Douai

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This article is about the French commune. For the Bible translation, see Douai Bible.

Administration
Commune of Douai
Location
Longitude	03°04'48" E
Latitude	50°22'17" N
Country	France
Région	Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Département	Nord (sous-préfecture)
Arrondissement	Douai
Canton	Chief town of 8 cantons
Intercommunality	Communauté d'agglomération du douaisis
Mayor	Jacques Vernier (2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude	16 m–38 m (avg. 24 m)
Land area¹	16.88 km²
Population² (1999)	42,796
- Density (1999)	2,538/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	59178/ 59500
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Bell tower of Douai, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, 1871.

Douai is a town and commune in the north of France in the département of Nord, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Located on the river Scarpe some 25 miles (40 km) from Lille and 16 miles (25 km) from Arras, Douai is home to one of the region's most impressive belfries.

The population of the metropolitan area (French: aire urbaine), including Lens, was 552,682 in 1999.

1 Sights
2 Economy
3 History
4 A Centre of Catholic Studies
5 Other colleges and universities
6 Births
7 Twin towns
8 External link

[edit] Sights

Construction started on Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 metre (262 foot) high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying German forces, who intended to melt them down for the metal. They were reinstalled after repairs in 1924, but 47 of them were replaced in 1954 to obtain a better sound. An additional larger bell in the summit, a La called "Joyeuse", dates from 1471 and weighs 5.5 tonnes. The chimes are rung by a mechanism every quarter hour, but are also played via a keyboard on Saturday mornings and at certain other times.

The substantial Porte de Valenciennes town gate, a reminder of the town's past military importance, was built in 1453. One face is built in Gothic style, while the other is of Classical design.

[edit] Economy

The main industries in the town are in the chemical and metal engineering sectors. Renault has a huge vehicle assembly plant near the town, which has produced many well known Renault vehicles, such as the R14, R11, R19, and the Megane and Scenic of today.

[edit] History

Its site probably corresponds to that a 4th century Roman fortress known as Duacum. The town became a flourishing textile market centre during the Middle Ages under the Counts of Flanders. Historically it was known as Douay (Doway in English). In 1384, it passed into the domains of the Counts of Burgundy and thence in 1477 into the Habsburg possessions. In 1668 it was ceded to France.

[edit] A Centre of Catholic Studies

Under the Patronage of Phillip II, when Douai belonged to the Spanish Netherlands a University of Douai was founded, which recent studies are coming to view as an important institution of its time.

It was prominent, from the 1560s until the French Revolution, as a centre for the education of English Catholics escaping the persecution in England, and connected with the University were not only the English College, Douai, founded by William Allen, but also the Irish and Scots' colleges, and Benedictine, Franciscan and Jesuit houses. For a time there was also a Charterhouse.

The English town of Bridgwater takes the second half of its name from the Norman prince Walter Douai.