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