Doornzele is a village in the municipality of

Evergem Evergem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of , Doornzele, Ertvelde, Evergem proper, , Kluizen, , Sleidinge and . In 2021, Evergem had a total population of 35,791. Demogra ...

in the province of

East Flanders , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of Oost-Vlaanderen.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van O ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. The village is notable for its ' (village square) which is one of the largest in Belgium and in near original condition. Doornzele is located on the

Ghent–Terneuzen Canal The Ghent–Terneuzen Canal (Dutch: Kanaal van Gent naar Terneuzen), also known as the "Sea Canal" (Zeekanaal) is a canal linking Ghent in Belgium to the port of Terneuzen on the Westerschelde (Scheldt) Estuary in the Netherlands, thereby providin ...

about north of

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...

History

Doornzele is known for its ' (village square) which was first attested in 966. The settlement itself was first mentioned in 1337. The ''dries'' measures and is long. The church is located in the centre and the village has been built around the square. An abbey of the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

Sisters has been known to exist in Doornzele since 1234. Shortly after, it was joined by Aurea Cella, an abbey of Cistercian nuns. In 1578, the abbeys were destroyed by

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

s from

. Doornzele was burnt in 1691 by French troops. In 1843, a monastery was established, and Doornzele became an independent

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

in 1853. The St Peter and Paul Church was destroyed in 1940, and rebuilt in 1955. During the 20th century, Doornzele became surrounded by industrial zones and harbours. In 2018, it was decided to construct a park and forest between Doornzele and the harbours as a buffer zone and for recreational purposes. The

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

Doornzelemolen was originally a wooden windmill belonging to the abbey. In 1839, the current stone windmill was built. In 1948, the axle brook and it continued to operate on three electro motors until 1970. In 1995, it was bought by the municipality and converted into a cultural centre. The lower floor is used as a cafetaria. The three upper floors are as a

Rolle Bolle ( ), also known as Belgian Bowling or Krulbollen, is a bowling sport related to boules, and originates from the Flanders region of Belgium. The sport was introduced to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is played in som ...

exposition centre.

Gallery

File:Doornzele - Sint-Petrus en Pauluskerk 1.jpg, St Peter and Paul Church on the ''dries'' File:Doornzele - Doornzelemolen 1.jpg, Former windmill Doornzelemolen File:Brouwerij Doornzele - België.jpg, Former brewery File:Woning Doornzele Dries 111 - Evergem - België.jpg, House in Doornzele

References

{{Authority control Evergem Populated places in East Flanders