Charleroi

Lore & Background

The area was settled in prehistoric times, with Roman buildings and burial sites. The first written mention of Charnoy dates from a 9th-century offering. In 1666, Spanish Governor Francisco Castel Rodrigo built a fortress near the Sambre, renaming it Charle-roi for five-year-old Charles II. The French completed its fortifications under Vauban after the 1668 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. The city changed hands multiple times between Spain, France, the Dutch, and Austria until the 1830 Belgian Revolution.

During the Industrial Revolution, Charleroi's coal, glass, and steel industries boomed, earning the nickname Pays Noir. Labor strikes were frequent, notably in 1886 when 12 strikers were killed in Roux. Walloon miners emigrated to Canada after the 1886 Walloon Jacquerie. The city suffered heavy damage in World War I, avoided further destruction via the Couillet Treaty, and saw industrial decline after World War II. In 1977, it merged with surrounding municipalities.

Reader's Guide

Charleroi's significance lies in its role as a cornerstone of Belgium's Industrial Revolution, particularly in coal, steel, and glass production, which fueled the Pays Noir region. Its strategic location on the Sambre made it a contested fortress for centuries, changing hands among European powers. The city's working class was central to major labor movements, including the 1886 strikes and the 1936 general strike. After industrial decline, Charleroi remains the largest city in Wallonia and the fourth-largest in Belgium. Its 2015 logo, featuring a crown of three triangles, references slag heaps, the Walloon cockerel, and King Charles II. The magazine Spirou, launched in 1938 by Éditions Dupuis, originated here, featuring iconic characters like Lucky Luke and the Smurfs. Today, Charleroi's slag heaps serve as biodiversity reservoirs, preserving rare species.

Did You Know?

• Charleroi was originally named Charnoy and had only about 50 inhabitants in the Middle Ages.
• The city was renamed Charle-roi in 1666 in honor of five-year-old King Charles II of Spain.
• During the French Revolution, Charleroi was renamed Libre-sur-Sambre until 1800.
• The magazine Spirou, featuring Lucky Luke and the Smurfs, was launched in Charleroi in 1938.