Sint-Agatha-Rode

Geschiedenis

Sint-Agatha-Rode, named after the third-century Christian martyr Saint Agatha of Sicily, is a Dutch-speaking village in Belgian province of Flemish Brabant and lies within the district of the town of Huldenberg. Historically Sint-Agatha-Rode was an independent municipality (Gemeente) until the merger of Belgian municipalities in 1977 when it was joined to the town of Huldenberg.Sint-Agatha-Rode is located east of the town centre of Huldenberg, in the hills between the valleys of the river Dijle which is the eastern boundary of the Huldenberg district and the river Laan which is the western boundary. North of the town center of Sint Agatha-Rode the Laan joins the Dyle. The eastern boundary of the village is the language barrier with the Walloon villages of Nethen and Pecrot and to the south is the Flemish village of Ottenburg. Sint-Agatha-Rode has developed from being an agricultural village to become a rural residential town.Attractions The village of St. Agatha-Rode was designated a protected village (beschermd dorpsgezicht) in 1979 The Gothic Church of Saint Agatha was founded in the 13th century. It has been rebuilt many times - in 1578, for example, it was burnt by religious extremists. The present building was rebuilt and restored in the early 17th century and is made from white Gobertange stone. The church tower is also in early Gothic style with a chiming clock built by the Namur clockmaker Lion in 1738 and which was restored in 1993. Many of the stained glass windows were blown out when the nearby Dijle bridge was blown up during the Second World War and were replaced about 1950. The church and the cemetery wall were designated as protected buildings in 1979.