Soignies

Soignies is a Walloon municipality placed within the Belgian province of Hainaut. The municipality consists of the town of Soignies together with the villages of Casteau, Chaussee Notre Dame Louvignies, Horrues, Neufvilles, Naast and Thieusies. Casteau is understood worldwide due to the fact SHAPE, the army headquarters of NATO, has been based on the village since 1967. The records of the place starts offevolved within the 2nd half of of the 7th century.

In the 670s, Madelgaire, a rich former governor beneath King Dagobert I, and his spouse Waltrude decided to split and commit themselves to a spiritual life. Both of them founded an abbey, Madelgaire in Soignies and Waltrude in neighbouring Mons. Madelgaire took the religious call of Vincent. Like his wife, he became canonized after his dying and later became the customer saint of the town that would sooner or later grow around the monastery. At that point, a big wooded area covered the whole vicinity, the remnants of which close to Brussels are nevertheless referred to as the Sonian Forest these days.