 Detail of van Deventer's 1550 map of Luxembourg, with the Franciscan convent circled in red | |
 | |
| Date | 11 June 1554 |
|---|---|
| Location | Franciscan convent, Luxembourg |
| Coordinates | 49°36′57″N 6°07′54″E / 49.615855°N 6.131693°E |
| Cause | Lightning striking barrels of gunpowder |
| Deaths | Unknown |
| Non-fatal injuries | Unknown |
| Property damage | Large part of the city of Luxembourg destroyed by the ensuing fires |
On 11 June 1554, a large gunpowder explosion caused by lightning caused a important fire which destroyed a large part of the city of Luxembourg. The explosion and the plague epidemic that followed soon thereafter made an unknown number of victims and led to the city being rebuilt according to a plan drawn by ... creating a street layout that has persisted to this day. [1] [2][3][4]>[5]
Background
editThe city of Luxembourg began to grow in the late 10th Century around a castle on the Bock, a promontory acquired by Count Siegfried in 963, and the adjacent Fish Market. It slowly expanded in the following centuries, reaching an area of about 5 hectares (12 acres) by the mid-13th Century, when it was granted its city charter by Countess Ermesinde.[6] It was around this time that Franciscan monks settled in Luxembourg, establishing a convent just outside of what were the city limits at the time, on the site of the modern-day Place Guillaume II.[a][7][6]
Meanwhile, Luxembourg gained prominence as a fortress that was continuously expanded over the centuries; by 1554, after changing hands several times, it was occupied by troops of the Holy Roman Empire under Charles V. Barrels of gunpowder, which was used for the city's canons, were habitually stored at Bastion Marie; however, due to repeated explosions during construction work, they were eventually moved to the attic of the Franciscan convent.[8]
Explosion and fires
editReconstruction
editReferences
edit- ↑ Thewes, Guy [in Luxembourgish] (2011). "Luxembourg, ville forteresse. L'impact de la fortification sur l'organisation de l'espace urbain (XVIe-XIXe siècle)". Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire (in French) (89–2): 787–801. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Friedrich, Evy [in Luxembourgish] (11 June 1987). "Eine Explosion verändert die Stadt". Revue (in German). p. 12. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ de Muyser, Constant (1895). "Les Rues de Luxembourg du 16è siècle par rapport à celles d'aujourd'hui". Publications de la Section historique de l’institut grand-ducal de Luxembourg (in French). 44. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Beck, Henri (December 2007). "La Grand-rue depuis le temps des Romains: artère de passage et lieu de rencontres" (PDF). Ons Stad (in French). No. 86. p. 4-11. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Clesse, René (July 1991). "300 Jahre Plëssdarem" (PDF). Ons Stad (in German). No. 37. p. 5-11. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 Kunnert, Jemp (April 1986). "Moments d'urbanisme" (PDF). Ons Stad. No. 21. p. 2-5. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 Beck, Fanny; Beck, Henri (April 2000). "Les Cordeliers et leur église" (PDF). Ons Stad. No. 63. p. 6-11. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ↑ Lascombes, François (1976). Chronik der Stadt Luxemburg 1444-1684 (in German) (Saint-Paul ed.). Luxembourg City.
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