Editing Virton (section)

===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.