Editing Namur (section)

==History==
{{Further|County of Namur}}

===Early history===
The town began as an important trading settlement in [[Celt]]ic times, straddling east–west and north–south trade routes across the [[Ardennes]]. The [[ancient Rome|Romans]] established a presence after [[Julius Caesar]] defeated the local [[Atuatuci|Aduatuci]] [[tribe]].

Namur came to prominence during the early [[Middle Ages]] when the [[Merovingians]] built a [[Citadel of Namur|castle]] or citadel on the rocky spur overlooking the town at the confluence of the two rivers. In the 10th century, it became a [[county]] in its own right. The town developed somewhat unevenly, as the counts of Namur could only build on the north bank of the Meuse - the south bank was owned by the bishops of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège|Liège]] and developed more slowly into the town of Jambes (now effectively a suburb of Namur). In 1262, Namur fell into the hands of the [[Count of Flanders]], and was purchased by Duke [[Philip the Good]] of [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundy]] in 1421.

===17th–19th centuries===
[[File:Namur, Junction of the Meuse and Sambre.jpg|left|thumb|Namur in 1838]]

After Namur became part of the [[Spanish Netherlands]] in the 1640s, its citadel was considerably strengthened. [[Louis XIV|Louis XIV of France]] invaded in 1692, capturing the town and annexing it to France. His renowned military engineer [[Vauban]] rebuilt the citadel.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/belgium/namur/background/history/a/nar/c4033c91-9e7c-44b7-80f5-8a136eaa95ed/358718|title=History in Namur, Belgium|first=Lonely|last=Planet|access-date=9 November 2018}}</ref> French control was short-lived, as [[William III of England|William III of Orange-Nassau]] [[Siege of Namur (1695)|captured Namur]] only three years later in 1695 during the [[War of the Grand Alliance]]. Under the [[Barrier Treaty]] of 1709, the Dutch gained the right to garrison Namur, although the subsequent [[Peace of Utrecht|Treaty of Utrecht]] of 1713 gave control of the formerly [[Spanish Netherlands]] to the Austrian [[House of Habsburg]]. Thus, although the Austrians ruled the town, the citadel was controlled by the Dutch. It was rebuilt again under their tenure.

General [[Jean-Baptiste Cyrus de Valence]]'s column laid siege to the city on 19 November 1792 during the [[War of the First Coalition]] and, after 12 days, the city surrendered on 1 December and its whole garrison of 3,000 men was taken prisoner. France invaded the region again in 1794, annexing Namur and imposing a repressive regime. After the defeat of [[Napoleon]] in 1815, the [[Congress of Vienna]] incorporated what is now Belgium into the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]]. Belgium broke away from the Netherlands in 1830 following the [[Belgian Revolution]], and Namur continued to be a major garrison town under the new government. The citadel was rebuilt yet again in 1887.

===20th and 21st centuries===
In [[World War I]], Namur was a major target of the [[German invasion of Belgium (1914)|German invasion of Belgium]] in 1914, which sought to use the Meuse valley as a route into France. On August 21, 1914, [[Siege of Namur (1914)|the Germans bombarded the town]] of Namur without warning. Several people were killed. Despite being billed as virtually impregnable, the citadel fell after only three days' fighting<ref name="auto"/> and the town was occupied by the Germans for the rest of the war. Namur fared little better in [[World War II]]; it was in the front lines of both the Battle of the Ardennes in 1940 and the [[Battle of the Bulge]] in 1944. The town suffered heavy damage in both wars.

Namur continued to host the [[Belgian Army]]'s [[paratrooper]]s until their departure in 1977.

After the creation of the [[Wallonia|Walloon Region]], Namur was chosen as the seat of its [[Walloon Government|executive]] and [[Parliament of Wallonia|parliament]]. In 1986, Namur was officially declared capital of Wallonia.<ref>{{cite book|title=Décret instituant Namur capitale de la Région wallonne|date=11 December 1986|publisher=Walloon Regional Council|location=Namur, Belgium|url=http://nautilus.parlement-wallon.be/Archives/1985_1986/PARCHEMIN/6-7-11.pdf|access-date=15 September 2015}}</ref> Its position as regional capital was confirmed by the Parliament of Wallonia in 2010.<ref>{{cite book|title=Décret instituant Namur comme capitale de la Wallonie et siège des institutions politiques régionales|date=21 October 2010|publisher=Walloon Parliament|location=Namur, Belgium|url=http://nautilus.parlement-wallon.be/Archives/2010_2011/PARCHEMIN/219.pdf|access-date=15 September 2015}}</ref>