Bergues

French commune
nomcommune=Bergues
Remains of Saint Winoc Abbey in Bergues
région=Nord-Pas-de-Calais
département=Nord
arrondissement=Dunkerque
canton=Bergues (chief town)
insee=59067
cp=59380
maire=André Declercq
mandat= 2001-2008
intercomm=Communauté
de Communes du
Canton de Bergues
longitude=2.435
latitude=50.969167
alt moy=
alt mini= 1 m
alt maxi= 22 m
hectares=132
km²=1.32
sans=4,207
date-sans=1999
dens=3,187
date-dens=1999

Bergues (Dutch: Sint-Winoksbergen) is a commune of the Nord "département", in France. It is situated convert|9|km|mi to the south of Dunkirk and convert|15|km|mi from the Belgian border. Locally it is referred to as "the other Bruges in Flanders".

History

The town's name derives from the Flemish "groene berg", which means "green hill". According to legend, St. Winoc, son of the Breton king, retired to Groenberg, a hill on the edge of the coastal marshes. His establishment soon developed into a small monastery.

In 882, when the Normans began their incursions, the Flanders count Baudouin II built primitive fortifications. Later, about 1022, count Baudouin IV built Saint-Winoc church and interred the relics of Winoc there. This church formed the basis of an abbey.

Trade was aided by proximity to the sea, which had not yet receded to Dunkirk, and the abbey. Bergues was chartered in 1240, and its independence was later expressed in the construction of a belfry. It became a port and textile center of regional importance, and part of the Hanseatic League. Its wool market began in 1276 and over the following centuries it was fortified and maintained its independence from France. In 1583, Bergues was besieged and conquered by Alexander Farnese, but king Philip II of Spain allowed it to be rebuilt, establishing the present appearance of the town. Bergues became a major port city and was eventually was attached to France by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1668. Louis XIV later developed Dunkirk, and Bergues was eclipsed as a major port. After the French Revolution, its decline continued.

Bergues was devastated by bombardment in World War I, and again in 1940 during the Battle of Dunkirk. The city was entered on June 2 of that year, and 80% of it was ruined during World War II.

Near industrialized Dunkirk, its many monuments are reminders of a rich past, and tourism has been developed in recent years.

Bergues was the setting for the 2008 French film "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis". The film, which broke French box office records, is credited with triggering a tourism boom in Bergues. [cite web|url = http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080308/film_nm/france_dc_1 | title = French regional comedy breaks box office record | accessdate = 2008-03-09]

ights

*The belfry is the city's most celebrated attraction. Started in the 13th century it was rebuilt after the French invasion in 1383 and again in the 16th century, and restored during the 19th century. Damaged by fire in 1940 and destroyed by dynamiting in 1944, it was again rebuilt in 1961. It was classified as a historic building in 2004 and, as one of the Belfries of Belgium and France, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 16, 2005. A carillon of 50 bells sounds for the Monday market and other festivities.
*The ramparts, convert|5300|m|ft long, are partly medieval and partly constructed by Vauban.
*The abbey of St. Winoc was destroyed in 1789, and only parts remain: the marble door and two towers.

Gallery

The belfry has a carillon of 50 bells.
The Gate of Cassel, on a triangular pediment, incorporating the radiating sun of Louis XIV.
The "mairie" was rebuilt in 1871. Its façade carries the arms of Philip IV of Spain.

---

The church of St Martin.
The spire of Saint Winoc abbey.
The ramparts, 5300 meters long, have surrounded almost the entire town for five centuries.
The belfry in Bergues (2004)

References

*This article is partly based on the corresponding article in the French Wikipedia, retrieved on March 1, 2008.
*The [http://pagesperso-orange.fr/villedebergues/anglais.htm Official website]
*1911

External links

* [http://pagesperso-orange.fr/villedebergues/anglais.htm Official website (English)]
* [http://www.fortified-places.com/bergues.html Webpage about the fortifications]