Lasne
Encyclopedia
Lasne is a Walloon municipality
located in the Belgian
province of Walloon Brabant
, to the south east of Brussels. On January 1, 2008 Lasne had a total population of 14,043. The total area is 47.22 km² which gives a population density
of 297 inhabitants per km². Lasne is the richest commune in the country, measured by the average taxable income of the inhabitants. It also has the lowest local taxes of any commune in Belgium. The commune is twinned with Azay-le-Rideau (France) and Abbeville (USA).
The commune takes its name from the river Lasne which rises in the village of Plancenoit
and flows through several of the villages which make up the commune. The name Lasne comes from the Celtic word
meaning flat or calm, presumably referring to the slow moving river.
Lasne is a semi-rural commune retaining several working farms. 66% of the land area is rural, of which 66% is agricultural land, and the remainder, forest and open areas. In the past, there were a silk factory and sand extraction, although there is no longer any industry within the commune. It was formed from the fusion of 5 communes: Couture-Saint-Germain, Lasne-Chapelle-Saint-Lambert, Maransart, Ohain and Plancenoit. While the commune has taken the name of Lasne, the administrative offices are in the village of Ohain.
Ohain contains a fine example of a Brabant-Wallon village green
: almost triangular in shape and sloping gently. The green contains many mature trees and is bordered on 2 sides by old houses and shops. The church in Ohain was built around the year 1200 and the strongly built square tower dates from this time.
The village of Couture St Germain contains the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey
of Aywiers which has been the subject of pilgrimages since the late 19th century in honour of Saint Lutgarde who lived there for 30 years at the end of the 12th century.
Much of the Battle of Waterloo
was fought in the village of Plancenoit, notably around the church and the fortified farm of La Papelotte. The cemetery wall is said to still contain holes made by musket
balls. It was in Plancenoit that Blücher
's troops engaged Napoleon's army, having marched from Wavre
. Blücher and Wellington
met after the battle at the farm 'La Belle Alliance
' - now a bar. The current historic area commemorating the battle is jointly administered by the communes of Lasne, Waterloo
and Braine-l'Alleud
.
Lasne is in a region of Belgium known as the Pays Romain or Roman Land. The Grand Chemin is a major road traversing the commune, linking the large towns of Wavre and Nivelles
, and formed a part of a network of Roman roads ultimately linking the ports of the Rhine and Seine
with sea ports. The distance between small chapels on this path is equal to one or more leagues, or at a precise fraction of a Gaul
ish league
, where a Gaulish league equals 2222 metres.
In 2007, Lasne was still considered as the richest commune of Belgium, with an average taxable income of 40,949 euros per year according to the latest report of the INS (Institut National de Statistique).
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
located in the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
province of Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant is a province of Wallonia in Belgium. It borders on the province of Flemish Brabant and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut . Its capital is Wavre...
, to the south east of Brussels. On January 1, 2008 Lasne had a total population of 14,043. The total area is 47.22 km² which gives a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 297 inhabitants per km². Lasne is the richest commune in the country, measured by the average taxable income of the inhabitants. It also has the lowest local taxes of any commune in Belgium. The commune is twinned with Azay-le-Rideau (France) and Abbeville (USA).
The commune takes its name from the river Lasne which rises in the village of Plancenoit
Plancenoit
Placenoit is a village in the commune of Lasne, Walloon Brabant, Belgium. The village was a key strategic point during the Battle of Waterloo as it was the main focal point of the Prussians' flank attack on Napoleon's army....
and flows through several of the villages which make up the commune. The name Lasne comes from the Celtic word
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
meaning flat or calm, presumably referring to the slow moving river.
Lasne is a semi-rural commune retaining several working farms. 66% of the land area is rural, of which 66% is agricultural land, and the remainder, forest and open areas. In the past, there were a silk factory and sand extraction, although there is no longer any industry within the commune. It was formed from the fusion of 5 communes: Couture-Saint-Germain, Lasne-Chapelle-Saint-Lambert, Maransart, Ohain and Plancenoit. While the commune has taken the name of Lasne, the administrative offices are in the village of Ohain.
Ohain contains a fine example of a Brabant-Wallon village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
: almost triangular in shape and sloping gently. The green contains many mature trees and is bordered on 2 sides by old houses and shops. The church in Ohain was built around the year 1200 and the strongly built square tower dates from this time.
The village of Couture St Germain contains the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of Aywiers which has been the subject of pilgrimages since the late 19th century in honour of Saint Lutgarde who lived there for 30 years at the end of the 12th century.
Much of the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
was fought in the village of Plancenoit, notably around the church and the fortified farm of La Papelotte. The cemetery wall is said to still contain holes made by musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
balls. It was in Plancenoit that Blücher
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt , Graf , later elevated to Fürst von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall who led his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the Duke of Wellington.He is...
's troops engaged Napoleon's army, having marched from Wavre
Wavre
Wavre is a town and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, of which it is the capital.Wavre is located in the Dyle valley. Most of its inhabitants speak French as mother tongue and are called "Wavriens" and "Wavriennes"...
. Blücher and Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
met after the battle at the farm 'La Belle Alliance
La Belle Alliance
La Belle Alliance is an inn situated a few miles south of Brussels in Belgium.On the morning of June 18, 1815 the inn became Napoleon Bonaparte's headquarters for the Battle of Waterloo....
' - now a bar. The current historic area commemorating the battle is jointly administered by the communes of Lasne, Waterloo
Waterloo, Belgium
Waterloo is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. On December 31, 2009, Waterloo had a total population of 29,573. The total area is 21.03 km² which gives a population density of 1,407 inhabitants per km²...
and Braine-l'Alleud
Braine-l'Alleud
Braine-l'Alleud is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, about 20 kilometers south of Brussels. The Braine-l'Alleud municipality includes the former municipalities of Braine-l'Alleud proper, Ophain-Bois-Seigneur-Isaac, and Lillois-Witterzée. It also includes...
.
Lasne is in a region of Belgium known as the Pays Romain or Roman Land. The Grand Chemin is a major road traversing the commune, linking the large towns of Wavre and Nivelles
Nivelles
Nivelles is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....
, and formed a part of a network of Roman roads ultimately linking the ports of the Rhine and Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
with sea ports. The distance between small chapels on this path is equal to one or more leagues, or at a precise fraction of a Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
ish league
League (unit)
A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
, where a Gaulish league equals 2222 metres.
In 2007, Lasne was still considered as the richest commune of Belgium, with an average taxable income of 40,949 euros per year according to the latest report of the INS (Institut National de Statistique).