Zichem is a village of the town of

Scherpenheuvel-Zichem Scherpenheuvel-Zichem (; french: Montaigu-Zichem) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the province of Flemish Brabant, Flemish Region, Belgium, encompassing the towns of Averbode (village), Aver ...

in the Belgian province 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 ...

. Zichem was an independent municipality until the municipal redistribution of 1977. Zichem is on the list of The most beautiful villages in Flanders as the most beautiful village of Flemish Brabant.

History

Zichem belonged to Maria van Loon-Heinsberg, who was a descendant of the Counts of Loon. After her marriage in 1440 to Jan IV of Nassau, Zichem became part of the county of

Nassau-Dillenburg The County of Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later part of the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, the male line of which is now extinct, was the House of Nassau. Origins Nassau, originally a county, developed ...

. Before the outbreak of the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...

, Zichem was a thriving town. During the siege of Zichem in 1578 by

Alexander Farnese Alessandro Farnese may refer to: *Pope Paul III (1468–1549), Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome *Alessandro Farnese (cardinal) (1520–1589), Paul's grandson, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal-nephew *Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592), P ...

, almost the entire garrison was killed. In 1580, Zichem was hit by an earthquake which toppled the castle's keep. On October 8, the Staatsen retook Zichem. In 1599, a large ignited city fire put a permanent end to the town, and the town was destroyed by the fire.Havermans, ''Bydragen tot de geschiedenis van Diest en omstreken'' P.22, uitgave: Havermans, 1845

Geography

The

Demer The Demer is an long river in eastern Belgium, right tributary of the Dijle. It flows through the Belgian provinces Limburg and Flemish Brabant. Its source is near Tongeren. It flows into the river Dijle in Werchter, Rotselaar municipality. T ...

(river) that flows through the city forms the border between the Kempen region in the north and the Hageland region in the south.

Sights to see

* the Market Square, a copy of the village squares in Provence * The * The * The birthplace of Ernest Claes * the Witpeerd - a toll house built in 1617 to collect tolls on shipping traffic on the

Zichem and Ernest Claes

Zichem is the birthplace of

Ernest Claes Andreas Ernestus Josephus Claes (24 October 1885 in Zichem – 2 September 1968 in Elsene) was a Belgian author. He is best known for his regional novels, including ''De Witte'' ("Whitey"), which was the source material for the first Flemish movie ...

, one of Flanders' most widely read writers in the second half of the 20th century.His birthplace is now a museum. Zichem is also very well known for the book De Witte van Ernest Claes, which was later filmed several times.

Television Series

The television series

Wij, Heren van Zichem ''Wij, Heren van Zichem'' (''We, Gentlemen of Zichem'') was a Flemish TV drama series, originally broadcast between 1969 and 1972 in 26 episodes on the BRT (nowadays the VRT). The program was based on several novels by Ernest Claes, who died just ...

was based on several conjoined stories by

. Some of the filming for the series took place in the city. Two films were also made "De Witte" (1934) by

Jan Vanderheyden Jan Vanderheyden (10 October 1890 – 27 March 1961) was a Belgian film producer and director known for the Flemish comedies he made in the 1930s and 1940s. During the German occupation of Belgium between 1940 and 1944, he produced four of the ...

with a.o.

Jef Bruyninckx Jef Bruyninckx (13 January 1919 – 15 January 1995) was a Belgian film actor, editor and director. Selected filmography Actor * '' De Witte'' (1934) * '' Alleen voor U'' (1935) * '' Janssens tegen Peeters'' (1939) * ''Janssens en Peeters dikk ...

, and "De Witte van Sichem" by

Robbe De Hert Robin François De Hert (20 September 1942 – 24 August 2020) was a Belgian film director. De Hert won the André Cavens Award for Best Film in 2000, with his film ''Lijmen/Het Been''. He died on 24 August 2020 at the age of 77 due to complic ...

(1980).

born in Zichem

(1885-1968), writer

Peter Jan Beckx Peter Jan Beckx (also ''Pieter Jan Beckx'', in French ''Pierre Jean Beckx''; 8 February 1795 – 4 March 1887) born in Zichem (Belgium) and died in Rome, was a Belgian Jesuit priest, elected the twenty-second Superior-General of the Socie ...

(1795-1887), superior of the Jesuits. Johnny White (1946-2014), singer File:Maagdentoren zichem.jpg, alt=, maagdentoren File:Sint Eustachius Zichem.jpg, alt=, Saint-Eustachius church File:Maagdentoren 2016.jpg, alt=, maagdentoren File:Geboortehuis ernest claes.jpg, alt=, birth house ernest claes File:Het witpeerd -- tolhuis uit 1617.jpg, alt=, the witpeerd (oldest house in zichem) File:Ernest Claes & De Witte.jpg, alt=, ernest claes and whitey

References

{{Reflist Former municipalities of Flemish Brabant