Nospelt (Luxembourgish : Nouspelt) is a village in the commune of Kehlen, in south-western Luxembourg. As of 2023 [update] , the village had a population of 1,241. [1] It is known above all for its potters who were particularly successful during the 19th century.
Nospelt lies 15 km north west of Luxembourg City at a height of 320 m on a plateau between the Mamer and Eisch rivers. It is a quiet rural village with pleasant houses and streets.
With the recent discovery of Celtic tombs in the area, it appears that the history of Nospelt stretches back until before the Roman conquest. The finds at Scheierheck near neighbouring Goeblange and at Kreckelbierg, just north-west of the village of Nospelt, contain a range of articles including wine flagons, articles of pottery, spurs, knives, lances and a lantern testifying to the nobility of those buried. [2] It is thought the tombs might belong to chieftains from the Titelberg settlement near Pétange. Some of the artefacts including a tall amphora came from as far away as the Mediterranean, showing the extent of trade with other regions at the time.
Merovingian tombs from the 7th century have been found at Telpescholtz between Nospelt and Dondelange. The area thus seems to have been inhabited over the centuries without interruption.
The origins of Nospelt's pottery production go back to 1458. By the early 19th century, there were 17 different potters shops in the village. Nospelt was recognized as the centre of Luxembourg's ceramics industry until 1914 when Nicolas Schneider (1868-1941), after whom a street is named, lit his kiln for the last time. Today a museum in his old workshop commemorates the history of the art with exhibits from Echternach and elsewhere in Luxembourg. There is also a road called "rue des potiers", "Potters' Road". [3]
Today's church stands on the site of the former chapel, dedicated to St Thomas, of which the oldest record dates back to 1685. The new church, completed in 1852, was built in the Empire style with rounded windows and a bell tower above the porch. The 17th century pietà on the altar comes from the original chapel. Renovation work was carried out in 1986.
Every year on Easter Monday, Nospelt celebrates its former potteries with an open-air Emaischen festival where amateur potters demonstrate their art and wares. A special attraction is the Peckvillercher, a bird-shaped whistle associated with pottery manufacture in various parts of Europe. [4] According to tradition, every child received a whistle from his parents on Easter Monday each year.
The Basilica of Saint-Denis is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building is of singular importance historically and architecturally as its choir, completed in 1144, is widely considered the first structure to employ all of the elements of Gothic architecture.
Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below 1,200 °C (2,190 °F). Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ceramic glaze, and such a process is used for the great majority of modern domestic earthenware. The main other important types of pottery are porcelain, bone china, and stoneware, all fired at high enough temperatures to vitrify. End applications include tableware and decorative ware such as figurines.
Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet is a Catholic church in the centre of Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement. It was constructed between 1656 and 1763. The facade was designed in the classical style by Charles Le Brun. It contains many notable art works from the 19th century, including a rare religious painting by Jean-Baptiste Corot.
Kehlen is a commune and town in western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Capellen. As of 2023, the commune had a population of 6,391.
Rouen Cathedral is a Catholic church in Rouen, Normandy, France. It is the see of the Archbishop of Rouen, Primate of Normandy. It is famous for its three towers, each in a different style. The cathedral, built and rebuilt over a period of more than eight hundred years, has features from Early Gothic to late Flamboyant and Renaissance architecture. It also has a place in art history as the subject of a series of impressionist paintings by Claude Monet, and in architecture history as from 1876 to 1880, it was the tallest building in the world.
Ars-sur-Formans is a commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France.
Binsfeld is a village in the commune of Weiswampach, in northern Luxembourg. As of 2023, the village had a population of 341.
Oetrange is a small town in the commune of Contern, in south-eastern Luxembourg. As of 2007, the town has a population of 781, but it increased to 843 in 2021 and again to 858 in 2022.
Goeblange is a village in the commune of Koerich, in southern Luxembourg about 13 km west of Luxembourg City. As of 2023, the village had a population of 722.
Parete is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 15 kilometres (9 mi) northwest of Naples and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Caserta. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 10,597 and an area of 5.7 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi).
Divinka is a village and municipality in Žilina District in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia.
Capel Garmon is a village near Betws-y-Coed in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. It is situated high above the Conwy valley, in the community of Bro Garmon, and commands views over Snowdonia. The village is known for the neolithic burial chamber nearby.
Nittel, on the Upper Moselle, is an Ortsgemeinde in the Landkreis [county] of Trier-Saarburg in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde [United Municipalities] of Konz. The place, located between dolomite and limestone cliffs, is a nationally recognized resort.
Titelberg is the site of a large Celtic settlement or oppidum in the extreme south west of Luxembourg. In the 1st century BCE, this thriving community was probably the capital of the Treveri people. The site thus provides telling evidence of urban civilization in the century before the Roman conquest.
The tourism industry in Lebanon has been important to the local economy historically and to this day comprises a major source of revenue for the country.
Celtic Luxembourg existed during the period from roughly 600 BC until 100 AD, when the Celts inhabited what is now the territory of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Their culture was well developed, especially from the 1st century BC, as can be seen from the remains of the extensive Titelberg site in the far southwest of the country and from the impressive finds in several tombs and necropolises in the Moselle valley and its surroundings.
La Chapelle-des-Pots is a commune in the center-east of the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France, in the former province of Saintonge.
Tourism in Luxembourg is an important component of the national economy, representing about 8.3% of GDP in 2009 and employing some 25,000 people or 11.7% of the working population. Despite the 2008–2012 global recession, the Grand Duchy still welcomes over 900,000 visitors a year who spend an average of 2.5 nights in hotels, hostels or on camping sites. Business travel is flourishing representing 44% of overnight stays in the country and 60% in the capital, up 11% and 25% between 2009 and 2010. Published by the World Economic Forum in March 2011, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report puts Luxembourg in 15th place worldwide, up from 23rd place in 2009.
The Emaischen festival is celebrated every Easter Monday in the village of Nospelt in the south of Luxembourg as well as in the Fish Market in the City of Luxembourg. Little earthenware whistles shaped like birds and known as peckvillercher are a special feature of the event. Traditionally they were exchanged between lovers but today they are popular with all those taking part in the celebrations.
The Church of St Cuthbert is a grade I listed building in Bellingham, Northumberland, owned by the Church of England. Parts of the church date to the 13th century and it survived the raids of the border reivers which burnt down many structures in the village. The structure consists of a nave, chancel and a large south chapel. The chancel is noted for having a remarkable roof consisting of strips of Lakeland slate. The graveyard contains the "Lang Pack", a tomb associated with a nearby country house robbery legend.