Dilbeek
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Dilbeek () is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant ( nl, Vlaams-Brabant ; french: Brabant flamand ) is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Haina ...
, in the
Flemish region The Flemish Region ( nl, Vlaams Gewest, ),; german: Flämische Region usually simply referred to as Flanders ( nl, link=no, Vlaanderen ) ; german: link=no, Flandern is one of the three regions of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and t ...
of
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 municipality comprises the villages of Dilbeek proper,
Groot-Bijgaarden Groot-Bijgaarden (officially) or Grand-Bigard is a village and deelgemeente in the municipality of Dilbeek, a suburb of Brussels, in Flanders, Belgium. Toponymy The name Bijgaarden is derived from the Germanic word for enclosure. The appellation ...
,
Itterbeek Itterbeek is a historical village in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, and since 1977 a submunicipality of Dilbeek. Toponymy The village derives its name from the Indo-European words 'eud-' (water) en 'baki' (stream). One of the first m ...
(with
Sint-Anna-Pede Sint-Anna-Pede is a village in Itterbeek, Belgium, which is a deelgemeente of Dilbeek. It gets its name from the Pedebeek, the stream that flows through the village. Sint-Anna-Pede was already mentioned in the first half of the 12th century as "Pet ...
),
Schepdaal Schepdaal is a village and deelgemeente of Dilbeek in Flanders, Belgium. History The oldest mention dates back to 1260, when the area was called Scepdale. Before 1827 Schepdaal was a part of Zierbeek, named after the stream with the same name ...
(with
Sint-Gertrudis-Pede Sint-Gertrudis-Pede is a village in Dilbeek. Toponymy According to local legend, Gertrude of Nivelles, abbess of Nivelles Abbey, was on her way to Lennik when her carriage became stuck in the mud. Therefore, she was obliged to continue her jour ...
),
Sint-Martens-Bodegem Sint-Martens-Bodegem (locally known as: ''Beugem'') is a historic village that is now part of Dilbeek Dilbeek () is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Di ...
, and
Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle is a village and deelgemeente of Dilbeek. History Historically, Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle was a part of the Land of Asse. Together with Dilbeek, Groot-Bijgaarden, Itterbeek, Schepdaal and Sint-Martens-Bodegem, it has formed the mu ...
. Dilbeek is located just outside the
Brussels-Capital Region Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, in the
Pajottenland The Pajottenland (in English occasionally Payottenland) is a distinct region within the Flemish Brabant province and the south-western part of the Brussels Region of Belgium. The region is located west-southwest of Brussels. The Pajottenland is pre ...
, hence the local name ''Poort van het Pajottenland'' (Gate to the Pajottenland). Even though Dilbeek is located in the Dutch language area of Belgium, there is a French-speaking minority represented by 3 members on the 35-seat local council. It is a mostly residential community with some preserved rural areas and some industrial zones.


History


Medieval origins

The life of
Saint Alena Saint Alena (also written Alène
Accessed 2012-05-10.
or Alina
, the 7th-century martyr daughter of a lord of Dilbeek, was set in Dilbeek and Forest (Vorst). The historical facts of her life, however, are disputed. In
Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
times, Dilbeek and its neighbouring villages were part of the
pagus In ancient Rome, the Latin word (plural ) was an administrative term designating a rural subdivision of a tribal territory, which included individual farms, villages (), and strongholds () serving as refuges, as well as an early medieval geogra ...
''Bracbatensis''. This territory, ruled by the Lords of Aa in
Anderlecht Anderlecht (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the ...
, was integrated into the
Landgraviate of Brabant The Landgraviate of Brabant (1085–1183) was a small medieval fiefdom west of Brussels, consisting of the area between the Dender and Zenne rivers in the Low Countries, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Before 1085 the land had belonged ...
by the counts of
Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...
around 1085. The first mention of the name ''Dedelbeccha'' dates from 1075, while the name ''Bigardis'', later transformed into ''Groot-Bijgaarden'' (in French ''Grand Bigard''), dates from 1110. ''Bigardis'' was originally a dependency of the Abbey of Saint Bavo in
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 in ...
, but by 1125, nuns under the leadership of Saint Wivina had founded a religious community there. Around 1183, the landgraviate became the
Duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Neth ...
, within which Dilbeek remained as an independent parish until the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
.


16th century until now

The area's parishes belonged to the see of Cambrai until 1559, when they were placed under the administration of the
Archbishop of Mechelen In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...
. Also in the 16th century, Dilbeek, Itterbeek and Sint-Martens-Bodegem were placed under the local rule of the Lords of Gaasbeek. The following decades were marked by the wars that opposed
Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
, which resulted in the ruin of the Abbey of Groot-Bijgaarden. The final dismantlement and sale of the buildings took place during the French regime in the 1790s.


Events

*Each of the six communes that make up the current municipality organizes several annual
fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...
s and kermesses. *Every spring, a
tulip Tulips (''Tulipa'') are a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm ...
festival takes place in Dilbeek. *Each summer the ''Vijverfestival'' (Pond Festival), where Flemish bands perform on a floating stage, takes place at the pond behind the town hall in Dilbeek proper.


Sights

*The imposing castle of Groot-Bijgaarden was built in 1640 around a 14th-century
keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
. Nearby is the Sint-Wivina domain, where ruins of the original abbey still stand. *Dilbeek's local authority offices, also known as the
de Viron Castle De Viron Castle ( nl, Kasteel de Viron, french: Château de Viron) is a castle in Dilbeek, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, which houses the offices of the local authority. History It was built in 1863 by the Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar Jean-Pierre ...
, was built in 1863 in Tudor-style on the ruins of a 14th-century fortification. One of the
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
towers, the ''Sint-Alenatoren'', can still be seen in the park surrounding the current building. On his visit to this fort,
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...
was reportedly served rabbit instead of his favourite
hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...
, which resulted in the nickname ''konijnenfretters'' (rabbit eaters) for the inhabitants of Dilbeek. Several other buildings of interest (farm, ice cellar, stagecoach building) can also be found in the park *The rural communes contain numerous old farms, including ''Het Neerhof'', a 13th-century building that belonged to the abbey of
Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
. *The tower of the ''Sint-Ambrosiuskerk'' (church of Saint-Ambrose) dates from the same century. *The main church of Sint-Anna-Pede (Itterbeek) was the model used by
Peter Brueghel the Elder Pieter Bruegel (also Brueghel or Breughel) the Elder (, ; ; – 9 September 1569) was the most significant artist of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, a painter and printmaker, known for his landscapes and peasant scenes (so-called genr ...
in his 1568 painting '' The Parable of the Blind'' currently in
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. The village now houses a Brueghel museum as well as a restored
watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...
dating from 1776. *Dilbeek also houses an interesting tram museum, tracing the history of this local mode of transportation since its beginning in 1887. *The village of Sint-Gertrudis-Pede (Schepdaal) is the location of the Payottenland's only working watermill, a centuries-old building that has been thoroughly renovated in the eighties and nineties.


Famous inhabitants

*
Saint Alena Saint Alena (also written Alène
Accessed 2012-05-10.
or Alina
, Christian
saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
(died c. 640) * Saint Wivina, monastic foundress, 12th century. *
Romain Maes Romain Maes (; 10 August 1913 – 22 February 1983) was a Belgian cyclist who won the 1935 Tour de France after wearing the yellow jersey of leadership from beginning to end. Maes was the 13th child in his family. He started racing when he w ...
, cyclist who won the 1935
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
(1913–1983) * Johan Anthierens, journalist, publicist, critic, and writer (1937–2000) *
Goedele Liekens Goedele Maria Gertrude Liekens (born 21 January 1963 in Aarschot) is a Belgian politician, sexologist and television presenter, currently serving as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for the party Open VLD, to which she was elec ...
, former Miss Belgium *
Urbanus Urbain Servranckx (born 7 June 1949), better known as Urbanus, is a Belgian comedian, actor, singer and comic book writer. Although he is most famous as comedian, some of his songs became hits, such as ''Bakske vol met stro'' (1979), ''Madammen ...
, famous Flemish comedian was born and raised in Schepdaal. *
Black Box Revelation Black Box Revelation (BBR, previously named The Black Box Revelation) is a Belgian garage rock band. It was formed in 2005 by vocalist and guitarist Jan Paternoster and drummer Dries Van Dijck. The band achieved great reviews with their debut '' ...
, a garage-rock band formed in 2005 by Dilbeek natives Jan Paternoster and Dries Van Dijck. * Remco Evenepoel, Belgian cyclist nicknamed the "Schepdaal Cannibal".


Twin cities

*: OberVellach, part of Hermagor *:
Dalton, Georgia Dalton is a city and the county seat of Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is also the principal city of the Dalton Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the ci ...
*:
Franschhoek Franschhoek (; Afrikaans for "French Corner", Dutch spelling before 1947 ''Fransche Hoek'') is a small town in the Western Cape Province and one of the oldest towns in South Africa. Formerly known as Oliphants hoek (as there were vast groups of ...


References


External links

* * Only available in
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
{{Authority control Municipalities of Flemish Brabant