Malines (in Dutch Mechelen , in German Mecheln ) is a common city and Dutch-speaking of Belgium located in Flemish Région in the Province of Antwerp, chief town of district.

The city is located on the edges of the Dyle and the channel of Leuwen. It is since 1559 the seat of the archbishop's palace Malignant become in 1962 the archbishop's palace of Malignant-Brussels.

History

The tradition wants that Malines was évangélisée at the VIII century by Saint-Rombaut, a monk come from Ireland whose legendary life and the miracles are recalled on a series of visible panels painted in the déambulatoire of the cathedral. The Seigneurie Malignant belonged to the prince-bishops of Liege, then with the counts de Flandre and the dukes of Burgundy (14th century-15th century). Already thrives thanks to its situation on Dyle, it reaches its apogee under the domination of Marguerite of Austria, aunt of Charles Quint.

Monuments and sites

The city preserved many monuments which testify to its importance in the last centuries. It does not count for example not less than three, or rather house town halls of the aldermen.

• Cathédrale Saint-Rombaut, (13th century at the 16th century) with his imposing tower of 97 meters (in the beginning it was expected that it measures 167 meters!) and its two chimes of 49 bells each one.

• Town square ( Grote Markt ) with the old house and town hall many.

• Museum of old Arts, it occupies the first town hall of 13th, and shelters remarkable collections of retables
• Sint-Janskerk , the Midsummer's Day church, contains a superb retable of the Worship of the Magi paints by Rubens.
• the church Our-Lady-with-beyond-of-the-Dyle, contains it also a retable of Rubens. The city has 6 other churches quite as remarkable.
• manufacture De Wit specialized in the restoration of the tapestries.
• the Quay with the Oats ( Haverwerf ), with three pretty old houses.
• Béguinage, open day and night
• the palate of Marguerite of York, grandmother of Charles Quint, with the beautiful Gothic frontage, shelters the theater.
• the palate of Marguerite of Austria, aunt de Charles Quint, current law courts, of which one little to visit the gardens of the rebirth.
• the municipal museum, placed in an old palate: the hotel van Busleyden, is dedicated to the folklore.

The commune of Malignant shelters also the large zoological gardens of Planckendael.

Among the recent companies, one can quote the printing works of the stamp since 1993, which provides Belgian La Poste.

Economy

• Technopolis

Gastronomy

• the first speciality the Malignant ones is the beer, gold Malignant , whose names refer to Charles Quint: The Carolus , the Golden Fleece …
• the cuckoo Malignant (chicken)

Sports

• Football clubs: Malignant KRC, Kv Malignant, Sporting Malignant, Rapid Leest, VV Leest, Leest Utd., FC Muizen, Heffen, Zennester Hombeek, Walem.

Personalities

• Koen Augustijnen, choreographer contemporary
• Ludwig van Beethoven killed from a Flemish family commoner originating in Malignant
• Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, choreographer contemporary
• Edouard-Léonor Havin, politician French
• Jean-Baptiste Janssens, 27th general Superior of the Jésuite S, was born in Malines (1889)
• Georges Lemaître (1894 - 1966) Astronomer, physicist, author of the theory of Big Bang. Entered with the Great Seminar the Malignant ones, it is ordered priest in 1923.
• Günther Neefs, singer
• Johannes Varennius (1462-1536), enseignor Collegium Trilingue: SYNTAXIS LINGVUAE GRAECAE… COLONIAE Martinus Gymnicus excudebat ASS M.D.L

Internal bonds

• Brewery Het Anker
• Henri Packsaddlled Malignant, medieval philosopher