Villers-la-Ville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Villers-la-Ville
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Marbais
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 Villers-la-Ville
Location in Belgium
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | French Community | ||
| Region | Wallonia | ||
| Province | Walloon Brabant | ||
| Arrondissement | Nivelles | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 47.45 km2 (18.32 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 |
1495
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| Area codes | 071 | ||
| Website | www.villers-la-ville.be | ||
Villers-la-Ville is a town in Belgium. It's located in a part of Belgium called Wallonia, specifically in the Walloon Brabant province. In 2006, about 9,572 people lived there. The town covers about 47.45 square kilometers. This means there were about 202 people living in each square kilometer. Villers-la-Ville also includes smaller villages like Marbais, Mellery, Sart-Dames-Avelines, and Tilly.
Contents
Discovering Villers-la-Ville's Past
The most famous historical place in Villers-la-Ville is the Villers Abbey. This was a Cistercian abbey, which is a type of monastery. It was started in 1146 by twelve monks and three lay brothers from a place called Clairvaux. The land for the abbey was given by Gauthier de Marbais. The monks first tried a few different spots before settling on the current location in the 13th century.
Building the Abbey: A Long Project
Building the Villers Abbey was a huge task that took many years. The choir, which is the part of the church where the monks sang, was finished by 1217. The crypt, an underground room, was done by 1240. The refectory, where they ate, was completed by 1267. The main church itself took 70 years to build and was finished by the end of the 13th century.
During this time, the abbey became very famous and important. Records from that period suggest that around 100 monks and 300 lay brothers lived there. The abbey's lands grew to cover about 100 square kilometers of forests, fields, and pastures.
Challenges and Decline of the Abbey
The abbey started to face problems in the 16th century. This was a difficult time for the Low Countries, where Belgium is located. Spanish soldiers caused a lot of damage to the church and cloister in 1544. Even though parts were fixed in 1587, the abbey's wealth and importance continued to shrink in the 17th and 18th centuries. The number of monks also went down.
Finally, the abbey was left empty in 1796 after the French Revolution.
Restoring a Historic Site
After being abandoned, the abbey fell into ruin. More damage happened in 1855 when a railway line was built right through the old abbey grounds. In 1893, the Belgian government bought the site and started working to save it. The abbey was officially named a historic site in 1973. Since then, a lot of restoration work has been done.
Today, you can still see the remains of the abbey. These include the cloister (a covered walkway), the refectory, kitchens, dormitories (sleeping areas), and the brewing house.
Villers Abbey Today: A Cultural Hub
Today, Villers Abbey is a very important cultural and historical place. It hosts an annual choir festival called La Nuit des Chœurs, where different choirs perform various types of music. The site is looked after by an organization called the Association pour la Promotion Touristique et Culturelle de Villers (APTCV).
Even though the church is in ruins, it is a great example of Cistercian architecture. You can still see its impressive arches and rose windows.
Exploring Villers-la-Ville's Landmarks
North of the main village, you'll find the amazing ruins of the Villers Abbey. This was once one of Europe's most important Cistercian abbeys. It was founded in 1147 and later destroyed by French republicans in 1795. Inside the ruined church, you can still find the tombstones of several dukes of Brabant from the 13th and 14th centuries.
The abbey ruins also appeared in the final episode of season 2 of the TV show Sense8.
How Mail Arrived: Postal History
The MARBAIS post office opened on June 1, 1838. The VILLERS-LA-VILLE post office opened later, on February 10, 1865. Other post offices opened in SART-DAMES-AVELINES on October 15, 1877, and in TILLY on November 8, 1906.
In 1969, different postal codes were used for the areas:
- 6318 for Marbais
- 6320 for Villers-la-Ville
- 6321 for Tilly
- 6322 for Mellery
- 6328 for Sart-Dames-Avelines
Since at least October 1990, the main postal code for the area has been 1495.
Getting Around: Transport Links
Villers-la-Ville has a few ways to get around by train:
- Villers-la-Ville railway station
- Tilly railway station, which is in the village of Tilly
Images for kids
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Marbais
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The municipality of Villers-la-Ville in Walloon Brabant
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Villers-la-Ville coat of arms
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Villers-la-Ville flag
