Le Château de la Paix - Fleurus - Belgique - City and Town Halls on Waymarking.com

The city:

Fleurus (in Walloon Fleuru) is a French-speaking city in Belgium located in the Walloon Region.

The first mention of the toponym dates from 868-869 in the polyptych of the abbey of Lobbes, in the form Fledelciolum or Flederciolum which became Fleurjoux (small Fleurus).

It would come from Fleder or Fledera augmented by the Celtic suffix aus, which gave Flederaus, by contraction Fleeraus, Fleraus, and later Flerues, Fleruis, Flerus, and finally Fleurus.

The Celtic word Fledera, consisting of the radical Fled and the suffix hydronymic era, weakening of ara, was used to designate a stream.

Because of its strategic location, the city was the scene of many battles. The most famous ones took place:

- In 1622, during the Thirty Years' War, the Spanish general Gonzales of Cordova gave battle to the Germans.

- In 1690, the French troops of Louis XIV, led by the marshal of Luxembourg, win against the Dutch-Austrian troops.

- In 1794, a new battle took place between French and Austrians, and the French, under the command of General Jourdan, prevailed again.

- The last battle (of the French era) known as Fleurus took place in 1815 in Ligny. It is indeed Fleurus that Napoleon I won his last victory before the defeat of Waterloo.

After the merger of the communes in 1977, besides the city of Fleurus, the town is composed of 7 villages: Brye, Heppignies, Lambusart, Saint-Amand, Wagnelée, Wanfercée-Baulet and Wangenies.

It covers 5,912 ha and the average altitude is 156 m. The town is located in the district of Charleroi. Fleurus is often called the "city of Bernardins".

It has a brotherhood with namesake to defend the products of mouth and defend the folklore of Fleurus. Among the specialties, the Bernardin, almond biscuit and sugar already made in the 19th century, the "Doreye di Fleuru", a macaroon rice pie and Pommeau des orchards.

City Hall:

"Located on the old road linking Mons to Namur from the Middle Ages to the Austrian regime, a weekly mail by car connected these two cities via Gosselies and Fleurus. 

It is an elegant building of classic style of the late eighteenth century. limestone and brick cemented at the front and painted in pink on the other faces. A quiet and shaded park is located at the back. There are chestnut trees and maples centenarians.

The construction was ordered by the knight PERPETE JOSEPH of Paul de Barchifontaine, also owner of the farm of peace contiguous to the castle in which he died there in 1813.

This name comes from an old chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Peace, which once occupied the site of the barn of the Peace Farm. A stone niche embedded in the facade of this barn, dated 1648, and containing a statuette of Our Lady, perpetuates the memory.

It was here that Emperor Napoleon I established his headquarters on June 16, 1815, thus making it the last imperial palace occupied by the Emperor in the field. He had won his last victory at the Battle of Ligny under Fleurus. Two days earlier, the Eagle had crossed the Belgian frontier at the head of an army of 120,000 men, and on this memorable day he ended up in the blooming plains, hoping to split the troops of Wellington and Blücher, in order to defeat separately. The fight was deadly and at the end of this bloody struggle, the Prussian troops retreated. That evening, it was a conquering Napoleon who retired to the Castle of Peace Fleurus while his men bivouacked in the plain. Two days later, it was Waterloo ...

The story is known, at least in outline, but it is a peculiarity that few people know. During the night that followed this ultimate victory, Napoleon, retired to the Castle of Peace, will cut himself off from the world during an unusually long time. Reclusive for almost eight hours, almost inactive for nearly eleven hours, Napoleon let the Prussians escape him, and from then on, sees his fate sealed.

The castle, leaning against the battlefield, is near the Moulin Naveau (which served as an observatory) and the castle of Baron Zualart (now Notre Dame school) where was installed his staff.

Currently, after having known various owners, the castle of Peace was acquired by the city of Fleurus in 1980. This one, after important works of restoration, made it the seat of its central administration after the mergers of communes. In the lawn of the castle, you can see a stele with a commemorative plaque reminiscent of the historical events that he witnessed. "