Revolutions, empires and kingdoms come and go

Did you know that it was in Marquain, beneath the walls of Tournai, that the first cannon shots of the Revolutionary Wars were fired on 29 April 1792?
And that on 22 May 1794, in Chin, just a few kilometres away, the revolutionary armies fought the Austrian and English armies, under the watchful eye of Emperor Francis II of Habsburg, who had established his headquarters in Tournai, at a heavy cost of life.

A collection of weapons and memorabilia from this period is on display, alongside exhibits from the First Empire and the Battle of Waterloo.
In 1814, Tournai became part of the new Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Belgian departments. In 1816, the town once again became a stronghold and the citadel was rebuilt as part of the new barricade against France.

1830 saw the start of the Belgian Revolution, and 1831 the accession of Leopold I. The town remained a stronghold until 1863, and in 1869 the citadel was dismantled. Tournai was now nothing more than a garrison town.

Welcomed by a Belgian lancer on horseback, you will discover the weaponry and equipment used by the Dutch and Belgian armies, many of whose regiments were garrisoned in Tournai until 1914, including the cuirassiers, the mounted chasseurs and the foot chasseurs, as well as the Civic Guard, the citizens’ militia.