Nivelles

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Nivelles
Nijvel wapen.svg Nivelles Belgium.svg
Nivelles (Walloon Brabant)
Nivelles
Nivelles
State : BelgiumBelgium Belgium
Region : Wallonia
Province : Walloon Brabant
District : Nivelles
Coordinates : 50 ° 36 ′  N , 4 ° 19 ′  E Coordinates: 50 ° 36 ′  N , 4 ° 19 ′  E
Area : 60.6 km²
Residents: 28,734 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density: 474 inhabitants per km²
Height: 65  m
Post Code: 1400-1402, 1404
Prefix: 067
Mayor: Pierre Huart ( MR )

Local government address : 		Place Albert 1er
1400 Nivelles
Website: www.nivelles.be
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Nivelles ( Dutch Nijvel , Walloon Nivele ) is a city in the province of Walloon Brabant in the Wallonia region in Belgium and the seat of the arrondissement of Nivelles. It has 28,734 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) and an area of ​​60.56 km².

history

Westwork of the collegiate church
Nivelles

In the year 640, Itta , wife of Pippin the Elder , founded the Nivelles monastery in the area of ​​today's city ; A settlement has arisen around this monastery. After the death of Gertrudis , the first abbess and daughter of Itta, the founder of the monastery, in 659 it became a place of pilgrimage .

In the 12th century a city ​​wall was built around Nivelles , at the beginning of the 16th century the population was around 20,000. In 1789 the monastery was closed, which caused an economic decline.

In 1940 the old town was largely destroyed by German bombs aimed at the nearby military airport.

The Belgian Grand Prix in Nivelles took place twice on the now closed circuit of Nivelles-Baulers , with the Formula 1 races of 1972 and 1974 .

The city gained dubious notoriety in the 1980s following a series of robberies by the Brabant killer gang .

traffic

Since December 2015 Nivelles is the southern terminus of the S 1 line (Nivelles - Brussels - Mechelen) of the Brussels S-Bahn .

Attractions

Collegiate Church from the southeast

The city's sights include the Romanesque collegiate church of St. Gertrud from 1046 and the Fontaine du Perron fountain from 1523.

The Civic Museum of Archeology, Art and History was the refuge in the "Trinitaires d'Orival" priory. The building of the museum dates from the 18th century. It shows prehistoric and Gallo-Roman archeology from Nivilles and the surrounding area.

The Dodaine Park is the city park and serves as a local recreation area.

Events

  • Carillon Festival
  • carnival
  • Easter market

Town twinning

The twin cities of Nivelles are the two French cities of Saintes in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and Saint-Just-en-Chaussée in Hauts-de-France .

sons and daughters of the town

literature

  • Belgium , Verlag Karl Baedeker Ostfildern, 3rd edition 1998, ISBN 3-87504-417-7 , pp. 325–328

Web links

Commons : Nivelles  - collection of images, videos and audio files

proof

  1. ↑ Nivelles. In: forgottenairfields.com. Retrieved October 2, 2016 .
  2. ^ Saintes website
  3. ↑ Saint-Just website