Stage town for the fifth time
Sub-prefecture of the Nord department (59)
Population: 43,000 (Valenciennois, Valencionnoises), 192,000 in the Valenciennes Métropole conurbation.
Personalities: Baldwin VI of Hainaut, Henry of Flanders (emperors of Constantinople), Philippa of Hainaut (queen of England in the 14th century), Jean-Louis Borloo, Gérald Darmanin, Valérie Létard (former ministers), Charles Nungesser (aviator), Jules Marmottan (collector), Antoine Watteau, Louis Cattiaux (painters), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (sculptor), Pierre Richard, Jean Lefèvre, Michel Duchaussoy (actors), Jean Stablinski, Bruno Wojtinek (cyclists), Michel Bernard (athlete), Cécile Nowak (judoka), Jérémie Janot, Paul Voyeux (footballers).
Specialities: langue de Lucullus (smoked beef tongue and foie gras), Germinal (chicory and bitter chocolate cake), Carpeaux (cake made with butter cream and marrons glacés), goyère (flamiche with maroilles), Sottises de Valenciennes (sweets). Valenciennes lace.
Sports: Valenciennes FC (football, National), Hainaut Volley (D1 women's), Hockey Club Valenciennes (hockey).
Events: Foulées valenciennoises, Urban Trail, Festival2Cinéma (cinema, September), Embar(o)quement immédiat (baroque music), Fête du commerce (braderie, September), Folies de Binbin (carnival parade with Binbin, Valenciennes genial), Next Festival.
Economy: Amazon distribution centre, LIL8 sorting centre.
Nickname: the Athens of the North
Labels: Fleur d'Or / Active and sporty town / Tree award
Websites: valenciennes.fr / valenciennes-metropole.fr / tourismevalenciennes.fr
The city of the Prix de Rome
Valenciennes prides itself on being "the town of the Prix de Rome", because some forty artists from the town have won this prestigious prize, created by Colbert in 1663 and abolished by André Malraux in 1968. Known primarily for architecture, the Prix de Rome was also awarded to painters, sculptors and musicians. It was relaunched in a new form in 2013.
To pay tribute to the local artists who have won this prize, the city has created a park in their honour, the Parc des Prix de Rome-Jacques Chirac, where replicas of their works are on display. Seventeen Prix de Rome winners are also buried in the city's cemetery. The most famous of these is undoubtedly sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, who created the famous pediment of the town hall, which was restored after the building burnt down in 1940. He is one of Valenciennes' most famous artists, along with the painter Antoine Watteau, master of the rococo style and winner of the Prix de Rome in 1709.
This profusion of talented artists, trained at the town's arts academy or conservatory, earned Valenciennes the nickname of the Athens of the North in the 19th century.
Valenciennes and Cycling
It's been more than thirty years since the Tour de France made a stop in Valenciennes, despite the fact that the town has featured four times on the race route. The first stage of the Tour in Valenciennes dates back to 1970, when a 22-year-old Belgian rider showed real skill on the cobbles: Roger de Vlaeminck had not yet won Paris-Roubaix and it was his only stage victory in the Tour de France. The Gypsy went on to win the Hell of the North four times (1972, 1974, 1975 and 1977).
It should also be noted that the stages that finished or started in Valenciennes in the Tour have all been won by a Belgian (De Vlaeminck in 1970, Rudy Matthijs in Roubaix in 1983, Ferdi van den Haute in 1984) or a Dutchman (Jelle Nijdam in 1991) and today's stage should also suit riders from the flat countries. The statistic is even more striking for the Dunkirk Four Days, of which Valenciennes is a frequent stage: eleven of the seventeen stages finishing in the town have been won by Belgians.
Valenciennes is also the birthplace of great French hope Bruno Wojtinek, whose career was cut short by an accident after stage wins in Paris-Nice (1986), the Dauphiné (1987) and second place in Paris-Roubaix in 1985. He only took part in the Tour de France once. Among the other riders from Valenciennes to have taken part in the Tour de France is Jacques Gestraud (1964).
Jean Stablinski
The most famous rider from Valenciennes is none other than Jean Stablinski (real name Jean Stablewski), the cobble hunter of Paris-Roubaix. Born in Thun-Saint-Amand, 20 km away, the 1962 world champion moved to Valenciennes after his studies to work as a plasterer before opening a cycle shop there at the end of his career.
Although his world title, won in a solo breakaway, remains his greatest feat, the rider from the Nord region also won the Vuelta in 1958, five stages of the Tour de France and four French championship titles in 1960, 1962, 1963 and 1964, making him the record holder for victories in the road race. He also won the Amstel Gold Race in 1966 and Paris-Brussels in 1963 and is a member of the club of stage winners in the three major tours.
Although he never particularly shone in Paris-Roubaix, with a 7th place finish in 1964 as his best performance, Jean Stablinski became one of the main promoters of the race after his career. He was recruited by Albert Bouvet to unearth the increasingly rare cobbled sectors without which the Queen of the classics would have lost its rank.
In particular, he is credited with "discovering" the Arenberg Trench, which he had ridden during his brief career as a miner – he only stayed for three months down the pit before changing direction. In 1968 it was he who suggested using this barely ridable route, which has now become a classic of the race. A stele was installed on the site in 2008, shortly after his death in 2007.
The cobbled section from Troisvilles to Inchy, the first to be used by the Paris-Roubaix riders, also bears his name.
Sights
Town Hall
Construction: 17th century (facade), 1950s
Style: Gothic
History and features: in 1611, the town's provost, Jean Roisin, decided to have the alderman's residence rebuilt. The work took three years and replaced the existing building with a Gothic-style structure typical of the Spanish Netherlands and northern France. Valenciennes town centre was destroyed by fire in 1940, just a few weeks before the arrival of the German armies. The town hall was not spared, and only the façade survived.
Special feature: the sculpture created by Carpeaux on the pediment in 1867 was rebuilt identically by Albert-Marius Patrisse, winner of the Prix de Rome, in 1941.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 2001.
Museum of Fine Arts
Opening: 1909
History: derived from the collections of the Valenciennes Academy of Painting and Sculpture, the museum was first opened to the public in 1801. In 1834, a municipal museum was set up in the town hall. At the end of the 19th century, following a competition, a new building was erected based on plans by architect Paul Dusart, and was inaugurated in 1909.
Characteristics: the museum features Flemish and French paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Painters include Rubens, Van Dyck, Watteau, Pissarro, Boucher, and many others.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 2023.
Website: musee.valenciennes.fr
Le Phénix
Le Phénix is Valenciennes' national theatre, founded in 1998. It offers three major performing arts disciplines: theatre, music and dance. Supported by the Ministry of Culture and local authorities, it includes two theatres, rehearsal and exhibition spaces, and a restaurant.
Website: lephenix.fr
Basilica of Notre-Dame du Saint-Cordon
Construction: 1852 to 1864
Style: Neo-Gothic
History: built by Alexandre Grigny. In 1922, Pope Pius XI awarded it the title of Minor Basilica.
Special feature: the organ by Joseph Merklin, built in 1891.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1996.
Dutemple Pit
Construction: 1764 to 1826
Use ceased: 1911
History: former coal mine converted to green space.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1992, UNESCO in 2012.
Dodenne Tower
Construction: 14th century
Style: Medieval
History: water gate that controlled river access.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1904.
To Eat
Lucullus from Valenciennes
Lucullus, also known as langue de Lucullus, is made from smoked beef tongue and foie gras, created in the 1930s. Mostly consumed during the festive season (30 tonnes yearly).
Best served with grilled toast, onion confit, and a glass of white wine.
