Uccle

Uccle () or Ukkel () is aone o the nineteen municipalities locatit in the Brussels-Caipital Region, Belgium.
Uccle is kent for its well-tae-dae auries, its green spots an its heich rental rates.

History

Accordin tae legend, Uccle’s kirk o St. Peter wis dedicatit bi Pape Leo III in the year 803, wi Charlemagne an Gerbald, Bishop o Liège, attendin the ceremony.  Durin the follaein centuries, several noble families biggit thair manor an teuk residency here. The first mention o the name Woluesdal, nou evolved intae Wolvendael, dates frae 1209. In 1467, Isabella of Portugal, wife of Philip the Guid, Duke o Burgundy foondit a Franciscan convent on Uccle’s territory. Later, Uccle became the judiciary caipital o the aurie includin Brussels. Throughoot the early stages o its history, housomeivver, the veelage o Uccle aaways haed a predominantly rural character an lived maistly frae the products o forestry an agricultur.

At the end o the 18t century, a few years efter the French Revolution, Uccle merged wi neighbourin territories tae acome a commune, wi its awn mayor an municipal assembly. It haed tae wait till 1828, housomeivver, for the Dutch authorities tae allou the construction o the first toun haw. This wis a time o economic prosperity an growthe, stimulatit bi the proximity tae the twa main roads linkin Brussels tae the industrial sooth. A newer an lairger toun haw wis biggit atween 1872 an 1882. Banker an philanthropist Georges Brugmann contributit a lot tae the urbanisation o the ceety juist afore the turn o the century. In the early 20t century Michel van Gelder introduced a new breed o chicken, the d'Uccle, named efter the toun. Despite the acceleratit rate o construction that teuk place in the early 20t century, Uccle succeedit in keepin several o its green auries intact, which nou attract mony o the Brussels aurie’s wealthier indwallers.

Lying ayont Forest an Ixelles an skirtin the Forêt de Soignes, Uccle is Brussel’s lairgest an maist sootherly commune. Lairge, 19t-century detached hooses wi generous gardens mak this green an calm suburb a favourite wi well aff expatriates, wi the airt deco aurie aroond the Ryal Observatory an the fringes o the Forêt de Soignes the twa maist desirable addresses.

Main sichts

Uccle is mainly a residential aurie, but coonts a lot o pairks an forestit auries, sic as the Pairk o Wolvendael an the Verrewinkel Woods. The municipality is situatit tae the immediate wast o the famous Bois de la Cambre () an aw.
St. Job Square an the aurie near St. Peter's Kirk an the toun haw are twa aulder pairts o toun, nou filled wi a happy mix of stores an pubs.
Uccle is the steid o the Belgian naitional weather station, the Royal Meteorological Institute: ony information on Belgian weather, unless region specific, is describit bi the statistics recordit in Uccle. Richt next door is the Ryal Observatory o Belgium.
Uccle Cemetery, kent as Dieweg Cemetery an aw, wis creatit follaein a cholera epidemics that afflictit Brussels in 1866. Its mixtur o trees an auld stanes exudes a unique romantic atmosphere.
The Bloemenwerf, a turn-o-the-century (1900) Art Nouveau villa biggit bi airchitect Henry Van de Velde.
 Nemo 33 is the deepest indoor soummin puil in the warld.

Notable residents

Jean Améry, born Hans Maier, author an essayist (1912-1978)
Sandrine Blancke, actress (b. 1978)
Roger De Coster, motocross racer (b. 1944)
Maurits Cornelis Escher, Dutch graphic airtist (1898-1972)
Jean-Michel Folon, airtist, illustrator, painter, an sculptor (1934-2005)
Martin Gray Warschau ghetto an Holocaust survivor, writer. (b. 1922)
Pierre Harmel, lawyer, politeecian, an diplomat (1911-2010)
Hergé, comics writer an airtist, creautor o The Adventures of Tintin (1907-1983)
Vincent Kompany, fitbaa defender (b. 1986)
Joachim Lafosse, film director (b. 1975)
Prince Wenzeslaus o Liechtenstein an Prince Rudolf o Liechtenstein, (b. 1974 an 1975, resp.)
Princess Mathilde, Duchess o Brabant (b. 1973)
Marianne Merchez, astronaut (b. 1960)
Axel Merckx, professional road bicycle racer (b. 1972)
Philippe Moureaux, politeecian, senator, an professor of economic history (b. 1939)
Alizée Poulicek, Miss Universe Belgium 2008 (b. 1987)
Joseph Raphael, painter (1869-1950)
Axelle Red, born Fabienne Demal, sangster (b. 1968)
Sybille de Selys Longchamps, baroness an aristocrat (b. 1941)
Olivier Strebelle, sculptor (b. 1927)
Toots Thielemans, jazz muisicker (b. 1922)
Jacques Tits, mathemateecian (b. 1930)
Jaco van Dormael, Film Director: "Mr. Nobody," "The Eighth Day" (b. 1957)
Henry van de Velde, painter, architect, an interior designer (1863-1957)
Lara Fabian, sangster (b. 1970)

Twin ceeties
 Neuilly-sur-Seine, Fraunce

References

Freemit airtins

 Offeecial wabsteid  

Category:Municipalities o the Brussels-Caipital Region