Vilvoorde
| Vilvoorde | |
|---|---|
| Region: | Flanders |
| Province: | Flemish Brabant |
| District: | Halle-Vilvoorde |
| Area: | 21.47 km² |
| Population: | 37,324 (2006) |
| Population density: | 1,738 /km² |
Vilvoorde (unofficially Vilvorde in French) is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper and the town of Peutie.
The city is home to a large Spanish minority. In the center of the city, 1 out of 10 inhabitants have the Spanish nationality and the proportion of Belgians with Spanish roots is even greater. Most immigrated after the second world war, from Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo in Andalusia.
Since 2000, the mayor of Vilvoorde is former Belgian prime minister Jean-Luc Dehaene. The official language of Vilvoorde is Dutch.
History
Origins
The Nervii, and later the Romans, probably already settled in this strategic place near the river Zenne. The name Filfurdo was first mentioned in a 779 document whereby Pippin of Herstal ceased this territory to the Abbey of Chèvremont, near Liège. This name presumably derived from the word equivalents villa at the ford or river crossing.
Middle Ages
In the 12th century, a small town started to grow, which quickly became a target for the ambitions of the Dukes of Brabant and Lords of Grimbergen. Henry I, Duke of Brabant granted the city its charter of rights as soon as 1192, mainly to ensure the support of the inhabitants against powerful neighbouring Flanders. The rights to build defensive walls and to export its products gave Vilvoorde a great economic boost, driven mostly by the cloth industry. In the 14th century, thanks to its position on the Zenne, Vilvoorde became an important military centre and could compete against Leuven and Brussels for the title of most important city in Brabant.
15th century until now
From the 15th to the 19th century, however, Vilvoorde suffered a prolonged decline, mainly because of the competition from Brussels, a general malaise in the textile industry, and the result of epidemics and wars, both political and religious.
The advent of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s was a godsend to Vilvoorde, who could quickly capitalize on its proximity to Brussels and its good transportation infrastructure: deepening of the canals around 1830, advent of the railway in 1835. Soon, the medieval buildings gave way to newer and better constructions. The 1489 city hall was replaced by the neo-classical building we see today.
In the 1920s, the canal was broadened and deepened again, lined with new industrial zones, and an inland port was built to receive the freightliners. Vilvoorde became (and still is) one of the largest industrial area around Brussels, with a population that grew to five times what it was 150 years earlier. The recent economic crises have hit the city hard, especially when Renault closed its doors in 1997. The service industry is now taking the lead as Vilvoorde enters the 21st century.
Sights
- The neo-classical city hall and a covered market hall can be found on the main city square.
- The statue of a Brabant horse can be found nearby, commemorating the long tradition of horse trading in Vilvoorde.
- The Kijk-Uit house dates from the 15th or 16th century.
- The city also has interesting churches, including the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) that was started in the 14th century, and the basiliek Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ten-Troost (Basilica of Our Lady), built in the17th-century Baroque style and adjoining the cloister of the Carmelites.
- Vilvoorde also has its fair share of parks, such as the Hanssenspark with English gardens and the Domein Drie Fonteinen (the "Domain of the Three Fountains"), which boasts both English and French gardens.
Events
- Like many other Belgian cities, Vilvoorde has a week-long carnival, which takes place every year around the end of February, beginning of March.
Famous inhabitants
- William Tyndale (1494-1536), English scholar and Bible translator was strangled and burnt in Vilvoorde, on October 6, 1536, after having been charged with heresy.
- Jan Baptist van Helmont (1577-1644}, chemist, physiologist, and physician settled in Vilvoorde from1609 until his death.
- Jean-François Portaels, orientalist painter (1818-1895)
- Danny Devos, artist working in body art and performance art (b. 1959)
- Pascal Duquenne, actor (b. 1970)
Twin cities
Germany: Ennepetal
France: Maubeuge- Template:NET: Middelburg
Spain: Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo, Córdoba
Japan: Komatsu, Ishikawa
See also
External links
- Official website - Only available in Dutch
