Editing Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (section)

===Rural beginnings===
As early as the 9th century, Molenbeek was the site of [[Church of St. John the Baptist, Molenbeek|a church]] dedicated to [[John the Baptist|Saint John the Baptist]]. The parish boundaries of St. John's Church were much greater than today, reaching as far as the river [[Senne (river)|Senne]],{{sfn|Verbesselt|1965|p=159–199}}{{sfn|Onclincx|1977|p=34}} and from the end of the 12th century, included a chapel dedicated to [[Catherine of Alexandria|Saint Catherine]].{{sfn|Lefèvre|1942|p=206–208}} This chapel was split off from the rest of the parish following the construction of [[Fortifications of Brussels#Second walls|Brussels' second city walls]] and gradually became the current [[Church of St. Catherine, Brussels|Church of St. Catherine]] in the {{lang|fr|Sainte-Catherine|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Sint Katelijne|italic=no}} neighbourhood of Brussels.{{sfn|Laurent|1963|p=161–235}}{{sfn|Onclincx|1977|p=34}} The first documented mention of Molenbeek was made on 9 April 1174 in a [[papal bull]] by [[Pope Alexander III]] listing the property of the [[chapter (religion)|chapter]] of the [[Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula|Collegiate Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula]] (now Brussels' cathedral), which included St. John's Church, as well as other property.{{sfn|Onclincx|1977|p=34–35}}{{sfn|Marchand|2018|p=10}}{{sfn|Demanet|De Zuttere|2023|p=3}} The [[Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage|Brussels Beguinage]], founded before 1247 outside the city walls,{{sfn|Mardaga|1989|p=104}} also depended on Molenbeek.

[[File:Saint John’s Dancers in Molenbeeck’ (1592) by Pieter Brueghel II.jpg|left|thumb|''Saint John's Dancers in Molenbeeck''', [[Pieter Brueghel the Younger]], 1592]]

In the early [[Middle Ages]], Molenbeek was known for its miraculous spring of [[Gertrude of Nivelles|Saint Gertrude of Nivelles]], the mythical founder of [[Nivelles Abbey]], which attracted thousands of pilgrims.{{sfn|Onclincx|1977|p=34–35}} According to legend, she visited Molenbeek and offered the land on which the village's first church was built,{{sfn|Onclincx|1977|p=34}} and allegedly caused this sacred spring to spur out by ramming her abbess's [[crosier]] into the ground near the church.<ref name=":2" /> Later, the tradition of a special pilgrimage for patients with [[epilepsy]] developed around St. John's Church. On St. John's Day (24 June), a dancing procession took place, in which epileptics could be freed from their illness for a year if they crossed a bridge over the Molenbeek brook towards the church without their feet touching the ground. A painting by [[Pieter Brueghel the Younger]], dating from 1592, illustrates this procession.{{sfn|Onclincx|1977|p=35}}{{sfn|Marchand|2018|p=13}}<ref name=":2" />

Molenbeek was made part of [[Brussels]] in the 13th century. As a result, the agricultural village lost a lot of its land to its more powerful neighbour.{{sfn|Marchand|2018|p=16}} In addition, St. John's Church was dismantled in 1578 during the [[Calvinism|Calvinist]] Republic of Brussels, which lasted from 1577 to 1585, leading to further decline, though it was later rebuilt on the same spot. The town's aspect remained mostly rural until the 18th century.{{sfn|Marchand|2018|p=18–21}}{{sfn|Demanet|De Zuttere|2023|p=3–4}}