Melle, Belgium

Melle (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɛlə]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Gontrode and Melle proper. On January 1, 2011, Melle had a total population of 10,873. The total area is 15.21 km² which gives a population density of 715 inhabitants per km².

Melle
Municipality
Flag
Coat of arms
Melle
Location in Belgium
Location of Melle in East Flanders
Coordinates: 51°00′N 03°48′E
CountryBelgium
CommunityFlemish Community
RegionFlemish Region
ProvinceEast Flanders
ArrondissementGhent
Government
 • MayorDirk De Maeseneer (CD&V)
 • Governing party/iesCD&V-N-VA, VLD
Area
 • Total15.21 km2 (5.87 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total11,574
 • Density760/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Postal codes
9090
Area codes09
Websitewww.melle.be

Melle was mentioned in documents in 830, although the archeological findings prove the region was inhabited long before that date.

The name Melle has two possible derivations: the Celtic word melina means "brown water"; the prehistoric name Melinos means "honey yellow".

The village of Melle consists of three regions: Melle-Centre, Melle-Vogelhoek and Gontrode (since the fusion in 1976).

One of its famous products is the Delirium Tremens beer, bottled by the Huyghe brewery. This beer is exported worldwide and was voted "Best beer in the world" in 1998 at the World Beer Championships in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Miss Belgium 2000, Joke van de Velde grew up and went to high school in Melle.

The College van de paters Jozefieten, founded in 1837 by canon Constant Van Crombrugghe is known all around the country. Several Belgian and international celebrities went to this school (e.g. Cédric Van Brantegem (runner), a brother of Princess Mathilde). It was the first school in Belgium where a commercial science and an industrial science course were offered. An Irish student brought along a football in 1863. This was the first football to reach the European continent.

The village gained more national fame thanks to the TV show Schalkse Ruiters, which featured host Bart De Pauw playing a comedy character named The Man from Melle and who claimed to be from the (then non-existent) Koekoekstraat nr. 70 in Melle. At a certain point the city council decided to name one of their new streets Koekoekstraat and painted a door with house number 70 on the wall.[2][3]

References
  1. "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. https://www.hln.be/regio/melle/meer-volk-bij-barbier-dan-in-kerk-waarom-geen-barbierstraat~a56ec2ca/
  3. https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/blabr_20110221_001
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