La Louvière
| La Louvière | ||
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| Municipality | ||
Houdeng-Aimeries
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 La Louvière
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Location of La Louvière in Hainaut
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| Coordinates: 50°28′N 04°11′E / 50.467°N 4.183°ECoordinates: 50°28′N 04°11′E / 50.467°N 4.183°E | ||
| Country | Belgium | |
| Community | French Community | |
| Region | Wallonia | |
| Province | Hainaut | |
| Arrondissement | Soignies | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Jacques Gobert (PS) | |
| • Governing party/ies | PS, MR, UDSC | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 64.24 km2 (24.80 sq mi) | |
| Population (1 January 2016) | ||
| • Total | 80,430 | |
| • Density | 1,300/km2 (3,200/sq mi) | |
| Postal codes | 7100, 7110 | |
| Area codes | 064 | |
| Website | www.lalouviere.be | |
La Louvière (French pronunciation: [la lu.vjɛʁ], Walloon: El Lovire) is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. La Louvière's municipality includes the old communes of Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pierre, Saint-Vaast, Trivières, Boussoit, Houdeng-Aimeries, Houdeng-Gœgnies, Maurage, and Strépy-Bracquegnies. La Louvière is the capital of the Centre region, a former coal mining area in the sillon industriel, between the Borinage to the West and the Pays Noir to the East.
The legend of a mother wolf nursing a child at La Louvière is reminiscent of the mythical birth of Rome. The true origin of the city, however, dates from the 12th century. At that time, the forested, and presumably wolf-infested, territory of today’s La Louvière was named Menaulu, from the Old French meaning “wolf’s lair”. This land was part of the larger community of Saint-Vaast, which itself belonged to the Aulne Abbey.
By 1284, the name of the territory had been translated into Latin, then back into French to its current name of La Louvière. The lords of Saint-Vaast encouraged prospecting on their land, which led to the first extraction of coal in the year 1390. The abbey’s refusal to provide necessary infrastructure, however, delayed large-scale development until the 18th century.
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