Charleroi

The town in the Belgian province of Hainaut lies on the north bank of the Sambre River, south of Brussels. When Spain took control of the region by the Treaty of the Pyrenees, 1659, the medieval village of Charnoy was chosen as the site of a fortress, built in 1666 overlooking the river. The fort and village were named Charleroi after Charles II of Spain. Ownership alternated between Spain and France during the second half of the 17th century, then among France, Austria and the Netherlands in the 18th and19th centuries. It was the site of the first battle of the First World War on August 22, 1914. When the Sambre River was canalized in the 19th century, the town expanded into the center of a heavily populated industrial region. It has continued as the site of coal and steel and a variety of manufactured industrial materials. Its suburb of Jumet became and remains an important glassmaking center. It is known for its town hall built in 1936, featuring a 230-foot belfry, the Palais des Expositions, and the Palais des Beaux-Arts. The 2003 estimated population was 201,200.