Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Woluwe-Saint-Lambert | |
|---|---|
| Region: | Brussels-Capital |
| Province: | – |
| District: | Brussels |
| Area: | 7.22 km² |
| Population: | 47,952 (2006) |
| Population density: | 6,637 /km² |
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (French) or Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe (Dutch) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is a prosperous residential area, with a mixture of flats and detached houses, often compared with Uccle, another affluent community around Brussels and the 7th or 16th arrondissement in Paris.
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[edit] Spelling and pronunciation
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is sometimes also spelled in French: Woluwé-Saint-Lambert with an accent on the first "e". Though the first version (without an accent) is the official version, the second one fits more the French pronunciation [wɔlyˈwe] with a strong ending [e] (very roughly like the vowel of get; [w] stands for the initial sound of well, or of oui in French).
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is also often written in French: Woluwe-St-Lambert or abbreviated WSL.
[edit] Geography
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert hosts the Brussels campus of the Université catholique de Louvain, various radio and television stations (e.g., RTL Group) and several shopping areas, notably the Avenue Georges Henri and the Woluwe Shopping Centre. Some of the municipality's major roads are named after prominent 20th century Belgian statesmen, such as the prestigious Avenue de Broqueville and Avenue Paul Hymans. Line 1B of the Brussels Metro runs under these roads.
The Woluwe River goes through Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.
[edit] History
[edit] Medieval origins
Several archaeological finds on the territory of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert show traces of human activity during the Bronze Age. The first historical mention of the village, however, dates from the 11th century, when some of the forested land near the Woluwe River was cleared for farming. A church was built and dedicated to Saint Lambert, the 7th-century bishop of Maastricht who was martyred in Liège. At the end of the 12th century, the rights to the parish of Saint Lambert were given to the canons of the chapter of St. Michael and Gudula in Brussels. Various charitable organizations and hospitals then started acquiring land in this area. Throughout the Middle Ages, Woluwe was part of the Duchy of Brabant, governed under the usual feudal arrangement of those times. Among the Dukes’ vassals were some powerful local lords and landowners. Some of Woluwe’s territory also belonged to the powerful abbeys of Forest and ‘t Park in Leuven.
[edit] 16th century until now
Up until recently, the village was mostly rural, focusing mainly on agriculture. Starting in the 16th century, affluent nobles and clergymen from Brussels built castles in Woluwe, some of which are still visible today. True urbanization, however, started only around 1900. Well-to-do neighbourhoods, which included some of the novel architectural styles of the Belle Epoque such as Art Nouveau then Art Deco, straddled the newly built Brand Whitlock Boulevard. Today, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is still mostly a residential area, attracting like before some of the wealthier inhabitants from neighbouring Brussels.
[edit] Sights
- The surroundings of the Woluwe River have been laid out as park areas, such as the Park of the Woluwe and Park Malou. Older historical buildings, such as the Lindekemale watermill, the Hof ter Musschen farm, and the 16th-century Slot castle, also tend to be found near the river.
- The Saint-Lambert church has a 12th-century Romanesque tower.
- The municipality's Art Deco Town Hall, built in the 1930s, is located above the Tomberg Metro station.
- The Wolubilis cultural village and theatre, located on Avenue Paul Hymans, were inaugurated in 2006.
[edit] Famous inhabitants
- Jules Malou, statesman and former Prime Minister of Belgium (1810-1886)
- Prince Amedeo, Princess Maria Laura, Prince Joachim, Princess Luisa Maria, and Princess Laetitia Maria, born in 1986, 1988, 1991, 1995, and 2003, respectively.
- Princess Louise of Belgium, Prince Nicolas of Belgium, and Prince Aymeric of Belgium, born in 2004, 2005, and 2005, respectively.
[edit] Twin cities
[edit] See also
- Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, an adjacent municipality
- Woluwe River
- Sint-Stevens-Woluwe
- White Star Woluwé F.C.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- Official site of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert municipality (only in French or Dutch)
- Wolubilis cultural centre (only in French or Dutch)
