Sint-Truiden
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Sint-Truiden Saint-Trond (French) |
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Sint Truiden Grote Markt with eighteenth-century Stadhuis and Lievenvrouwenkerk
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 Sint-Truiden
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Location of Sint-Truiden in Limburg
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| Coordinates: 50°48′N 05°11′E / 50.800°N 5.183°ECoordinates: 50°48′N 05°11′E / 50.800°N 5.183°E | |||
| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | Limburg | ||
| Arrondissement | Hasselt | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Veerle Heeren (CD&V) | ||
| • Governing party/ies | CD&V, Open VLD | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 106.90 km2 (41.27 sq mi) | ||
| Population (1 January 2016) | |||
| • Total | 40,158 | ||
| • Density | 380/km2 (970/sq mi) | ||
| Postal codes | 3800, 3803, 3806 | ||
| Area codes | 011 | ||
| Website | www.sint-truiden.be | ||
Sint-Truiden (Dutch pronunciation: [sɪnt ˈtrœy̯də(n)]; French: Saint-Trond, French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ tʁɔ̃]) is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, near the towns of Hasselt and Tongeren. The municipality includes the old communes of Aalst, Brustem, Duras, Engelmanshoven, Gelinden, Gorsem, Groot-Gelmen, Halmaal, Kerkom-bij-Sint-Truiden, Melveren, Ordingen, Runkelen, Velm, Wilderen, and Zepperen.
The city is in the centre of Belgium's fruit producing region, Haspengouw (Hesbaye), and is renowned for its pears, apples (Jonagold), and sweet cherries.
The municipality formed around an abbey founded by St. Trudo, a Frankish nobleman, in the 7th century. Legend has it that as a boy, Trudo was playing while building a small church with some rocks. When a woman scornfully kicked over the rocks she was struck by sudden blindness. Trudo cured her from this blindness after she asked for his forgiveness. He also allegedly was able to spring water and cure other illnesses. After Trudo’s death, the abbey (the later Sint-Truiden Abbey) became the centre of a pilgrimage, which brought wealth to the neighbouring town. The 11th century was particularly prosperous and witnessed an important growth in population. This was the time when abbot Adelardus, reporting to the prince-bishop of Metz, built the abbey’s main church and two additional churches in town: Our Lady (Lievenvrouwenkerk) and Sint-Gangulfus. Under his direction, Sint-Truiden also received an earth wall surmounted by a wooden fence and fortified gates. A proper stone wall, gates and towers, were built in 1129. The economy of this new oppidum city was based on the linen industry and commerce with foreign lands such as England, Champagne, and Germany.
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