Chiny facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chiny Tchini  (Walloon)
Municipality
Chiny: St Nicholas's bridge on the River Semois
Coat of arms
Chiny Location in Belgium
Country	Belgium
Community	French Community
Region	Wallonia
Province	Luxembourg
Arrondissement	Virton
Area
• Total	113.69 km2 (43.90 sq mi)
Population  (2018-01-01)Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
• Total	Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Postal codes	6810-6813
Area codes	061
Website	www.chiny.be

Chiny is a city and a municipality in Wallonia, a region in Belgium. It is located in the province of Luxembourg.

As of January 1, 2018, Chiny had 5,175 people living there. The municipality covers about 113.69 square kilometers. This means there are about 46 people living in each square kilometer.

The municipality of Chiny includes several smaller areas. These are Chiny itself, Izel, Jamoigne, Les Bulles, Suxy, and Termes.

Geography of Chiny

A walking trail in the woods of Chiny.

Chiny is located where two different geographical areas meet. These areas are called the Gaume and the Ardennes.

The name Chiny also refers to a much older, larger area. This was a historical county, bigger than the municipality you see today.

Other small towns and villages in the Chiny area include:

• Frenois
• La Haïlleule
• La Mouline
• Moyen
• Pin
• Pont Charreau
• Prouvy
• Romponcelle
• Valansart

Chiny's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Chiny has a special design. It shows three silver fish on a blue background. Above the fish, there is a golden crown.

This design is described in a special language called heraldic language. It helps people understand the symbols on the shield.

History of the Counts of Chiny

Saint Walpurga's church in Chiny.

The history of Chiny is closely linked to its counts. The first family of counts ruled Chiny from 980 to 1384.

In 980, Arnoul of Burgundy-Granson became the first Count of Chiny. He married Mathilde, who brought a large area of forests as her marriage gift. This land was full of game and had the Semois River flowing through it.

Arnoul's son, Othon of Warcq, built a castle in Chiny. This castle was on a rocky hill overlooking the river. In the 11th century, the Chiny castle was a very strong fortress. The area ruled by the count was huge. It included many towns, castles, and villages.

The Legend of Saint-Thibault

Louis II was the fourth Count of Chiny. He loved to hunt in his large game park, starting around 1040. A famous legend comes from this time. It tells of a young lord named Thibault. He secretly left his home and went to the Ardennes forest near Chiny.

Thibault lived as a hermit (someone who lives alone for religious reasons). He found a special spring with healing powers. Count Louis II built a large shrine there. Many people came to the shrine, hoping to be healed by Saint-Thibault. Later, monks from Italy built a monastery nearby at Orval.

Chiny and the Crusades

Arnoul, another count, often had disagreements with Count Godfrey of Bouillon. Godfrey was a leader of the first Crusade, a religious war. Eventually, they became friends. Arnoul trusted Godfrey to take his two sons, Otto and Louis, on the first Crusade.

When Otto returned from the Crusade, he became the Count of Chiny. He found the Orval monastery in ruins. The Italian monks had left. Later, a different group of monks, called Cistercians, rebuilt and brought Orval back to life.

Louis IV was the last count from the first family. He had no sons, so he prepared his oldest daughter, Jeanne, to take over. Louis IV was also known for creating the first postage stamp in the county.

New Rulers and a Famous Tournament

Jeanne married Arnulf of Looz. He became the first count of the second family. Arnulf was famous for building the strong fortress of Montmedy.

Their son, Louis V, held a huge knightly tournament in 1285. It took place in the village of Chauvency-le-Château. Over 500 knights from all over Europe came to this event. A poet named Jacques Bretel wrote songs about the tournament. Louis V became very famous because of it. He died in 1299. His heart was buried in a lead box in front of the altar at Saint-Thibault, in the village of Suxy.

After Louis V, the counts struggled to keep control of their land. There were many wars and battles. Different powerful rulers, like the Count of Bar and John of Bohemia, claimed the same lands. Many counts ruled for short periods.

The last count, Arnould Rumigny, sold the lands of Chiny. He did this to prevent his uncle's family from inheriting them. On June 13, 1364, Chiny was sold to Wenceslas, Duke of Luxembourg.

Later, in the 15th century, a new noble family, the Count de Faing, was created. Their castle was built, and it was later rebuilt. This castle still stands today.

See also

In Spanish: Chiny para niños