Send Gift Baskets to Seraing, Belgium

Skeletons, potshards, weapons, and jewels dating from the 5th and 6th centuries were found here, indicating Seraing was inhabited during the Frankish era. Saran’s name appeared for the first time in 956 when the abbey of Sint-Truiden received a Carolingian farming estate extending on both sides of the Meuse and owned by someone named Saran. After a short time, the whole territory passed to the Liège Prince-Bishopric. Prince-Bishop Henri I of Verdun used a house in Seranus to entertain guests in the 11th century. In exchange for tax exemptions, Seraing’s inhabitants pledged allegiance to Liège during the Middle Ages, pledging to defend the fluvial approach to the city in case of invasion. 1381 was when the first wooden bridge replaced the ferry across the river.

Throughout history, the town’s name has changed several times, with the current spelling only being established in the 18th century. Several factors attracted industrial investors to Seraing around that time: the advent of the Industrial Revolution, the proximity of the river Meuse, and the discovery of coal at Ougrée. Founded in 1809, it was the first ironwork in the country. Using blast furnaces and coke instead of charcoal, John and James Cockerill revolutionized the steel industry. As a result of these inventions, John Cockerill & Cie was established in Seraing in 1817. Wallonia’s industrial backbone, the sillon industriel, was strengthened by constructing many more metallurgical plants and foundries in the following decades. An inexpensive coal source nearby appealed to glassworkers. In 1826, the Val Saint Lambert began operations.