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See also: ancient See also: town of the province of Hainaut, Belgium, situated on the See also: left See also: bank of the Dender
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Pop
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(1890) 9868; (1904) 11,201
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Formerly it was fortified, but after the change in the defensive See also: system of Belgium in 1858 the fortress was dismantled and its ramparts superseded by boulevards
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Owing to a fire caused by See also: lightning its See also: fine See also: church of St
See also: Julien, dating from the 14th century, which had escaped serious injury during many See also: wars, was destroyed in 1817 (since rebuilt)
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This left the Tour Burbant as its See also: sole relic of the See also: middle ages
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This tower formed See also: part of the See also: donjon of the fortress erected by Baldwin IV., count of Hainaut, about the See also: year 1150
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Near See also: Ath is the fine See also: castle of Beloeil, the ancient seat of the princely See also: family of Ligne
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Ath is famous for its gild of archers; whose butts are erected on the plain of the Esplanade in the ~ centre of the town
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The town militia has the See also: privilege of being armed with bows and crossbows
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Ath is also well known in Hainaut for its See also: annual fete called le jaw de ducasse—ducasse being the Walloon word for See also: kermesse (fete)
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On this occasion a procession escorting figures of two giants, See also: Goliath, called locally Goyasse, and Samson, forms the chief feature of the celebration
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The emperorSee also: Joseph II. stopped it for its " idolatrous " character, but this See also: act was one of the causes of the See also: Brabant revolution of 1789
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The procession, revived in 1790, was again stopped by the French republicans five years later, but was revived under the See also: Empire, and has flourished ever since
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