Gravelines () is a
commune in the
Nord department in northern
France.
It lies at the mouth of the
river Aa 15 miles (25 km) southwest of
Dunkirk. There is a market in the town square (Place Charles Valentin) on Saturdays. The "Arsenal" approached from the town square is home to an extensive and carefully displayed art collection. There are modern bronze statues in the grounds.
History
In the early 12th century,
Saint-Omer was an important port in western
Flanders. However silting gradually cut it off from the
North Sea, resulting in the construction of a
canal to the new coast at what is now Gravelines. The name is derived from the
Dutch Gravenenga, meaning Count's Canal. The new town became heavily fortified as it guarded the western borders of
Spanish territory in Flanders.
There was a famous Meeting at Gravelines in 1520, between the
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and
Henry VIII of England. There were also
two battles fought nearby:
the first was a land battle in 1558 resulting in a victory by Spanish forces of
Lamoral, Count of Egmont over the
French under Marshal
Paul des Thermes, while the second was a naval attack using
fire ships in 1588 launched by England's
Royal Navy under
Lord Howard against the
Spanish Armada at
anchor.
The town was captured and recaptured several times by the French and Spanish between 1639 and 1658, and finally annexed to France in the
Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659.
Only in the 19th century did the population become totally French speaking.
Associated towns
Gravelines has been associated with
Dartford in the
English county of
Kent.
Gravelines is also associated with Fáskrúðsfjörður in Iceland.
Economy
Now the city is mainly known for its
nuclear energy plant.
See also
