The fortification of Hauterecenne

 

The site at Furfooz features a ridge overlooking the Lesse below, a strategic position for siting a fortification. Probably occupied from prehistoric times to the 13th century, it was the Roman period that attracted attention through the grandeur and splendour of the facilities left behind (defensive walls, baths, necropolis, etc.) as well as the transition between antiquity and the Middle Ages, a process during which the role of Furfooz should not be neglected. At that time, the site was protected on its north-west flank by walls flanked by towers and by two defensive walls with entrenchments in front, and on its south-east side by the sheer cliff. The site also included a keep and a Roman building as well as the baths abandoned and reused as a necropolis during the establishment of a Germanic community between the 4th and 5th centuries. The remains discovered enable us to understand the role of of this fortress in the late Roman Empire. It acted as a garrison for accommodating Romanised troops who were given the task of defending the hinterland behind the borders, which was one of the key missions in the politics of the time. Following this episode, there was a significant break in which the occupants, probably Germanic, no longer recognised Roman customs. Troops paid by Rome came to take possession of the fortress.

This selected passage describing how this exceptional site was occupied, highlights how long it has been occupied by different populations with a variety of cultures.

Listed: 18-07-1980

Exceptional heritage site of Wallonia