Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Avesnes-sur-Helpe (; ), Picard: Avinne-su-Helpe) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Nord department. It is situated 14 km from the Belgian border, and 18 km south of Maubeuge, the nearest larger town. The river Helpe Majeure, a tributary of the Sambre, flows through the town. Upstream of Avesnes on the river there is the Lac du Val-Joly, an artificial lake.
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Avesnes-sur-Helpe is a town in northern France's Nord department, located near the Belgian border and serving as a sub-prefecture for the region. The town sits along the Helpe Majeure river, which flows through it as part of the larger Sambre river system, with an artificial lake upstream.
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Place details
- Locality
- Avesnes-sur-Helpe
- Region
- Hauts-de-France
- Country
- France
- Population
- 7
via · GeoNames
Article
6 sectionsContents
- History
- Population
- Culture
- Heraldry
- See also
- References
Avesnes-sur-Helpe (; ), Picard: Avinne-su-Helpe) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Nord department. It is situated 14 km from the Belgian border, and 18 km south of Maubeuge, the nearest larger town. The river Helpe Majeure, a tributary of the Sambre, flows through the town. Upstream of Avesnes on the river there is the Lac du Val-Joly, an artificial lake.
==History== Avesnes was founded in the 11th century. The first known lord was Wedric II of Avesnes (born about 990), son of Wedric I de Morvois. The house of Avesnes played an important role in the low countries, including several Counts of Holland. It was destroyed by Louis XI in 1477 after his victory in the Burgundian Wars. Historically a part of the County of Hainaut, it became French in 1659 as a result of the Treaty of the Pyrenees, and was fortified by Vauban, although it was captured by Prussia in 1815.