Saint-Gilles (in French) or Sint-Gillis (in Dutch) is one of the nineteen municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.
The pattern of the streets was completely remodeled in the 1860s by architect and urbanist Victor Besme. These were the years when the Louise Avenue, the Brussels-South railway station, and the new Saint Giles church were built. They were soon followed by the new jail and city hall. Today, Saint-Gilles is one of the densest municipalities of the Brussels agglomeration.
Saint-Gilles is also known as one of the centers of artistic and student life in Brussels.
Sights
- Particular architectural delights are found in the dozen or more Art Nouveau houses designed by masters such as Horta, Struyvens, and Hankar, dotted around the upper part of the municipality. The house that Horta designed for himself, now the Horta Museum, is located there on Rue Americaine/Amerikaansestraat. Several of those houses have been recognized as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 2000.
- The imposing town hall, built between 1900 and 1904, looks larger than it is, and bears a splendid resemblance to a French château with Venetian overtones.
- The extant Gothic revival jail and the demolished Palais de la Monnaie/Munthof (mint) both date from the 1880s, while Saint Giles’s church was built in 1867.
- There is not a lot of open space in the municipality, although the Forest Park, Brussels/Park van Vorst abuts its western side.
Events
Saint-Gilles hosts:
- an annual open day for local artists, the Parcours des Artistes
- the annual festival of Brussels’s Portuguese community
- an annual winegrowers’ festival (fête des vignerons)
Education
The Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning of the University of Louvain (UCLouvain) is established in Saint-Gilles.
