The village of Resteigne

Description

We find the first traces of Resteigne in 497 (Restennia). The village would derive its name from the river that runs through it and from the stagnant waters found there. Divided in the Middle Ages between the Liège (Abbaye de Stavelot-Village de Tevin) and Luxembourgeoise (Wellin Township -Village de Resteigne) jurisdictions, the village logically has a history close to those of Tellin and Bure. It is long dominated by the D'Hoffschmidt family. This family owned, among other things, the castle. From this family comes the Hermit of Resteigne Edmond D'Hoffschmidt whose astonishing history deserves to be briefly presented. The son of Adolphe d'Hoffschmidt, the last feudal lord of Resteigne, Edmond joined the Napoleonic armies. He retired from the army with the rank of Lieutenant and returned to Resteigne, where he built and retired in a building (the hermitage) in the middle of the woods. He lives there with a servant and a pack of dogs. He meditates there, writes poems, philosopher, prays. It hunts in the surrounding woods to ensure its survival. In 1845 he returned to the castle. He saw the same life at the head of an estate that stretched over Belvaux, Chanly and Ave and Auffe. Until his death in 1861, he was a rare generosity with the inhabitants of Resteigne, ensuring supplies during the food shortages, distribution of food during the festivals, wood for heating, etc. His hermitage, Still finds today the ruins in the woods of Resteigne remains the witness of what this exceptional man was.
Resteigne lived for a long time around the stone quarry which still today leaves a large scar in the center of the village. The quarry closed its doors in 1987. It was recently the center of the gathering of all the municipalities of the province of Luxembourg during the event Resteigne Expo 99. Resteigne benefits from the nature of the passage of the Lesse. The river will throw itself at the exit of the village in the Belvaux Gorge and there begins its underground route which gave birth to the famous caves of Han. (The Confrerie Tellinise De La Djaye)