Vilvoorde

Sister cities

• Middelburg
• Ennepetal
• Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo
• Komatsu
• Maubeuge

History

The Nervii, and later the Romans, probably already settled in this strategic place near the river Zenne. The name Filfurdo was first mentioned in a 779 document whereby Pippin of Herstal ceded this territory to the Abbey of Chèvremont, near Liège. This name presumably derived from the word equivalents villa at the ford or river crossing. In the 12th century, a small town started to grow, which quickly became a target for the ambitions of the dukes of Brabant and lords of Grimbergen. Henry I, Duke of Brabant granted the city its charter of rights as soon as 1192, mainly to ensure the support of the inhabitants against powerful neighbouring Flanders. The rights to build defensive walls and to export its products gave Vilvoorde a great economic boost, driven mostly by the cloth industry. In the 14th century, thanks to its position on the Zenne, Vilvoorde became an important military centre and could compete against Leuven and Brussels for the title of most important city in Brabant. From the 15th to the 18th century, however, Vilvoorde suffered a prolonged decline, mainly because of the competition from Brussels, a general malaise in the textile industry, and the result of epidemics and wars, both political and religious. The translator of the Bible into English, William Tyndale, was executed here in October 1536. In 1597 Anna Utenhoven, an Anabaptist accused of heresy, was buried alive in Vilvoorde – the last of the Protestants suffering martyrdom for their faith in the history of the Habsburg Netherlands. Anthony van Stralen, Lord of Merksem and Jan van Casembroot were also both executed in Vilvoorde. The advent of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century was a godsend to Vilvoorde, which could quickly capitalize on its proximity to Brussels and its…

Most-observed species

• Yellow-legged hornet

  Vespa velutina Lepeletier, 1836 · Insecta
  35,750
• Rose-ringed Parakeet

  Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  34,046
• Egyptian Goose

  Alopochen aegyptiaca (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  30,759
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  21,529
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  14,634
• Ring-necked Pheasant

  Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  13,977
• Harlequin ladybird, Asian ladybird, Asian ladybeetle

  Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) · Insecta
  11,203
• Indian Balsam

  Impatiens glandulifera Royle · Magnoliopsida
  10,446

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2018-05-25
  1 km S of Reppel, Belgium
• M 2.8 — 2008-12-20
  1 km WSW of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
• M 3.3 — 2008-09-13
  3 km SSE of Florennes, Belgium
• M 2.8 — 2008-09-12
  1 km NNW of Court-Saint-Étienne, Belgium
• M 2.7 — 2008-08-09
  1 km SW of Ottignies, Belgium
• M 2.6 — 2008-08-09
  0 km NW of Ottignies, Belgium