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History of Brussels (Belgium) - part 1

The earliest settlement of what is now Brussels goes back to the year 580 and the island (Saint-Géry island) between two branches of the river Senne which ran through Brussels, on which Gaugericus (Géry), Christian bishop of Cambrai, built a chapel (Saint-Géry Chapel), which remained the oldest place of worship in the city until the building was demolished in the 1790s. (See also History of Brussels - part 2)

Brussels is mentioned in the historical record again in 695. 

In the year 979, Lambert the Duke of Louvain, fortified the settlement on Saint-Géry Island - this is the traditional date of the founding of Brussels. What is now the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula dates back to a parish church in 1047. In the 1100s, the Dukes of Brabant transformed the fortress on Saint-Géry Island into a inhabitable castle. The city was enclosed by the first city walls (première enceinte - see shaded region on map to the right) in the 1200s. Brussels had developed into a substantial market town, in particular thanks to the production of cloth. In the 1300s, the "second walls" (seconde enceinte - see outer border on map to the right) of Brussels were built, forming the proverbial "pentagon" with eight city gates. 

As a result of a royal marriage, Brussels was under the control of Burgundy (south-east France) between 1369 and 1477. The magnificent Brussels Town Hall (Hotel de Ville) dates to the first half of the 1400s. Construction of the Grand-Place with its distinctive guildhalls began in the 1000s, and was completed by the 1600s. 

Brussels and the surrounding Low Countries came under the control of the Spanish House of Habsburg 1556–1714. Charles V would hand power over to his son Philip II, who sent the infamous Duke of Alba to do battle with the Protestant Reformation, resulting in much bloodshed. While the northern Provinces broke away to form the Protestant Netherlands, the southern provinces remained loyal to Spain and the Roman Catholic Church. 

Later, in 1695, Brussels, temporarily under the control of the British king, William III of Orange, was bombarded by the French, and many buildings destroyed, only to be rebuilt within a few years.

Between 1714 and 1795, Brussels came under Austrian rule. Under Emperor Joseph II of Austria, all but one of the city gates were removed. It was at this time, in 1781, that religious toleration was first extended to Belgian Protestants, although this was very unpopular in Belgium.  

From 1795 until 1815, Belgium was annexed by France, and Brussels came under the département of the Dyle (one of nine Belgian départements). 

Following the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, for a brief period, Brussels was given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This led to the Revolution of 1830, and the creation of Belgium as an independent nation. 

Prior to 1830, the city of Brussels was confined to what is known as the "pentagon", a five sided area enclosed by what were the second city walls dating back to the 1300s. During the period 1812-40, the second city walls were removed and replaced with wide Parisian-style boulevards, forming la Petite Ceinture - now an internal multi-lane ring road. (See map below of Brussels in 1830)


See also History of Brussels - part 2

I grew up in Belgium, living there from 1979 until I left school in 1992, and coming back to spend time with my parents until they moved to Italy in 1996. I now realise that, despite having lived there for 13 formative years of my life, my knowledge of Brussels is very piecemeal and incomplete. 

Sources

Meganck, Marc. Les 100 mots de Bruxelles. 

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