Description : Bavay (pronounced ) is a commune in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The town was the seat of the former canton of Bavay. Excavations in the Roman Forum resulted in the discovery of ceramics from the 9th and 10th centuries. The history of the town during this period is unclear and reference is necessary to the larger lines of history of the County of Hainaut. It is likely that the Roman Forum was built as part of a defensive system as some later documents referred to viel castel. In the 12th century the region of Bavay became part of the County of Hainaut and the city was the capital of a Prévôt. In the 13th and 14th centuries the city was fortified with a medieval design for the enclosure and its major levee is still visible today.
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