Lede

Lede
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Lede Location in Belgium
Location of Lede in East Flanders
Coordinates: 50°58′N 03°59′E / 50.967°N 3.983°E / 50.967; 3.983Coordinates: 50°58′N 03°59′E / 50.967°N 3.983°E / 50.967; 3.983
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	East Flanders
Arrondissement	Aalst
Government
• Mayor	Roland Uyttendaele (CD&V)
• Governing party/ies	CD&V, VLD
Area
• Total	29.69 km2 (11.46 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	18,399
• Density	620/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Postal codes	9340
Area codes	053, 09
Website	www.lede.be

Lede (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈleːdə]) is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders, in the Denderstreek near the cities of Gent, Aalst and Dendermonde.

In 2011, Lede had a population of 17,882 and area of 29.69 km², a population density of 575 inhabitants per km². The current mayor of Lede is Roland Uyttendaele (CD&V).

The municipality comprises the sub-municipalities of Impe, Lede proper, Oordegem, Smetlede, Wanzele, and the hamlet of Papegem. All the sub-municipalities and also the hamlet are crossed by the Molenbeek.

The Lede Formation (Dutch: Formatie van Lede; abbreviation: Ld) is a geologic formation in the subsurface of Belgium. The formation is named after Lede. It consists of shallow-marine limestone and sandstone, deposited in the former sea that covered Belgium during the Eocene. The bluestone (for roads) and in particular the yellow-brown calcareous sandstone extracted from quarries in Lede and neighbouring areas, were widely used during the 15th to 18th century as construction material for religious and civil buildings.

Lede is known for a statue of the Virgin Mary, called "Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-van-Zeven-Smarten" (Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows), to which a local legend attributes magical powers. The statue attracts many pilgrims. The statue is taken around in a procession during a Sunday in June, after the biannual nine-day festival. The local church, built in 1496, houses the statue.