| Nivelles | |
| Namenl: | Nijvel |
| Map: | Nivelles Brabant-Wallon Belgium Map.svg |
| Map-Legend: | Location of Nivelles in Walloon Brabant |
| Arms: | CommunesBelgique-Nivelles.svg |
| Flag: | Nivelles Belgium.svg |
| Arrondissement: | Nivelles |
| Nis: | 25072 |
| Pyramid-Date: | 01/01/2006 |
| 0–19: | 22.22 |
| 20–64: | 59.75 |
| 65: | 18.03 |
| Foreigners: | 5.53 |
| Foreigners-Date: | 01/07/2005 |
| Mayor: | Pierre Huart (MR) |
| Majority: | MR-Ecolo |
| Postal-Codes: | 1400, 1401, 1402, 1404 |
| Telephone-Area: | 067 |
| Web: | www.nivelles.be |
| Coordinates: | 50.5833°N 23°W |
Nivelles (in French pronounced as /nivɛl/; Dutch; Flemish: Nijvel, in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈnɛi̯vəl/; Walloon: Nivele) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux.
The Nivelles arrondissement includes all the municipalities in Walloon Brabant.
The Collegiate Church of St. Gertrude has been classified as a heritage site of Wallonia.
Starting in 4,000 BC, the Nivelles region was gradually turned into agricultural land by the Danubian settlers. Most of their ancestral Rubanean civilization was destroyed by the Roman invaders during the first century AD. In turn, most of the Roman constructions, including villas, were destroyed during the Germanic invasions of the 3rd century.
In the 7th century, the territory was part of the Austrasian Frankish kingdom, and the Mayor of the Palace, Pippin of Landen, rebuilt a villa there that covered more than 78 km². After Pippin's death in 640, the bishop of Maastricht, the future Saint Amand, urged Pippin's widow, Itta, to found an abbey in their villa. Itta's daughter, Gertrude, became the monastery's first abbess and was venerated as a saint upon her death. The growing influx of pilgrims necessitated the construction of ever-bigger churches, which culminated in the huge Romanesque structure that still stands today. The dedication of the church took place in 1046 in the presence of Wazo, Prince-Bishop of Liège, and Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. This was the golden age of the Nivelles monastery, which now owned territories as far as Friesland, the Moselle and the Rhine.
In the 13th century, the city that grew around the church became part of the Duchy of Brabant. The population was mainly artisans and guild members, who did not hesitate to fight the abbesses and the dukes to obtain their rights. These rights were finally granted by Joanna, Duchess of Brabant in the 14th century. In 1647, an important uprising by the thread manufacturers resulted in many of the city's entrepreneurs leaving for France, leading to the city's economic decline. The wars of the 17th century between France and the Spanish Netherlands made the situation worse as Nivelles went through successive sieges and military occupations. The Austrian and French regimes of the 18th century brought religious and administrative reforms to the city.
In 1830, Nivelles was one of the first cities to send patriotic troops to Brussels to fight in the Belgian Revolution. The following years were marked by the growth of heavy industry, including metallurgy and railway construction. The bombing of the city during World War I brought some damage to buildings, but greater devastation occurred during World War II on 14 May 1940, when almost the entire city centre was destroyed, leaving only the walls of the collegiate church standing. The rebuilding of the church was completed in 1984, but remains can be seen of wall fragments on the south side of the collegiate.
In and, the Belgian Grand Prix was hosted at the Nivelles-Baulers circuit. Emerson Fittipaldi won the race both times. The circuit ultimately proved unpopular and has since been demolished.
In September 2007, Nivelles jointly hosted the VII European Handball Championship of Ballpelote, International fronton and International game with Buizingen.