Philippeville

Philippeville
Municipality
Philippeville's main square
Coat of arms
Philippeville Location in Belgium
Location of Philippeville in the province of Namur
Coordinates: 50°12′N 04°33′E / 50.200°N 4.550°E / 50.200; 4.550Coordinates: 50°12′N 04°33′E / 50.200°N 4.550°E / 50.200; 4.550
Country	Belgium
Community	French Community
Region	Wallonia
Province	Namur
Arrondissement	Philippeville
Government
• Mayor	Jacques Rousselle (PS)
• Governing party/ies	PS, IC-CDH
Area
• Total	156.71 km2 (60.51 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	9,194
• Density	59/km2 (150/sq mi)
Postal codes	5600
Area codes	071
Website	www.philippeville.be

Philippeville (French pronunciation: ​[fi.lip.vil]) is a Walloon city and municipality located in Belgium in the province of Namur. The Philippeville municipality includes the old communes of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, Neuville, Omezée, Roly, Romedenne, Samart, Sart-en-Fagne, Sautour, Surice (Wallonia), Villers-en-Fagne, Villers-le-Gambon, and Vodecée.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Philippeville region was on the boundary between Charles V’s Burgundian Netherlands and Francis I’s France. Fighting around Philippeville did not start, however, until 1554, after Henry II had succeeded his father on the throne. This area was ideal for an attack as it was covered with forests, sparsely populated and divided among the County of Hainaut, that of Namur, by now part of Burgundy, and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. The medieval forts in the area were taken and pillaged one after the other. The fortress of Mariembourg, close to Couvin, and the town of Givet soon fell to the French. In 1555, Charles V's new commander, William the Silent, established a new fort in the village of Echerennes, a village known since the 9th century. He garrisoned his troops there as soon as the fort was completed, barely four months after the start of construction.