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Courtrai (inhabited place) |
Coordinates: |
| Lat: 50 49 27 N degrees minutes |
Lat: 50.8241 decimal degrees |
| Long: 003 16 03 E degrees minutes |
Long: 3.2676 decimal degrees |
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Note: Kortrijk is a town in West-Vlaanderen, western Belgium, situated along the Lys River and the Lys-Schelde Canal. First established as a Roman settlement; a chapel was erected here by St. Eloi in 7th century. It was a thriving producer of linen damask in medieval times. The inhabitants defeated the French cavalry here in 1302 in what came to be famed as the "Battle of the Golden Spurs", but the town was sacked in revenge in 1382. Captured by the Germans in World War I, it became a major base for the Ypres front. Like much of the Flanders region, it was severely damaged in World War II. Its art and architecture include the Broelbrug, a bridge built around 1400 with two massive towers, Anthony Van Dyck's painting "Elevation of the Cross", executed in 1631, housed in the church of Notre Dame, 1191-1211 which also features the conjoining chapel of the counts of Flanders, dating from 1374. Other notable structures are the St. Martin's Church in Gothic style, a 14th century belfry, and the Flamboyant Gothic town hall built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Commercially, the town is currently one of the primary producers and exporters of linen in Western Europe. The 2003 estimated population was about 74,800. |
Names: |
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| Kortrijk (preferred,C,V,Dutch-P,U,N)
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| Courtrai (C,V,English-P,U,N)
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| Courtrai (French-P,U,N)
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| Kortreik (C,O,German-P,U,N)
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| Cortracum (H,V)
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............ | Roman |
| Curturiacum (H,O,Latin,U,N)
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Hierarchical Position: |
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Flanders (region (administrative division)) (P) |
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Courtrai (inhabited place) (P) |
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Additional Parents: |
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Place Types: |
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| inhabited place (preferred, C) |
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settlement established by Romans, town was chartered in 1190 |
| town (C) |
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Sources and Contributors: |
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