Petit Granit (also known by a variety of names including: Nero Belga, Granit de Flandre, Pierre Bleue, Blue Stone, Belgian Granite, Belgian Blue Limestone, Arduin) is, despite its name, a grey-bluish limestone, rather than being a true Granite. It is mined exclusively in Belgium, [1] where use of the name Petit Granit is subject to an Appellation d’Origine Locale (Local Appellation of Origin) designation. [2] [3] The stone becomes shiny black on polishing and is considered to be an easily worked and versatile dimension stone. It has also been used widely in sculpture and architecture, especially in Brussels and other Belgian cities. [1] Petit Granit has been designated by the International Union of Geological Sciences as a Global Heritage Stone Resource. [4]
Walloons are a Gallo-Romance ethnic group native to Wallonia and the immediate adjacent regions of Flanders, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Walloons primarily speak langues d'oïl such as Belgian French, Picard and Walloon. Walloons are primarily Roman Catholic, with a historical minority of Protestantism which dates back to the Reformation era.
Cognac is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Wallonia, officially the Walloon Region, is one of the three regions of Belgium—along with Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the country, Wallonia is primarily French-speaking. It accounts for 55% of Belgium's territory, but only a third of its population. The Walloon Region and the French Community of Belgium, which is the political entity responsible for matters related mainly to culture and education, are independent concepts, because the French Community of Belgium encompasses both Wallonia and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region but not the German-speaking Community of Belgium.
The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Flemish Region and Belgium. The City of Brussels is also the administrative centre of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.
In France, the appellation d'origine contrôlée(AOC) is a label that identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the terroir – and using recognized and traditional know-how. The specificity of an AOC product is determined by the combination of a physical and biological environment with established production techniques transmitted within a human community. Together, these give the product its distinctive qualities.
Roquemaure is a small town and commune in the Gard department of southern France. The town lies 12 kilometres north of Avignon on the right bank of the Rhône. In 2017 the commune had a population of 5,481.
The Château of Seneffe or Château de Seneffe is an 18th-century château located in the municipality of Seneffe in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The château is property of the French Community of Belgium and serves as the "Centre de l'orfèvrerie de la communauté française" which displays a collection of antique silverware.
The Congress Column is a monumental column in Brussels, Belgium, commemorating the creation of the Belgian Constitution by the National Congress of 1830–31. Inspired by Trajan's Column in Rome, it was erected between 1850 and 1859, on the initiative of the then-Prime Minister of Belgium, Charles Rogier, according to a design by the architect Joseph Poelaert. At the top of the column is a statue of Belgium's first monarch; King Leopold I, and at its base, the pedestal is surrounded by statues personifying the four freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution. The Belgian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame lies at its foot.
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Brussels is an art school established in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded in 1711. Starting from modest beginnings in a single room in Brussels' Town Hall, it has since 1876 been operating from a former convent and orphanage in the Rue du Midi/Zuidstraat, which was converted by the architect Victor Jamaer. The school has played an important role in training leading local artists.
André Renard was a Belgian trade union leader who, in the aftermath of World War II, became an influential figure within the Walloon Movement.
The Global Heritage Stone Resource (GHSR) designation seeks international recognition of natural stone resources that have achieved widespread utilisation in human culture. Details of the "Global Heritage Stone Resource" proposal were first provided publicly at the 33rd International Geological Congress in Oslo in August 2008. However, this initiative was suggested in 2007 to enrich an international acknowledgment of famous dimension stones. At the same conference it was agreed to advance the GHSR proposal under the auspices of "Commission C-10 Building Stones and Ornamental Rocks" of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG). Since the Oslo conference the designation has also gained support from the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).
The Sablon or Zavel is a neighbourhood and hill in the historic upper town of Brussels, Belgium. At its heart are twin squares: the larger Grand Sablon or Grote Zavel square in the north-west and the smaller Petit Sablon or Kleine Zavel square and garden in the south-east, divided by the Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon. This area is served by Brussels-Chapel railway station and Brussels-Central railway station, as well as the tram stop Petit Sablon/Kleine Zavel.
In Switzerland, the appellation d'origine protégée is a geographical indication protecting the origin and the quality of traditional food products other than wines.
Joseph Marie Capus was a French agriculturalist and expert on grape vines. He became a deputy in the French national parliament, and was Minister of Agriculture for a few months in 1924. He was active in legislation related to agriculture and was the driving force behind introduction of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée for French wines.
Luc Petit is an artistic director, designer and creator of shows, events, exhibitions and museum spaces. He's mostly known for his shows in remarquable places such as cathedrals, castles, monuments and more like "Viser la lune" in the streets of La Louvière, Inferno on waterloo's battlefield or even the Noël des Cathédrales tour each years in Belgian's cathedrals.
The Decauville railway of the Watissart quarries was a narrow-gauge railway of the quartzite and marble quarries in Jeumont in the Département Nord in the Hauts-de-France region. The former quarries have been flooded to create a lake that is now used as a nature reserve and recreational area for fishing, swimming and diving.
The Equestrian Statue of Albert I is a bronze equestrian statue erected in Brussels, Belgium, in memory of King Albert I, third King of the Belgians. It was created by the sculptor Alfred Courtens in 1951.
Pierre Culot was a Belgian sculptor and ceramicist.