Béthune (Municipality, Pas-de-Calais, France)

Last modified: 2005-03-05 by ivan sache
Keywords: pas-de-calais | bethune |
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by Pascal Vagnat

• Presentation of Béthune
  • History of Béthune
  • The St. Eloi's Charitables' Brotherhood
  • The belfry of Béthune
  • Celebrities of Béthune
• Municipal flag of Béthune

See also:

• France
• Pas-de-Calais (Department, France)

Presentation of Béthune

The city of Béthune (27,800 inhabitants, 13 sq. km) is a sous-préfecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. It was one of the main cities of the province of Artois, famous in the Middle Ages for cloth productions, and of the Black Country (Pays Noir), the former coal mining district. Béthune was also an important river port, linked to the rivers Lys (Leie) and Deule by the canal of Aire.
Béthune is mostly known for its Brotherhood (Charitables), its belfry, and its headsman. The Brotherhood and the belfry are very strong historical and social emblems of the city, whereas the headman was invented by Alexandre Dumas.

History of Béthune

The earliest remains of human settlements in Béthune, found near the river Lawe, date back to the VIth century. A Merovingian cemetary (VI-VIIth century) was found east of the city. Around 500, St. Vaast, Bishop of Arras, built a first church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The domain of Béthune was mentioned in 940, the castle in 970. At the end of the Xth century, Robert le Faisseux, avou&