Le plan-relief d'Andenne à la fin du 18e S

The relief map

The relief map gives a striking impression of the aspect Andenne must have had at the end of the 18th century. At that moment Andenne undergoes the effects of the Age of Enlightenment and the French Revolution.

The canonesses have the 7 churches pulled down. They had been erected in the 7th century and were now replaced by a neo-classical collegiate church, built by the architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez.

As a consequence to the demolishing of their council hall, attached to one of the churches, the people of Andenne built a city hall (1772-1780) in the middle of a popular neighbourhood, not far from the collegiate church.

Between 1783 and 1804 a manufacturer, Joseph Wouters from Louvain, builds 2 large earthenware factories along the river Meuse. These factories, examples of modernity and industrialization, could each occupy 200 workers. They were ideally situated between the river and the road Namur-Liège. Like this Wouters gave work to nearly half the population of Andenne.

Andenelle, the oldest hamlet of Andenne, is at this period still completely separated from Andenne.

The old part of Andenne spreads from the site of the ancient monastery and the first houses between the fountain of St. Begga and the fountain of the Bear.

With the time the industrialization, begun by Wouters along the river Meuse, changes the development of the city and before all the commercial part in the direction of the river.

Until the 20th century carriages loaded with the so precious white clay moved in a steady way along this road (today the main street) connecting the old neighbourhoods to the river banks.

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