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{{Short description|Capital of Namur province and Wallonia, Belgium}}
{{Redirect|Namen|the village in Iran|Naman, Razavi Khorasan|other uses of ''Namur''|Namur (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Namur
|namenl           = Namen
|native_name      = {{native name|wa|Nameur}}
|picture          = {{multiple image
  |border            = infobox
  |perrow            = 1/3/1/2/1
  |total_width       = 293
  |caption_align = center
  | image1                 = Namur Belgium Old-town-01.jpg
  | caption1 = Namur Old town
  | image2 = Namur - Pompe du Marché de l'Ange - 03.jpg
  | caption2               = Angel Fountain
  | image3                 = L'église Saint-Joseph de Namur.JPG
  | caption3               = Saint Joseph's Church
  | image4                 = Namur Belfry 02.JPG
  | caption4               = [[Belfry of Namur]]
  | image5                 = Namur Belgium Cathédrale-Saint-Aubain-03.jpg
  | caption5 = [[St Aubin's Cathedral]]
  | image6 = Namur-010707 (9).jpg
  | alt6                   = Louise Marie Park
  | caption6               = Louise Marie Park
  | image7                 = La cour et la façade intérieure de l'ancien Evêché.JPG
  | caption7               =  Provincial Palace
  | image8                 = Le Parlement de Wallonie et la Citadelle de Namur.jpg 
  | caption8               = The [[Citadel of Namur|Citadel]] with the [[Parliament of Wallonia]] on river [[Meuse]]
  }}
|imagesize        = 250px
|map              = Namur Namur Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location within Arrondissement of Namur (dark grey) and Namur Province
|arms             = Blason ville BE Namur.svg
|flag             = Flag of Namur.svg
|province         = [[Namur Province|Namur]]
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Namur|Namur]]
|nis              = 92094
|mayor            = Maxime Prévot, Charlotte Bazelaire (mayor pro tempore) ({{Lang|fr|Les Engagés|italic=no}})
|majority         = {{Lang|fr|[[Les Engagés]]|italic=no}}-[[Reformist Movement|MR]]
|postal-codes     = 5000, 5001, 5002, 5003, 5004, 5020, 5021, 5022, 5024, 5100, 5101
|telephone-area   = 081
|web              = [https://www.namur.be/ www.namur.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|28|N|04|52|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
| footnotes               =[[File:Logo_Ville_de_Namur.png|70px|center]]{{center|[[Brandmark]] of Namur}}
}}

'''Namur''' ({{IPA|fr|namyʁ|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Manestra-Namur.wav}};{{efn|Adapted in German as  {{IPA|de|naˈmyːɐ̯||De-Namur.ogg}}.}} {{langx|wa|Nameur}}; {{langx|nl|Namen}} {{IPA|nl|ˈnaːmə(n)||Nl-Namen.ogg}}) is a [[City status in Belgium|city]] and [[Municipalities in Belgium|municipality]] in [[Wallonia]], [[Belgium]]. It is the capital both of the [[Provinces of Belgium|province]] of [[Namur Province|Namur]] and of [[Wallonia]], hosting the [[Parliament of Wallonia]], the [[Government of Wallonia]] and its administration.

Namur stands at the confluence of the rivers [[Sambre]] and [[Meuse]] and straddles three different regions &ndash; [[Hesbaye]] to the north, [[Condroz]] to the south-east, and Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse to the south-west. The city of [[Charleroi]] is located to the west. The language spoken is [[French language|French]].

The municipality consists of the following [[Deelgemeente#Belgium|sub-municipalities]]: [[Beez, Namur|Beez]], [[Belgrade, Namur|Belgrade]], [[Boninne]], [[Bouge]], [[Champion, Namur|Champion]], [[Cognelée]], [[Daussoulx]], [[Dave, Namur|Dave]], [[Erpent]], [[Flawinne]], [[Gelbressée]], [[Jambes]], [[Lives-sur-Meuse]], [[Loyers]], [[Malonne]], [[Marche-les-Dames]], Namur proper, [[Naninne]], [[Saint-Servais, Namur|Saint-Servais]], [[Saint-Marc, Namur|Saint-Marc]], [[Suarlée]], [[Temploux]], [[Vedrin]], [[Wépion]], and [[Wierde]].

==History==
{{Further|County of Namur}}

===Early history===
The town began as an important trading settlement in [[Celt]]ic times, straddling east–west and north–south trade routes across the [[Ardennes]]. The [[ancient Rome|Romans]] established a presence after [[Julius Caesar]] defeated the local [[Atuatuci|Aduatuci]] [[tribe]].

Namur came to prominence during the early [[Middle Ages]] when the [[Merovingians]] built a [[Citadel of Namur|castle]] or citadel on the rocky spur overlooking the town at the confluence of the two rivers.{{cn|date=June 2025}} In the 10th century, it became a [[county]] in its own right. The town developed somewhat unevenly, as the counts of Namur could only build on the north bank of the Meuse - the south bank was owned by the bishops of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège|Liège]] and developed more slowly into the town of Jambes (now effectively a suburb of Namur). The medieval rulers of Namur were often also rulers of other counties in the region, including [[County of Flanders|Flanders]], [[County of Hainaut|Hainaut]], and [[County of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]]. It was purchased by Duke [[Philip the Good]] of [[Duchy of Burgundy|Duke Burgundy]] and Count of Flanders in 1421, joining it into a larger state.

===17th–19th centuries===
[[File:Namur, Junction of the Meuse and Sambre.jpg|left|thumb|Namur in 1838]]

In the 1640s, long after Namur became part of the [[Spanish Netherlands]], its citadel was considerably strengthened. [[Louis XIV|Louis XIV of France]] invaded in 1692, capturing the town and annexing it to France. His renowned military engineer [[Vauban]] rebuilt the citadel.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/belgium/namur/background/history/a/nar/c4033c91-9e7c-44b7-80f5-8a136eaa95ed/358718|title=History in Namur, Belgium|first=Lonely|last=Planet|access-date=9 November 2018}}</ref> French control was short-lived, as [[William III of England|William III of Orange-Nassau]] [[Siege of Namur (1695)|captured Namur]] only three years later in 1695 during the [[War of the Grand Alliance]]. Under the [[Barrier Treaty]] of 1709, the Dutch gained the right to garrison Namur, although the subsequent [[Peace of Utrecht|Treaty of Utrecht]] of 1713 gave control of the formerly [[Spanish Netherlands]] to the Austrian [[House of Habsburg]]. Thus, although the Austrians ruled the town, the citadel was controlled by the Dutch. It was rebuilt again under their tenure.

General [[Jean-Baptiste Cyrus de Valence]]'s column laid siege to the city on 19 November 1792 during the [[War of the First Coalition]] and, after 12 days, the city surrendered on 1 December and its whole garrison of 3,000 men was taken prisoner. France invaded the region again in 1794, annexing Namur and imposing a repressive regime. After the defeat of [[Napoleon]] in 1815, the [[Congress of Vienna]] incorporated what is now Belgium into the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]]. Belgium broke away from the Netherlands in 1830 following the [[Belgian Revolution]], and Namur continued to be a major garrison town under the new government. The citadel was rebuilt yet again in 1887.

===20th and 21st centuries===
In [[World War I]], Namur was a major target of the [[German invasion of Belgium (1914)|German invasion of Belgium]] in 1914, which sought to use the Meuse valley as a route into France. On August 21, 1914, [[Siege of Namur (1914)|the Germans bombarded the town]] of Namur without warning. Several people were killed. Despite being billed as virtually impregnable, the citadel fell after only three days' fighting<ref name="auto"/> and the town was occupied by the Germans for the rest of the war. Namur fared little better in [[World War II]]; it was in the front lines of both the Battle of the Ardennes in 1940 and the [[Battle of the Bulge]] in 1944. The town suffered heavy damage in both wars.

Namur continued to host the [[Belgian Army]]'s [[paratrooper]]s until their departure in 1977.

After the creation of the [[Wallonia|Walloon Region]], Namur was chosen as the seat of its [[Walloon Government|executive]] and [[Parliament of Wallonia|parliament]]. In 1986, Namur was officially declared capital of Wallonia.<ref>{{cite book|title=Décret instituant Namur capitale de la Région wallonne|date=11 December 1986|publisher=Walloon Regional Council|location=Namur, Belgium|url=http://nautilus.parlement-wallon.be/Archives/1985_1986/PARCHEMIN/6-7-11.pdf|access-date=15 September 2015}}</ref> Its position as regional capital was confirmed by the Parliament of Wallonia in 2010.<ref>{{cite book|title=Décret instituant Namur comme capitale de la Wallonie et siège des institutions politiques régionales|date=21 October 2010|publisher=Walloon Parliament|location=Namur, Belgium|url=http://nautilus.parlement-wallon.be/Archives/2010_2011/PARCHEMIN/219.pdf|access-date=15 September 2015}}</ref>

==Climate==
{{Weather box |width = auto |metric first= yes |single line= yes
|location = Namur(1991–2020)
| Jan high C  =5.9
| Feb high C  =6.9
| Mar high C  =10.8
| Apr high C  =15
| May high C  =18.6
| Jun high C  =21.5
| Jul high C  =23.7
| Aug high C  =23.4
| Sep high C  =19.7
| Oct high C  =14.9
| Nov high C  =9.7
| Dec high C  =6.3
| year high C =
| Jan mean C  =3.1
| Feb mean C  =3.5
| Mar mean C  =6.4
| Apr mean C  =9.5
| May mean C  =13.2
| Jun mean C  =16.2
| Jul mean C  =18.3
| Aug mean C  =18
| Sep mean C  =14.7
| Oct mean C  =10.9
| Nov mean C  =6.6
| Dec mean C  =3.7
| year mean C =
| Jan low C  =0.3
| Feb low C  =0.2
| Mar low C  =2
| Apr low C  =4
| May low C  =7.8
| Jun low C  =10.9
| Jul low C  =13
| Aug low C  =12.5
| Sep low C  =9.6
| Oct low C  =6.8
| Nov low C  =3.5
| Dec low C  =1.2
| year low C =

| precipitation colour  =  green
| Jan precipitation mm  =72.9
| Feb precipitation mm  =69.6
| Mar precipitation mm  =59.5
| Apr precipitation mm  =48
| May precipitation mm  =61.1
| Jun precipitation mm  =68.1
| Jul precipitation mm  =75.9
| Aug precipitation mm  =81.8
| Sep precipitation mm  =59.6
| Oct precipitation mm  =65
| Nov precipitation mm  =67.8
| Dec precipitation mm  =90.8
| year precipitation mm =
|source = Royal meteorological institute<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaat-in-uw-gemeente |title=Het klimaat in uw gemeente- Namen (NIS 92094) |access-date=2024-01-06 |publisher=KMI |language=Dutch}}</ref>
}}

==Economy==
[[File:Namur JPG7.jpg|thumb|right|Namur, the [[Meuse]], the Walloon Parliament and the [[Citadel of Namur|citadel]]]]
Namur is an important commercial and industrial centre, located on the Walloon industrial backbone, the [[Sambre and Meuse valley]]. It produces machinery, leather goods, metals and porcelain.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/212893637 |title=The Columbia gazetteer of the world |date=2008 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-14554-1 |editor-last=Cohen |editor-first=Saul Bernard |edition=2nd |location=New York |pages=2587 |oclc=212893637}}</ref> Its [[Namur railway station (Belgium)|railway station]] is also an important junction situated on the north–south line between [[Brussels]] and [[Luxembourg City]], and the east–west line between [[Lille]] and [[Liège]]. River [[barge]] traffic passes through the middle of the city along the Meuse.

==Culture and sights==
{{See also|List of protected heritage sites in Namur (city)}}
Namur has taken on a new role as the capital of the federal region of Wallonia. Its location at the head of the Ardennes has also made it a popular tourist centre, with a [[casino]] located in its southern district on the left bank of the Meuse.

The town's most prominent sight is the [[Citadel of Namur]], now demilitarised and open to the public. Namur also has a distinctive 18th-century [[St Aubin's Cathedral|cathedral dedicated to Saint Aubain]] and [[Belfry of Namur|a belfry]] classified by [[UNESCO]] as part of the [[Belfries of Belgium and France]] which are listed as a [[World Heritage Site]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/943/multiple=1&unique_number=1100 |title=Belfries of Belgium and France - UNESCO World Heritage Centre |publisher=whc.unesco.org |access-date=2010-10-20 }}</ref>

The [[Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur|Couvent des Sœurs de Notre-Dame]] used to contain masterpieces of [[Mosan art]] by [[Hugo d'Oignies]], currently presented in the Musée des Arts Anciens (Rue de Fer). Elsewhere there is an archeological museum and a museum dedicated to [[Félicien Rops]].

An odd Namurois custom is the [[Namur stilt jousting|joust on stilts]] (dating back to 1411) practiced by the [https://www.echasseurs.org/en stiltwalkers of Namur]. The annual Combat de l'Échasse d'Or (''Fight for the Golden Stilt''), held on the third Sunday in September, is the most important joust of the year. Two teams, the Mélans and the Avresses, dress in medieval clothes while standing on stilts and do battle in one of the town's principal squares.<ref>{{Cite web|title=UNESCO - Namur stilt jousting|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/namur-stilt-jousting-01590|access-date=2021-12-21|website=ich.unesco.org|language=en}}</ref> Since 2021, Namur stilt jousts are  registered on the [[UNESCO]] [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage]] of Humanity.

Namur possesses a distinguished [[university]], the [[Université de Namur|University of Namur]] (previously known as the Facultés universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, FUNDP), founded in 1831. The [[UCLouvain|University of Louvain]] (UCLouvain) also has several facilities in the city through its [[CHU UCLouvain Namur|UCLouvain Namur University Hospital]] (CHU UCLouvain Namur), the provinces' largest employer.

Since 1986 Namur has been home to the [[Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur|Namur International Festival of French-Speaking Film]].<ref>[http://www.fiff.be/ 22ème Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur] retrieved May 14, 2007. (French language)</ref> A jazz (Nam'in'Jazz) and a rock (Verdur Rock) festival both take place in Namur annually.

Sights near Namur include [[Maredsous Abbey]], [[Floreffe Abbey]], and [[Annevoie Castle]] with its surrounding ''Jardins d'Annevoie''.

<gallery>
File:01-Namur-100109 (2) JPG.jpg|The citadel and the Meuse
File:01-Namur-300605 (1).jpg|The [[Belfry of Namur]]
File:Namur Ca1JPG.jpg|[[St Aubin's Cathedral]] is the only [[Baroque|academic Late Baroque]] cathedral in Belgium.
File:Le cheval Bayard portant les quatre fils Aymon - Olivier Strebelle 1958.jpg|''The horse Bayard'' carrying ''[[The Four Sons of Aymon]]'', created by [[Olivier Strebelle]] for [[Expo 58]]
File:La Sambre in Namur viewed from Quai de l'Abbaye (DSCF5606).jpg|The Sambre
File:Arcs namur.jpg|Old town
File:Echasseurs-Echasse-Or-Fetes-de-Wallonie-3-Skuds.jpg|alt=Joust on stilts in Namur. The stiltwalkers fights date back to 1411.|Joust on stilts in Namur. The stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411.
</gallery>

==Sports==
The local [[football (soccer)|football]] team is named [[Union Royale Namur]].

The local baseball team is named Namur Angels.

The annual [[Cyclo-cross Namur|Namur]] [[cyclo-cross]] race, part of the [[UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup]], takes place on the hills around the citadel. From 1950 to 2007, the Belgian Motocross Grand Prix was held every first weekend in August on a challenging race circuit around the citadel. Between 20,000 and 50,000 spectators gathered to support the Belgian [[motocross]] stars such as; [[Joël Robert]], [[Roger De Coster]], [[Eric Geboers]] & [[Stefan Everts]]. The Namur circuit achieved iconic status and was known as the [[Monaco Grand Prix|Monaco]] of the [[Motocross World Championship]]s in reference to the prestigious [[Formula One]] automobile race.<ref name="The Circuit and its Legend">{{cite web |url=https://www.namurmx.be/en/the-track-and-his-legend/ |title=The Circuit and its Legend |publisher=memotocross.fr |access-date=8 March 2023}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
! rowspan="3" |Group of origin
! colspan="2" |Year
|-
! colspan="2" |2023<ref>{{Cite web |title=Origin {{!}} Statbel |url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/structure-population/origin#documents |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=statbel.fgov.be}}</ref>
|-
!Number
!%
|-
|
|
|
|-
!Belgians with Belgian background
|77,250
!68.19%
|-
!Belgians with foreign background
|24,599
!21.71%
|-
|Neighboring country
|3,375
|2.98%
|-
|EU27 (excluding neighboring country)
|5,326
|4.7%
|-
|Outside EU 27
|15,898
|14.03%
|-
!Non-Belgians
|11,437
!10.1%
|-
|Neighboring country
|2,163
|1.91%
|-
|EU27 (excluding neighboring country)
|2,371
|2.09%
|-
|Outside EU 27
|6,903
|6.09%
|-
|
|
|
|-
!Total
|113,286
!100%
|}

==Twin towns — sister cities==
Namur is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:

*{{flagicon|IDN}} [[Bandung]], Indonesia<ref>[http://m.antaranews.com/en/news/113008/namur-bandung-ink-sister-city-partnership "Namur, Bandung ink sister-city partnership"]{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Quebec City]], [[Quebec]], Canada
*{{flagicon|SRB}} [[Subotica]], Serbia
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Bourg-en-Bresse]], France
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Ōgaki, Gifu|Ōgaki]], [[Gifu Prefecture]], Japan
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Belmont, California|Belmont]], [[California]], United States
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]], United States
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Empoli]], [[Tuscany]], Italy
*{{flagicon|ROU}} [[Cluj-Napoca]], [[Cluj]], Romania
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Tierp]], Sweden
*{{flagicon|KOS}} [[Pristina]], Kosovo

==Notable people==
[[File:Félicien Rops (photo).jpeg|thumb|150px|Félicien Rops]]
* [[Rémy Belvaux]] (1966–2006), actor, film director and screenwriter
* [[Julie Billiart]], Canonized saint and Foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, died in Namur in 1816.
* [[Francy Boland]] (1929–2005), jazz pianist and arranger
* [[Louise-Marie Danhaive]] (1923–1978), novelist, playwright, poet, and journalist
* [[Cécile de France]] (born 1975), actress
* Count [[Edouard de Woelmont]], Belgian [[Canon (priest)|Canon]].
* [[Olivier Gourmet]] (born 1963), actor
* [[Ludivine Henrion]] (born 1984), cyclist
* [[Friedrich Hermann Otto, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen]] (1776–1838), Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
* [[Pierre Jonckheer]] (born 1951), politician, Member of European Parliament 1999–2009
* [[Denzel Jubitana]] (born 1999), Football Player
* [[Philippe Kirsch]] (born 1947), Canadian jurist and diplomat, former president of the ICC
* [[w:de:Albert Lambert (Widerstandskämpfer)|Albert Lambert]] (1893–1942), born in Namur, Resistance fighter against national socialism
* [[Louis Leloir]] (1911–1992), Benedictine monk and orientalist
* [[Benjamin Lessennes]] (born 1999), racing driver
* [[Jeanne Maubourg]] (1873–1953), opera singer, radio actress in Canada
* [[Henri Michaux]] (1899–1984), French-speaking poet and painter
* [[Benoît Poelvoorde]] (born 1964), actor and comedian
* [[Jacques François Rosart]] (1714–1777), engraver of metal type
* [[Christophe Rochus]] (born 1978), tennis player
* [[Olivier Rochus]] (born 1981), tennis player
* [[Félicien Rops]] (1833–1898), graphic artist and illustrator (Symbolism)
* [[Thierry Zéno]] (born 1950), director and screenwriter
* [[Raphaël Liégeois]] (born 1988), biomedical engineer and Belgian astronaut
* [[Nafissatou Thiam]] (born 1994), athlete, 3 gold medals in Heptathlon at the Olympics
* [[Claire Laffut]] (born 1994), singer and songwriter
{{clear}}

==See also==
*[[Rhisnes, Namur]], a suburb to the north of the city

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Sources ==

* {{in lang|fr}} Jean-Pol Hiernaux : ''Namur, capitale de la Wallonie'', in ''Encyclopédie du Mouvement wallon'', Tome II, Charleroi, Institut Jules Destrée, 2000, {{ISBN|2-87035-019-8}} (or 2d ed., CD-ROM, 2003, {{ISBN|2-87035-028-7}})

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{wikivoyage inline|Namur}}
* [https://www.namur.be/ The municipal website of The City of Namur (in French)]
* [http://www.namurtourisme.be/en/ Namur Tourism]

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Namur
|N  = [[La Bruyère, Belgium|La Bruyère]], [[Éghezée]]
|NE = [[Fernelmont]]
|E  = [[Andenne]]<br/>[[Gesves]]
|SE = [[Assesse]]
|S  = [[Profondeville]]
|W  = [[Jemeppe-sur-Sambre]]<br/>[[Floreffe]]
|NW = [[Gembloux]]
}}
{{Populated places of Namur}}
{{Municipalities in Namur}}
{{List of European capitals by region}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Namur}}
[[Category:Namur (city)| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Wallonia]]
[[Category:Sub-municipalities of Namur (city)]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Namur (province)]]
[[Category:Provincial capitals of Wallonia]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Belgium]]
[[Category:Vauban fortifications in Belgium]]