Saint-Gilles, Belgium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint-Gilles Sint-Gillis  (Dutch)
Municipality
Saint-Gilles' Municipal Hall seen from the Place Maurice Van Meenen/Maurice Van Meenenplein
Flag Coat of arms
Saint-Gilles Location in Belgium
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community French Community
Region	Brussels
Arrondissement	Brussels-Capital
Area
• Total	2.52 km2 (0.97 sq mi)
Population  (2018-01-01)Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
• Total	Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Postal codes	1060
Area codes	02
Website	stgilles.brussels stgillis.brussels

Saint-Gilles (in French) or Sint-Gillis (in Dutch) is a cool place in Belgium. It is one of the 19 towns that make up the Brussels-Capital Region. You can find it in the southern part of Brussels.

Saint-Gilles is next to the City of Brussels, Anderlecht, Forest, and Ixelles. Like all towns in Brussels, it is officially bilingual. This means both French and Dutch are used. Today, most people there speak French.

This town is very diverse, with people from many different backgrounds. The homes here are also varied. You can find older apartments near the Brussels-South railway station. There are also fancy houses closer to Uccle and Ixelles. Plus, there are hotels near the Chaussée de Charleroi/Charleroisesteenweg.

History of Saint-Gilles

How Saint-Gilles Began as Obbrussel

The first homes in a small village called Obbrussel were built a long time ago. This was between the 7th and 11th centuries. Obbrussel means "Upper Brussels." These homes were near a high point in Brussels called the Altitude Cent. Today, this area is part of Forest.

In 1216, more and more people moved to the area. So, Forest Abbey allowed Obbrussel to become its own independent church area. But this independence only lasted for 80 years. After that, Brussels took over the village's management. By the 1500s, Obbrussel had grown to 41 houses.

The start of the Chaussée de Waterloo/Waterloosesteenweg from the Halle Gate

In 1670, the Spanish government ordered a fort to be built in Obbrussel. This fort was part of the fortifications of Brussels. It was meant to protect the City of Brussels from attacks. The fort was built in 1675. Later, it was taken down. Its place was used for important roads and new buildings. The neighborhood called Barrière de Saint-Gilles still reminds us of those old toll gates.

From French Rule to Today

During the time of the French First Republic, on August 31, 1795, the village changed its name. It became Saint-Gilles, named after its patron saint and main church. It then joined with nearby villages to form Uccle.

But just four years later, Saint-Gilles became independent again. It got its own mayor and town council. In 1830, Brussels became the capital of the new country, Belgium. Saint-Gilles was once a quiet farming village known for growing cabbage. But it quickly grew with many new buildings. Its population jumped from about 2,500 in 1800 to over 33,000 in 1880. By 1910, it reached a peak of 60,000 people!

In the 1860s, an architect named Victor Besme redesigned the streets. Around this time, the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan was built. The Brussels-South railway station and the new Church of St. Gilles also appeared. Soon after, the new prison and Municipal Hall were constructed. Today, Saint-Gilles is one of the most crowded towns in Brussels.

Cool Places to See in Saint-Gilles

• You can find amazing Art Nouveau houses here. These were designed by famous architects like Victor Horta and Paul Hankar. Horta's own house, now the Horta Museum, is on the Rue Americaine. Several of these houses are so special that UNESCO made them World Heritage Sites in 2000.
• The huge Municipal Hall was built between 1900 and 1904. It looks like a grand French castle with touches of Venice.
• The prison is built in a neo-Gothic style. The Church of St. Gilles was built in 1867.
• There aren't many big open parks in Saint-Gilles itself. However, Forest/Vorst Park is right next to its western side.

• 

  View of the Parvis de Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillisvoorplein looking towards the Church of St. Gilles

• 

  The front entrance to Saint-Gilles Prison

• 

  The Hôtel Hannon, an Art Nouveau house designed by Jules Brunfaut

Saint-Gilles Facts and Figures

Population Details

• People from Other Countries: Saint-Gilles has the most people from other countries of any Brussels town. In 2017, almost half of its residents were not Belgian. Many people come from France, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Poland, and Romania.
• Age: The people living here are quite young. The average age is about 36 years old. Nearly 10,000 residents are under 18. Fewer people are over 65 compared to other places.
• Gender: It's unusual, but Saint-Gilles has slightly more men than women.
• Income: The average yearly income for a person here is between €9,000 and €11,500. This makes it one of the towns with lower average incomes in Brussels.

Economy and Jobs

• Businesses: In 2014, there were over 4,400 registered businesses in Saint-Gilles.
• Jobs: Over 34,000 people work here as employees. Another 4,200 are self-employed. The number of jobs grew by 26% between 2006 and 2013. This is much faster than the rest of Brussels. Many women also work here.
• Tourism: More and more tourists are staying in hotels in Saint-Gilles. Between 2007 and 2015, hotel stays went up by almost 20%. Most of these visitors were from other countries.
• Housing Costs: Most homes in Saint-Gilles are rented. In 2013, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment was about €669.

Education in Saint-Gilles

The town has 13 schools for young children (nursery and primary). Ten of these are French-speaking, and three are Dutch-speaking. There are also 7 secondary schools. Six are French-speaking, and one is Dutch-speaking.

The University of Louvain (UCLouvain) has its Faculty of Architecture here. This means students can study architecture, engineering, and urban planning in Saint-Gilles.

Getting Around Saint-Gilles

Saint-Gilles has great public transport because many people live there. The Brussels-South railway station is at the north end of the town. This station has international trains that go very fast.

There's also an underground tram line called the premetro. It runs south through the town. By 2025, this line will become a full metro line. It will connect Albert station to Brussels-North Station.

You can also use many tram lines (3, 4, 8, 51, 81, 97) and bus lines. There are also shared cars available at different spots around the town.

Sports in Saint-Gilles

Saint-Gilles has a football club called Royal Union Saint Gilloise. This team was very successful in the 1930s. On March 13, 2021, the team won a big game. This win meant they were promoted back to the Belgian First Division A. It was their first time playing in the top football league in 48 years!

Famous People from Saint-Gilles

Many interesting people have lived in Saint-Gilles:

• Paul Delvaux (1897–1994), a surrealist painter.
• Victor Horta (1861–1947), a famous Art Nouveau architect.
• Jef Lambeaux (1852–1908), a sculptor.
• Alme Meyvis (1877–1932), a landscape painter.
• Pierre Paulus (1881–1959), an expressionist painter.
• Théodore Pilette (1883–1921), a racing car driver.
• Rob Redding (born 1976), an American abstract painter.
• Paul-Henri Spaak (1899–1972), an important politician. He was a Prime Minister and helped create the European Union.

See also

In Spanish: Saint-Gilles (Bruselas) para niños