Belleville

Belleville
Capital
City-County of Belleville
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Sinful City, the Star of the South
Motto(s):  "Orgueil, Luxure et Avarice : que nos malheurs soient une renaissance" "Pride, Lust and Greed : may our misery be a reborn"
Country	Florentia
State	Javiosia
Duchy	Orlaenia
Municipal County	Belleville
Municipal Baronny	Municipal Baronnies of Belleville
Government
• Body	Municipal County Government of Belleville
• Count of Belleville	Désiré de Belleville
• County Mayor of Belleville	Julius Maurin
Population  (2022)
• Total	8,572,000
• Rank	1st in Florentia
Demonym	Bellevillians
Time zone	UTC-7
Post Code	FL-666
Flower	Devil's Trumpet
Food	Red beans and rice
Animal	Three-headed cat

Belleville is the biggest city of Florentia and the capital city of the Kingdom of Javiosia. Despite the size of the Kingdom of Javiosia, more than 90% of its population lives in Belleville. The main port of Florentia, Belleville was used for a long time to ship the products from the other states thanks to the Saint-Elme river. Thus, the city saw the emergence of an important class of merchants and industrialists, leading Belleville to be the homestead of liberal and pro-market ideas in Florentia. While the city has always been plagued with criminality, it is with the arrival of numerous workers from Esonia and the other states in the late XIXth, and the prohibition law of 1914, which worsened it. Nowadays, the city is known to be controled by Esonian, Bayavian and Cashari mafias, supplied in alcohol by the mob chief Hugo L. Dellague.

Etymology

There is only assumptions regarding the origin of the name. However, Belleville meaning "beautiful city", the most likely origin is either the will of the setlers to establish a beautiful city, or a statement made by setlers coming to the city and qualifying the city as beautiful.

Geography

The city of Belleville is located at the estuary of the Saint-Elme river, at the Southern tip of Florentia, and next to the Saint-Elme delta and the wet lands.

Government

WIP

Municipal Baronnies

The city-county of Belleville is divided in Baronnies. Each of them have a Baron as the head of state and a Mayor as the head of government. The barons hold no power.

Economy

WIP

Culture

Local folklore

Legend of the three-headed cat

The symbol of Belleville, a black three-headed cat, comes from a legend. Its origin is unknown but the earliest mention is in 1642 in " Little encyclopaedia of the folklore of the Lysian colonies ", a book written by Laurent de Vivanie.

"An old and blind farmer was living near Belleville, along the Saint-Elme river. He was self-sufficient, living with mother nature, and he would have been happy as a King is the wasn't alone as a prisonner.

One day, while he was working in his fields, he was surprised to hear a gentle voice addressing him as follows: - Greetings, farmer. I am a lonely traveller. I am starving and exhausted. Let me rest on a simple pile of hay and I will help you with your labour.

The farmer, overjoyed to hear a human voice after so long, hastened to invite the traveller. He offered him a real bed, soft blankets, warm meals and a thousand other attentions that made the guest feel like a King.

After a few days, the traveller has regained his strength. And what strength! Thanks to him, the once meagre plantations became gargantuan. The skinny animals are getting fatter. Every task seems easy thanks to the traveller. Little by little, they both become friends, observing the fish and the streams of the Saint-Elme, the birds and the bees in the sky.

One evening, a year after the traveller's arrival, he announced that he had to leave again. In order to thank the peasant for his hospitality and kindness, the traveller revealed that he was in fact a fantastic being and, thanks to his powers, gave the peasant back his vision. The latter, at first amazed to see again, is suddenly horrified when he sees the appearance of his companion. While he was expecting an angel, the traveller is a monstrous three-headed demonic cat. Panicked by this horrific sight, the peasant runs to the river and jumps into the turbulent waters of the Saint Elme.

The demon, devastated by the loss of his friend, wept with his three heads. His tears, soaked with the sin represented by each head, impregnated the land of Belleville forever. This is why, since this legend, Belleville is considered to be triply cursed and triply blessed by pride, lust and greed."

According to the main theory, the legend would be an attempt to explain the early developpment of prostitution, gambling and piracy in the city.

Cityscape

WIP

Urbanism

Despite a carefully planned city center mixing art deco skyscrapers and colonial style, the rest of the city has a very fewly restrited land use. It led to a more organic and less coherent suburbs. There is also growing shanky towns around industrial centers.

Transports

Paddle steamers and trams.

Pollution

Coal dependency. Extensive use of cars.