Béthune

Béthune was a fortified town of Artois, where the routes of northern France approached the Low Countries. Its belfry and market reflected a long urban tradition, and the town belonged to the county of Artois as its rulers changed, while its walls marked the town's place in a contested frontier. Successive rulers strengthened its defences as the methods of siege warfare changed.

French troops besieged Béthune in 1645 and forced it to capitulate. During the War of the Spanish Succession, an allied army captured the town after another siege in 1710. Béthune remained in Dutch hands for nearly three years before returning to France. Its fortifications, including works such as the Saint-Ignace tower, bore witness to the demands placed on this border stronghold.