In 1830, Belgium gained its independence and the decision was made to dismantle the fortifications, allowing the creation of large boulevards and other urban projects.

Like Ath, its neighbour to the north-west, Mons was made a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century.

In the 1450s, Matheus de Layens took over the construction of the Saint Waltrude church from Jan Spijkens and restored the Town Hall.

After the murder of de Coligny during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, the Duke of Alba took control of Mons in September 1572 in the name of the Catholic King of Spain.

On 8 April 1691, after a nine-month siege, Louis XIV’s army stormed the city, which again suffered heavy casualties.

After being under French control from 1701 to 1709, the Dutch and British armies gained the upper hand in the Battle of Malplaquet and the Siege of Mons in 1709.

In 1830, however, Belgium gained its independence and the decision was made to dismantle fortified cities such as Mons, Charleroi, and Namur.

The British were forced to retreat with just over 1,600 casualties, and the town remained occupied by the Germans until its liberation in the Second Battle of Mons by the Canadian Corps during the final days of the war.

[citation needed] During the Battle of the Mons Pocket US Army forces encircled and took 25,000 Germans prisoner in early September 1944.

NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) was relocated in Casteau, a village near Mons, from Rocquencourt on the outskirts of Paris after France's withdrawal from the military structure of the alliance in 1967.

The municipality consists of the following sub-municipalities: Ciply, Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Hyon, Jemappes, Maisières, Mesvin, Mons proper, Nimy, Nouvelles, Obourg, Saint-Denis, Saint-Symphorien, Spiennes, and Villers-Saint-Ghislain.

Mons has a typical Belgian oceanic climate with relatively narrow temperature differences between seasons for its inland 50° latitude, as a result of Gulf Stream influence.

Since the late 1990s and especially since the arson[9] which took place in one of these buildings, the city undertook a policy of deconstruction[10] of these houses which is still in progress at the moment.

Each year, the square is used as an action theatre called Lumeçon to stage a battle between Saint George and Dragon.

The façade of the building called "au Blan Levrie" shows the care with which the city attempted to unite the old and the modern.

Earlier the deputy mayors were on the castle of the Counts of Hainaut, and now it is only the conciergerier, Saint-Calixte chapel and some underground rooms and the chamber.

In its current state, the Town Hall consists of a remarkable collection of various buildings housing a large proportion of municipal services.

The buildings were restored in 1919–1920, on the plans of the communal architect E. Bertiaux and are occupied by the Maison de la Presse.

This industrial hall is all that remains of the "machine" that supplied Mons with drinkable water from 1871, the year when the river Trouille was diverted.

These two changes are made possible by the demolition of the fortifications, which releases the land, and the diversion of Trouille including the strategic role of supply ditches was then passed.

The gardens were designed by Louis Fuchs and the central pavilion was built by architect Joseph Hubert in tavern style.

A 5 hectare landscaped park was built in the mid 19th century and consists of various species of age-old trees, water features, lakes and lawns.

Various memorials and outdoor sculptures, including works of sculptors Grard, Deville, Hupet, and Guilmot Harvent, are placed.

After the French Revolution, the meetings were held in different locations, and an event was organised by the Parfaite Union for the construction of a permanent building.

The neo-Egyptian style then became a reference for Masonic architecture, and we can consider the lodge of Mons as a model of its kind with its numerous motifs—"Egyptian" papyrus capitals, frieze lotus bud, etc.

Built in 1831 by Albert Jamot, this well was transferred to the central Marché-aux-Herbes in 1877 and has served as a fountain after the development of the water supply in the city during the years 1869–1870.

[18] After the Marché aux Herbes, the fountain (not connected to the water) was placed for a few years in the park at the far end of the Rue des Quatre Fils Aymon.

The roof of the old bakery has been transformed into a public park and playground for children, while the casemates accommodate the musée de la Route.

The latest techniques have been implemented for the economic management of energy, giving maximum comfort to staff and the public while ensuring the development of architectural building.

Thus one of the gateways weighing a hundred kilos came off its hinges and nearly fell on a lawyer who entered, cracks opened between concrete blocks, the joints of windows let in wind and water when it rains in the concourse, etc.