Editing Virton

{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Virton
|native_name      = ''Viertån'' (Gaumais)
|type             = city
|picture          = Virton JPG02.jpg
|picture-legend   = The town hall
|map              = Virton Luxembourg Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Virton in Luxembourg province
|arms             = Blason de Virton.svg
|flag             = Flag of Virton.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-WAL}}
|community        = {{BE-FR}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-LX}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Virton|Virton]]
|nis              = 85045
|pyramid-date=
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date  =
|mayor            = François Culot (IC-MR)
|majority         = IC-[[Reformist Movement|MR]], [[Ecolo]]+, Ensemble Autrement
|postal-codes     = 6760-6762
|telephone-area   = 063
|web              = {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.virton.be virton.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|49|34.05|N|05|31.95|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Virton''' ({{IPA|fr|viʁ.tɔ̃|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-Manestra-Virton.wav}}; [[Lorrain language|Gaumais]]: ''Viertån''; {{langx|wa|Vierton}}) is a [[City status in Belgium|city]] and [[Municipalities in Belgium|municipality]] of [[Wallonia]] located in the [[Luxembourg (Belgium)|province of Luxembourg]], [[Belgium]]. It is also the administrative centre of the [[Arrondissement of Virton|district (''arrondissement'') of the same name]], as well as the principal town of the small region of [[Belgian Lorraine]] known as the [[Gaume]], famous for its [[microclimate]].

The municipality consists of the following [[deelgemeente|districts]]: [[Bleid]], [[Ethe, Wallonia|Ethe]], [[Latour, Wallonia|Latour]], [[Ruette]], [[Saint-Mard, Belgium|Saint-Mard]], and Virton. Other population centers include: Chenois, Gomery, Grandcourt, and Saint-Remy.

==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.

==Climate==
{{Weather box
|location = Virton
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan high C = 4.4
|Feb high C = 6.0
|Mar high C = 10.0
|Apr high C = 13.5
|May high C = 18.2
|Jun high C = 21.0
|Jul high C = 23.4
|Aug high C = 23.3
|Sep high C = 19.1
|Oct high C = 13.9
|Nov high C = 7.9
|Dec high C = 5.3
|Jan low C = -0.8
|Feb low C = -1.2
|Mar low C = 0.9
|Apr low C = 2.5
|May low C = 6.8
|Jun low C = 9.9
|Jul low C = 11.7
|Aug low C = 11.2
|Sep low C = 8.2
|Oct low C = 5.4
|Nov low C = 1.9
|Dec low C = 0.3
|Jan precipitation mm = 101.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 78.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 86.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 61.9
|May precipitation mm = 78.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 78.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 76.7
|Aug precipitation mm = 63.9
|Sep precipitation mm = 78.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 92.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 95.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 118.8
|Jan precipitation days = 14
|Feb precipitation days = 11
|Mar precipitation days = 13
|Apr precipitation days = 10
|May precipitation days = 12
|Jun precipitation days = 11
|Jul precipitation days = 10
|Aug precipitation days = 9
|Sep precipitation days = 10
|Oct precipitation days = 12
|Nov precipitation days = 13
|Dec precipitation days = 15
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organisation]] (UN)<ref name= WMO >{{cite web
  | url = http://www.worldweather.org/053/c00947.htm
  | title = World Weather Information Service – Virton
  | publisher = United Nations 
  | access-date = 19 January 2011}}</ref>
}}

==Sights==
[[Image:Virton JPG01.jpg|thumb|St Lawrence's church]]
{{See also|List of protected heritage sites in Virton}}
*The small hilly streets and colourful houses.
*The church of St Lawrence, built between 1825 and 1830 with a classical [[façade]].
*Remnants of the medieval defensive wall.
*Les Musées gaumais<ref>[http://www.museesgaumais.be www.museesgaumais.be]</ref>

==Folklore==
*The city's mascot is ''D'Jean d'Mady'', a typical, joyful, and resourceful [[Gaume]] inhabitant who was allegedly born in one of the neighbouring villages in 1585.
*Since 1935, Virton has owned two traditional giants who take part in the local festivities.

==Canadian friendship==
Virton, [[Florenville]], and many other neighbouring villages were the homes of many [[Canadians|Canadian]] families whose fathers/husbands were stationed nearby at [[RCAF]] Station No. 1 (F) Wing, in [[Marville, Meuse|Marville]], [[France]]. Prior to moving the base to [[Lahr]], [[Germany]], there were ceremonies in these towns and in [[Longuyon]], [[France]] (Permanent Married Quarters), where the Canadians left three small 'thunderbird' [[totem pole]]s. These totems are still there and were rededicated in September 2005 on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the base.

==People born in Virton==
*[[Ludwig Anton, Count Baillet de Latour]] (1753–1836), Austrian general, younger brother of Maximilian
*[[Maximilian Anton Karl, Count Baillet de Latour]] (1737–1806), [[Habsburg monarchy|Austrian]] general
*[[Benoît Mariage]], film director (born 1961)

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*Lambert G., Michel J., Petit A., and Vaulet P., "Histoire de Virton : des origines à l'an 2000" Ed. des musées gaumais, asbl Virton – 1998, cited in [[:fr:Virton]]

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://www.virton.be}}
*[http://soleildegaume.com Official Gaume site] (in [[French language|French]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[German language|German]], and [[English language|English]])
*[http://gaumetourisme.be Alternative Gaume site] (in [[French language|French]] and [[Dutch language|Dutch]])

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Virton
|N  = [[Étalle, Belgium|Étalle]]
|E  = [[Saint-Léger, Belgium|Saint-Léger]]<br/>[[Musson]]<br/>[[Ville-Houdlémont]] ([[France|FR]]-[[Meurthe-et-Moselle|54]])<br/>[[Saint-Pancré]] ([[France|FR]]-[[Meurthe-et-Moselle|54]])
|SE = [[Tellancourt]] ([[France|FR]]-[[Meurthe-et-Moselle|54]])
|S  = [[Allondrelle-la-Malmaison]] ([[France|FR]]-[[Meurthe-et-Moselle|54]]), [[Longuyon]] ([[France|FR]]-[[Meurthe-et-Moselle|54]])
|W  = [[Meix-devant-Virton]]<br/>[[Rouvroy, Belgium|Rouvroy]]
|NW = [[Tintigny]]
}}
{{Municipalities in Luxembourg}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Virton| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Wallonia]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Luxembourg (Belgium)]]