Arlon, mediaeval as well as ancient
Arlon shares the privilege of being one of the three oldest cities in Belgium, together with Tournai and Tongeren. As such, the ancient city of Orolaunum and its region have been the scene of numerous discoveries testifying to their distant past.
. This is reflected in its archaeological museum, which is famous for its Gallo-Roman section, in particular one of the largest collections of funerary sculptures in Europe. Archaeologists were therefore delighted to uncover mediaeval remains.
The adventure began with development work in the Espace Léopold, which led to the discovery of the remains of a large mediaeval bastion. The oldest of these remains date back to the 14th century. According to Denis Henrotay, archaeologist at the Wallonia Public Service, these fortifications date from after 1550 and were built to reinforce the mediaeval structures that had become obsolete.
These discoveries come at the perfect time to boost the "Maison du patrimoine médiéval" which may be created in Arlon. This multi-national partnership project involves, among other things, the setting up of organised cross-border tourist circuits to other partner sites.
This is a new opportunity to discover the mediaeval pearls of France, the Grand Duchy, Belgium and potentially Germany.