Editing Virton (section)

==History==

===Antiquity and Middle Ages===
Several archeological finds indicate that the area was already inhabited before the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] built villas there and named the town ''Vertunum''. In the early 5th century, the Romans had to flee the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] invasions. Their settlement was destroyed and rebuilt by the [[Franks]] somewhat north of its original site.

Virton was mentioned for the first time in [[Pope Lucius III]]'s [[papal bull|bull]] of 1183 as a [[fiefdom]] of the House of [[Chiny]]. As overlords of Virton, the Counts of Chiny could levy taxes (the ''[[tonlieu]]'') on the various goods sold at the local market, which is attested as early as 1270. In 1441, the [[Duchy of Luxembourg]] was sold to [[Philip III, Duke of Burgundy|Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy]]. From that date, Virton, like many other [[Wallonia|Walloon]] cities, became embroiled in more than two centuries of wars between [[France]], [[Spain]], and the [[Netherlands]], with all the fighting, famine, epidemics (including plague), and economic disasters that ensued. The city fared better under the rule of [[Maria Theresa of Austria]] in the 18th century, thanks in part to the development of [[Lorraine (région)|Lorraine]]'s steel industry.

===Modern times===
The [[French Revolution]] shattered those advances.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} Virton had to wait until the departure of [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] in 1815 to see prosperous times again. Virton enthusiastically participated in the [[Belgian Revolution]] and even in the [[Revolutions of 1848 in France|French Revolution of 1848]]. On August 22, 1914, at the onset of [[World War I]], hundreds of inhabitants were summarily executed by the invading [[Wehrmacht|German army]], while mass deportations occurred during [[World War II]]. Virton is now the centre of commerce and tourism for the [[Gaume]] region.

The town became an icon in [[Israel]]i sports history after [[Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)|Maccabi Tel Aviv]] defeated [[PBC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] 91:79 in a [[Euroleague Basketball|European Basketball Champions' Cup]] game on 17 February 1977, in the town's sports arena. CSKA hosted the game in Virton due to lack of diplomatic relations between the [[USSR]] and [[Israel]] at the time. The victory is widely considered as pivotal in Maccabi's history, thus making the town's name widely known among Israeli sports fans.