Editing Nivelles (section)

===The rise of Nivelles===
Starting in 4,000 BC, the Nivelles region was gradually turned into agricultural land by the Danubian settlers. Most of their ancestral Rubanean civilization was destroyed by the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] invaders during the first century AD. In turn, most of the Roman constructions, including [[villa]]s, were destroyed during the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] invasions of the 3rd century.

In the 7th century, the territory was part of the [[Austrasia]]n [[Franks|Frankish]] kingdom, and the [[Mayor of the Palace]], [[Pippin of Landen]], rebuilt a villa there that covered more than 78&nbsp;km². After Pippin's death in 640, the [[bishop of Maastricht]], the future [[Saint Amand]], urged Pippin's widow, [[Itta]], to found an abbey in their villa. Itta's daughter, [[Gertrude of Nivelles|Gertrude]], became the monastery's first abbess and was venerated as a saint upon her death. The growing influx of pilgrims necessitated the construction of ever-bigger churches, which culminated in the huge [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] structure that still stands today. The dedication of the church took place in 1046 in the presence of [[Wazo, Prince-Bishop of Liège]], and [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor]]. This was the golden age of the Nivelles monastery, which now owned territories as far as [[Friesland]], the [[Moselle]] and the [[Rhine]].

[[File:Nivelles JPG00 (9).jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude, Nivelles|Collegiate Church of St. Gertrude]]]]