Although
the foundation of the habitat around Namur goes back to Roman times,
the monuments and buildings of the city are relatively young. Namur
has often been destroyed. Because of its strategic position in the
Meuse valley it served as a gateway to the Northern areas such as the
county of Flanders (Gent, Bruges) and the Dukedom of Brabant
(Brussels, Antwerp, Mechelen). However, despite the destructions,
numerous and splendid pre-medieval and Roman artifacts and objects, as
well as Medieval and Renaissance treasures can be seen in the
different museums of Namur.
The
oldest still existing church is the late-gothic St. John's church. The
main prayer house, however, is the St. Alban's Cathedral (Cathédrale
Saint Aubin). Built between 1751 and 1767 it clearly shows the Italian
education of its architect Gaetano Pizzoni who came from Milan.
Pizzoni had the cathedral constructed on the site of a former
Romanesque church, of
which only the tower has survived. In the cathedral is the grave with
the heart of Don Juan of Austria, Spanish governor of the Netherlands
who died in 1578. He conquered the Turks in the sea battle at Lepanto.
His body lies buried in the Escorial in Madrid. Near the cathedral
stands the Saint Loup church, the former Jesuit church of Namur, built
during the 17th century. Twelve Dorian colons support the beautifully
decorated ceiling of the church.
The
Meat Hall, one of the most impressive monuments of Namur is situated
directly on the bank of the river Sambre. The 'Halle al'chair' (meat
hall) is the seat of one of the most important archaeological
museums of Wallonia. The building rests on a foundation of
limestone. The materials used for the construction of the meat hall
between 1588 and 1590 were brick and blue stone. Nearby, on the 'Place
des Armes', the old St James tower (1385) watches over the city
as Namur's belfry tower.
Although
the foundation of the habitat around Namur goes back to Roman times,
the monuments and buildings of the city are relatively young. Namur
has often been destroyed. Because of its strategic position in the
Meuse valley it served as a gateway to the Northern areas such as the
county of Flanders (Gent, Bruges) and the Dukedom of Brabant
(Brussels, Antwerp, Mechelen). However, despite the destructions,
numerous and splendid pre-medieval and Roman artifacts and objects, as
well as Medieval and Renaissance treasures can be seen in the
different museums of Namur.
of
which only the tower has survived. In the cathedral is the grave with
the heart of Don Juan of Austria, Spanish governor of the Netherlands
who died in 1578. He conquered the Turks in the sea battle at 
Lepanto.
His body lies buried in the Escorial in Madrid. Near the cathedral
stands the Saint Loup church, the former Jesuit church of Namur, built
during the 17th century. Twelve Dorian colons support the beautifully
decorated ceiling of the church.