Bouvignes-sur-Meuse (Two cities facing one another )
So near and yet so far! Bouvignes and Dinant have glared at one another for centuries. One dependent on the Principality of Liège, the other on the Earldom of Namur.
À Bouvigne
A - The House of Mosan Medieval Heritage Voir sur la carte
Here, in Bouvignes, the Middle Ages can be experienced, sensed. It’s as if you can still hear the sound of the horses’ hooves on the cobble of the narrow streets leading down from the Porte Chevalier. An impression reinforced by the fortress of Crèvecoeur that casts its shadow over the House of Medieval Heritage, nestling in the centre of the city’s small square. The “Spanish House”, with its 17th-century pediments bearing Brabant-style volutes, was built during the period of Spanish domination.
This lovely museum immerses you in the course of the Meuse, its history, its work. The path of the river can be read like an open book. Where there is a ford, a bridge was built. Where a tributary runs into the river, a town was born. The silt deposited by the river provided fertile soil. The economy developed. Wealth that had to be defended, kept at all costs. So fortresses were built. Military strategy goes hand in hand with the economy. The rest of the visit is equally fascinating… And it evokes medieval society, with all its anecdotes
Place du Bailliage,16
5500 Dinant
Tel : 0032(0) 82 22 36 16
Web : http://www.mpmm.be
À Bouvignes
B - Bouvignes : Crêvecoeur Castle Voir sur la carte
Bouvignes reached the height of its power in the 12th century. On the slopes, Crêvecoeur Castle watched and controlled the Meuse valley. The lord dominated the landscape and his subjects, imposing his power … demolished by the people of Dinant.
From La Val gate, the statue of a taciturn face observes you: it would be saddened if you did not climb the steps opposite, leading to the ruins of Crêvecoeur. And rightly so. At the summit, the view over the Meuse valley is spectacular.
Place du Bailliage,16
5500 Dinant
Tel : 0032(0) 82 22 82 00
À Bouvignes
C - St Lambert’s Church Voir sur la carte
Built in the 12th century and consecrated in 1217, this Romanesque church flanked by an imposing square town bears witness with its size (it is over 55 m long) to the grandeur and prosperity of the old town of Bouvignes. Over the centuries, the building has been destroyed, altered and restored on numerous occasions. After the damage caused during the 1914-1918 war, the primitive Gothic style was highlighted once again. Inside, visitors can admire the reredos of the genuine 16th-century cross from Antwerp, a 15th-century Pieta and pulpit.