Office de Tourisme Cassel Horizons

It would be hardly difficult to say when Cassel was founded. The foundation of the town goes back to so long that the facts capable of dating the origins were lost over the centuries. One fact is certain: the mount was fortified in the era of the Morini, a long time before the Christian era and it was called Castel or Quastel which means “stronghold” in Celtic.

The Menapii, the first ancestors of the Casselois (inhabitants of Cassel) lived in the northern edge of Gaul. That is why Virgil (a Latin poet) called them “extremi hominum” (the men from the end of the earth).

The Romans conquered the country and sat in the Castellum for 5 centuries. They liked Mount Cassel for its excellent military position and fortified the terrace of the hill (175, 90 m).

The Romans, as ingenious as tireless, built roads or solid military roads (strata). You can still see 6 of these streets today. Most of them were built in the year 27 BC. The Romans employed the legions to build them: there is a double row of cobblestone which explains the solidity of the roads.

These are the 7 roads or septemvium:

• From Cassel to Minariacum (Estaires bridge) by Sainte Marie Cappel, Saint Sylvestre Cappel, Strazeele.
• From Cassel to La Lys (near Aire) by Oxelaere, Staple.
• From Cassel to Tervanna (Thérouannes) by Bavinchove.
• From Cassel to Gessoriacum (Boulogne sur Mer) in the north west.
• From Cassel to the former Marcae (Mardyck) by Esquelbecq, Crochte.
• From Cassel to Brussiac (Bruges) by Steenvoorde, Poperinghe, Ypres.
• From Cassel to Viaoviacum (Wervicq) and from there to Tournai.

Since the Roman era, Cassel has been besieged 13 times, ravaged or burnt 10 times, demolished 5 times, rebuilt 6 times and bombed 3 times.

Three great battles took place in Cassel.

In 1701: the first battle of Cassel. Victory of Robert I le Frison near Bavinchove against Countess Richilde and King of France, Philippe I. The young Count of Flanders, Arnoul, called Le Malheureux died during this battle.

In 1328: Second battle of Cassel. Defeat of Nicolas Zannequin and the Flemish communiers (soldiers) who rebelled against Count of Flanders, Louis de Nevers. King Philippe of Valois won this battle which took place near Hardifort. The day following the battle, the Supreme Commander of the French Armies, Gauthier de Châtillon, devastated the town and the fortified castle. He also killed the inhabitants who had not fled after the defeat. Their descendants had to pay taxes for several generations to punish them for this uprising.

In 1677: Third battle of Cassel. The most decisive for the future of Flanders. Victory of Philippe I of Orleans, brother of Louis XIV against Prince William of Orange. This battle caused the opening of negotiations which led to the Treaties of Nijmegen. In these treaties, the current borders were determined.

This was the end of the famous fortified castle, the former Roman castellum, which was a real obstacle against the different regimes known in Flanders.

Cassel was linked again with its military history: in 1914, Marshal Foch sat up his headquarters as Chef Des Armées du Nord. He had an office in a room of the former lordship from October 23^th 1914 to June 21^st 1915. From this office, he directed the Battle of Yser. According to his own words, he spent there “the most frightening hours of his life”.

In 1940, the British rearguards resisted the invader for 3 days, what enabled the Allied troops to board in Dunkirk (operation DYNAMO). Cassel was partly destroyed, especially a part of the Grand'Place.

80% of the inhabitants of Cassel were disaster victims.

In the past, there were three jurisdiction seats in Cassel:

• the Lordship
• the Magistrate of the town
• the Court of Cassel

The Lordship (Hazebrouck, Steenvoorde, Watten, Estaires and 54 villages) was governed by a public office called La Noble Cour de Cassel (t'hoff van Cassele/ the Noble Court of Cassel). The beautiful building dating from the 16^th and 18^th centuries, located on the square, was built at this time: T'landshuys or Hotel of the Noble Court turned into a museum.