Jodoigne

Jodoigne (Dutch Geldenaken, in Walloon Djodogne) is a French-speaking city of Belgium located in the Walloon Region in the province of Walloon Brabant.

History

Prehistory

Many Flint tools were found in the white fountains along the Charleroi roadway. A Flint axe was discovered in the jodoignoise countryside at a place called "field of the birds. (in French: Champs des oiseaux) “This Palaeolithic axe is remarkable because the cutting edge is not chipped, perhaps marking the appanage of a chief.

Antique

The discovery of several Gallo-Roman villas in the vicinity of Jodoigne attests to the presence of the Gallo-Romans in the region during antiquity. Include, among other things, the Roman villa of the countryside of Bronne, St.-Jean-Geest, partially excavated by Jacques Breuer and the Abbot Robert Hanon de Louvet in the year 1915 and 1916. A Roman tumulus and pottery were also discovered near the present cemetery as well as in the lane of the Gotteaux and the Chasselon, respectively.

Middle Ages

The discoveries of the Merovingian period were carried out in many places, attesting to a Germanic presence in the region.

Traditions assigns to Jodoigne a high antiquity, the surrounding countryside contain a lot of construction debris. Jodoigne like all community has a legendary history, which rests only on inaccurate or falsified documents and baseless conjecture. The Dukes of Brabant acquired Jodoigne towards the year 1180 after taking it from the count of Duras. From the first third of the eleventh century Jodoigne belonged to a lady named Erlende, who became a widow and founded the Saint-Médard church a daily mass for the dead.

Erlende left three sons, Adalberon primicier of the Cathedral of Metz. Who was buried on the 12^th of November 1024, the Count of Godefroid and Gislebertus. Godefroid having left no children, his heritage was then passed to Gislebertus, whose only daughter, named Ode, married Otto, of the House of the counts of Looz. Othon and his successors bore the title of the count of Duras and occupied the important functions of sub-attorney of the Abbey of Saint-Trond.

Religious heritage

• The Notre-Dame-du- Marché chapel: surmounted by a helical bell tower, it contains the recumbent statue of the Earl Winand of Glymes and her husband who died in the year 1668 and 1671 respectively.
•  The Saint-Médard Church: Romanesque style Church dating from the 12th-13th century which was part of the major heritage of Wallonia.
•  The St. Catherine of Herbais Chapel

Civil Heritage

• The Pastur Castle: former residence of the counts of Duras, the abode of the Duke Henri 1^st of Brabant, rebuilt in the year 1730 by the Earl of Romsée, the bulding was built in Gobertange white stone and acquired on the 15^th of June 1849 by the notary Philippe Pastur who gave him the name of Pastur Castle; it is the current town Hall.
• The Ramée farm at Jauchelette.
• The Cailloux castle.
• Gobert or Ghobert Castle, built in the year 1792.
• The Jodoigne-sovereign castle.
• Viscount House: it is built in stone and adorned with a large turret. In the year 1530, the Glymes House was mentioned.
• The Freedoms Hotel.
• The Gerardin Museum (abandoned).

Local gastronomy

The culinary specialties of Jodoigne are:

• The Piétrain pig;
• Green pudding ;
• The cheese tart "blanke doreye of Djodogne ".

The Royal harmony of Jodoigne

It was on the 1^st of December 1816, that a handful of Jodoignois wishing to revive the taste of music in the city of Jodoigne, founded a new music company. This set was successively known as society of harmony, "Music Society of Jodoigne then finally in the year 1903 the Royal harmony of Jodoigne.

The 1830 revolution, and the different wars in Europe puts the company on hold every time. But it increases always that the harmony restart its operations. Over the years, and even centuries, the heritage of the Royal harmony of Jodoigne grows many instruments and a priceless library of partitions.

The Harmony, currently made up of 30 musicians, was directed since the year 1995 by Christophe Lacroix. It offers various concerts through a varied repertoire with classical works, music for films, compositions for harmony throughout the year.

source https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodoigne