The Citadel of Namur, or sometimes known as the Castle of Namur, is a fortress located in Namur, Belgium. It is originally from the Roman era - a fortified outlook post was built in the 3rd and 4th centuries to defend the Meuse valley against invasions from the Germanic tribes.
This was replaced in the 10th century by the Count of Namur who also made the area bigger and the new buildings were made of stone, except the tower, which was made of wood. Nothing remains today of this construction or of the Roman outlook post.
It was not until the 13th century that construction of a fortress which is still evident today was completed, with additions being built in the 14th and 15th centuries. Many of these parts of the citadel still exist today.
By the end of the 17th century, the Citadel had doubled in size and had become a formidable stronghold, making it one of the largest fortified constructions in Europe.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered large parts of the Citadel to be demolished. His empire had expanded to such a degree that he felt that he no longer needed a fortress of such a size in Namur any longer.
In the mid 19th century, the Belgian army used the Citadel as military barracks and was it also used as a military stronghold in 1939 -1940 with the underground sections being refurbished with airconditioning, anti-gas systems and armoured doors.
Today it is classified as one of Wallonia's Major Heritage sites.
Vintage photomechanical print of the Citadel of Namur in Belgium which was taken towards the end of the 19th century. Photograph courtesy of LOC (LC-DIG-ppmsc-05694).
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