Binche

Binche
Municipality
Binche, the old city and its surrounding wall
Flag Coat of arms
Binche Location in Belgium
Location of Binche in Hainaut
Coordinates:
Country	Belgium
Community	French Community
Region	Wallonia
Province	Hainaut
Arrondissement	Thuin
Government
• Mayor	Laurent Devin (PS)
• Governing party/ies	PS, MR, independent
Area
• Total	60.66 km2 (23.42 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2013)
• Total	33,002
• Density	540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Postal codes	7130, 7131, 7133, 7134
Area codes	064
Website	www.binche.be

Binche (French pronunciation: ​[bɛ̃ʃ]) is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006, Binche had a total population of 32,409. The total area is 60.66 km² which gives a population density of 534 inhabitants per km². Since 1977, the municipality of Binche has gathered the town of Binche itself with seven old municipalities : Bray, Buvrinnes, Epinois, Leval-Trahegnies, Péronnes-lez-Binche, Ressaix and Waudrez.

The motto of the city is "Plus Oultre" (meaning "Further" in Old French), which was the motto of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who in 1545 gave the medieval Castle of Binche to his sister, Queen Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands). She lavished attention on Binche, which she had rebuilt under the direction of an architect-sculptor Jacques du Broeucq, remembered today as the first master of Giambologna. The château, intended to rival Fontainebleau, was destroyed by the soldiers of Henry II of France in 1554.

In 2003, the Carnival of Binche was proclaimed one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The gilles wearing their hat with ostrich feathers.

Notable residents

• Gilles Binchois (c. 1400 – 1460), composer

See also

• Carnival of Binche, a yearly festival
• La Binchoise, a brewery in Binche

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Official site of the city of Binche (in French)
• Union binchoise des Étudiants de Louvain
• Patrimoine du musée International
• Rugbyclub de Binche
• La Binchoise, Belgian Brewery, Binche