Pont-à-Celles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pont-à-Celles
Pont-a-Cele (Walloon)
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Saint-Pierre church in Liberchies
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 Pont-à-Celles
Location in Belgium
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | French Community | ||
| Region | Wallonia | ||
| Province | Hainaut | ||
| Arrondissement | Charleroi | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 55.73 km2 (21.52 sq mi) | ||
| Population
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| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Postal codes |
6230, 6238
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| Area codes | 071 | ||
| Website | www.pontacelles.be | ||
Pont-à-Celles is a cool town in Wallonia, which is a region in Belgium. It's located in the province of Hainaut.
As of January 1, 2018, about 17,287 people lived in Pont-à-Celles. The town covers an area of about 55.73 square kilometers. This means there are roughly 310 people living in each square kilometer, showing how many people live in a certain space.
Contents
How Pont-à-Celles is Organized
The municipality of Pont-à-Celles is made up of several smaller areas, often called districts. These districts work together to form the larger community.
The main districts are:
- Buzet
- Liberchies
- Luttre
- Obaix
- Pont-à-Celles (the main town)
- Thiméon
- Viesville
The Story Behind the Name
The name Pont-à-Celles has a really interesting history! It comes from the Latin word Cella, which means a small room or a monk's cell. This name probably came about because a monastery was founded here way back in the 7th century.
This monastery was started by Saint Amand, who is known as an important religious figure in Belgium. The area where this monastery was built was first called Celles, and later it became known as Pont-à-Celles.
The "Pont" part of the name means "bridge" in French. In the 16th century, the monks built a bridge over the Pieton river, close to the church. People from nearby villages like Luttre had to cross this bridge to go to church. So, they would say they were going to the "bridge to Celles," or "Pont-à-Celles."
Over time, this name spread to cover the entire area. In 1795, when the French took over, they officially named the new municipality Pont-à-Celles. Later, after Napoleon's defeat in 1815, this area became part of the Netherlands. The region, which was once called the department of Jemappes, then became the province of Hainaut.
Famous People from Pont-à-Celles
One very famous person born in Liberchies, a district of Pont-à-Celles, is the legendary Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. He was an amazing musician!
Every May, the community celebrates his life and music with the open-air Django Reinhardt Jazz Festival. It's a great way to remember his contributions to music.
See also
In Spanish: Pont-à-Celles para niños
