Nivelles Nivele (Walloon)
| |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Nivelles inWalloon Brabant | |
 Interactive map of Nivelles | |
  Nivelles Location in Belgium | |
| Coordinates:50°35′N04°19′E / 50.583°N 4.317°E /50.583; 4.317 | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Community | French Community |
| Region | Wallonia |
| Province | Walloon Brabant |
| Arrondissement | Nivelles |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bernard De Ro Les Engagés |
| • Governing party | LE -PS -Ecolo |
| Area | |
• Total | 60.83 km2 (23.49 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 28,521 |
| • Density | 468.9/km2 (1,214/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 1400, 1401, 1402, 1404 |
| NIS code | 25072 |
| Area codes | 067 |
| Website | www.nivelles.be |
Nivelles (French:[nivɛl]ⓘ;Dutch:Nijvel[ˈnɛivəl]ⓘ;Walloon:Nivele) is acity andmunicipality ofWallonia located in theBelgianprovince ofWalloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers,Bornival,Thines, and Monstreux.
The Nivelles arrondissement includes all the municipalities in Walloon Brabant.
TheCollegiate Church of St. Gertrude has been classified as a heritage site ofWallonia.
Starting in 4,000 BC, the Nivelles region was gradually turned into agricultural land by the Danubian settlers. Most of their ancestral Rubanean civilization was destroyed by theRoman invaders during the first century AD. In turn, most of the Roman constructions, includingvillas, were destroyed during theGermanic invasions of the 3rd century.
In the 7th century, the territory was part of theAustrasianFrankish kingdom, and theMayor of the Palace,Pippin of Landen, rebuilt a villa there that covered more than 78 km². After Pippin's death in 640, thebishop of Maastricht, the futureSaint Amand, urged Pippin's widow,Itta, to found an abbey in their villa. Itta's daughter,Gertrude, became the monastery's first abbess and was venerated as a saint upon her death. The growing influx of pilgrims necessitated the construction of ever-bigger churches, which culminated in the hugeRomanesque structure that still stands today. The dedication of the church took place in 1046 in the presence ofWazo, Prince-Bishop of Liège, andHenry III, Holy Roman Emperor. This was the golden age of the Nivelles monastery, which now owned territories as far asFriesland, theMoselle and theRhine.
.jpg)
In the 13th century, the city that grew around the church became part of theDuchy of Brabant. The population was mainly artisans andguild members, who did not hesitate to fight the abbesses and the dukes to obtain their rights. These rights were finally granted byJoanna, Duchess of Brabant in the 14th century. In 1647, an important uprising by the thread manufacturers resulted in many of the city's entrepreneurs leaving for France, leading to the city's economic decline. The wars of the 17th century between France and theSpanish Netherlands made the situation worse as Nivelles went through successive sieges and military occupations. TheAustrian andFrench regimes of the 18th century brought religious and administrative reforms to the city.
In 1830, Nivelles was one of the first cities to send patriotic troops toBrussels to fight in theBelgian Revolution. The following years were marked by the growth ofheavy industry, including metallurgy and railway construction. The bombing of the city duringWorld War I brought some damage to buildings, but greater devastation occurred duringWorld War II on 14 May 1940, when almost the entire city centre was destroyed, leaving only the walls of the collegiate church standing. The rebuilding of the church was completed in 1984, but remains can be seen of wall fragments on the south side of the collegiate.
.jpg)
In1972 and1974, theBelgian Grand Prix was hosted at theNivelles-Baulers circuit.Emerson Fittipaldi won the race both times. The circuit ultimately proved unpopular and has since been demolished.
In September 2007, Nivelles jointly hosted theVII European Handball Championship ofBallpelote,International fronton andInternational game withBuizingen.
Places adjacent to Nivelles | |
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
