longchamps was built for Michel-Laurent of Sélys (1759-1837) who was president of the new local administration of Liège in 1795, the year of the meeting of the principality of Liège in France, and mayor in 1800, under the Consulate. Michel Laurent de Sélys Longchamps had married Mary Denise Gandolphe, born in Paris on March 19th, 1777 and died in the castle of Longchamps under the Second Empire, on October 28th, 1857.

Today: The Chateau is a gourmet restaurant, catering for wedding parties and large groups set in beautiful gardens.

Culture

Since 2001, Waremme is a Cultural centre acknowledged by the French Community of Belgium federates associations.

The Academy of Music and the Arts of Word: An Academy forms more than 1 000 pupils in music, Arts of Word and Dance.

The Waremmien Instrumental Group: was created in 1906 by Joseph Wauters Armand Thoen (also founder of the Music academy of Waremme), it became an orchestra with wind and percussion (or orchestra of harmony) and shows (' Music in the Cinema ', ' Paris in madness ', ' Concert of Stars) and enlivens, at request, waremmiennes festivities. Today, the group is composed of 33 musicians and directed, since December 2013 by Niranjan Wijewickrema, Doctor in Musicology.

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waremme