Editing La Louvière (section)

==History==

===Mythical origins===
The legend of a mother wolf nursing a child at La Louvière is reminiscent of the mythical birth of [[Rome]].  The true origin of the city, however, dates from the 12th century.  At that time, the forested, and presumably wolf-infested, territory of today’s La Louvière was named ''Menaulu'', from the [[Old French]] meaning “wolf’s lair”.  This land was part of the larger community of Saint-Vaast, which itself belonged to the [[Aulne Abbey]].

By 1284, the name of the territory had been translated into [[Latin]], then back into [[French language|French]] to its current name of La Louvière.  The lords of Saint-Vaast encouraged prospecting on their land, which led to the first extraction of coal in the year 1390.  The abbey’s refusal to provide necessary infrastructure, however, delayed large-scale development until the 18th century.

===Birth of La Louvière===
In the 19th century, the construction of roads, canals, and railways finally allowed the local coal production to be exported.  Investments also poured into the local industry to take advantage of the abundant source of energy.  La Louvière quickly surpassed its overlord Saint-Vaast, both in population and economic wealth.  Within fifty years, the territory that was not much more than a place name had become one of the most important cities in Wallonia.  La Louvière was recognized as an independent city in 1869.  Today, La Louvière is still the fifth largest city in Wallonia, after [[Charleroi]], [[Liège]], [[Namur]], and [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]].