Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Binche
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Shrove Tuesday Carnival in Binche, Belgium Binche
Read Next
Guild houses along the Lys River in Ghent, Belgium.
11 Buildings That Reveal Belgium’s History
Discover
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time
New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.
Why Is It Called Black Friday?
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Shrove Tuesday Carnival in Binche, Belgium
Shrove Tuesday Carnival in Binche, Belgium Townsmen costumed as Gilles (versions of a clown-like stock character named Gille) parading at the Shrove Tuesday Carnival in Binche, Belgium.

Binche

Belgium
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Binche
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Binche
BincheBinche, Belg.

Binche, town, Walloon Region, Belgium. It lies 9 miles (15 km) southeast of Mons. Situated on a hill, Binche remains encircled by fortifications built in the 12th century and flanked by 27 towers. Its town hall was constructed in the second half of the 14th century and restored in the 16th century by Jacques de Broeucq. A portion of the town’s fortifications were pulled down in 1545 to build a palace for Mary of Hungary, regent of the Netherlands and sister to Charles V (Holy Roman emperor and king of Spain). She held a great fete there in 1549 to celebrate the Spanish conquest of Peru. The ramparts and the town suffered at the hands of the French in 1554 and 1675.

Now a centre of the confectionery and fashion industries, Binche is most famous for its Shrove Tuesday Carnival. The costume of the Gilles (“clowns”), unique in Europe to Binche’s carnival, may derive from that of Peruvian Incas. The carnival also features men wearing feathered headdresses who dance and periodically throw oranges into the crowd. Pop. (2007 est.) mun., 32,508.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.