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of Waterloo. NIVELLES. 11, Route. 157
greater part of the battle was a little to the right of the house. Not
far to the 9. of Belle Alllance is the French Monument (a bronze
eagle, by Gérome; 1904), commemorating the heroic attack of the
French Imperial Guard under Marshal Ney (comp. p. 152).
On the N. side of Belle Alliance a field-road diverges from the
highroad, and leads to Plancenoit, or Planchenois, a village situ-
ated 1 M. to the S.E., which the traveller who desires to appreciate
the important part acted by the Prussians in the battle should not
fail to visit (see pp. 151, 152). To the left, on a slight eminence
near the village, rises the Prussian Monument, an iron obelisk with
an appropriate inscription in German. It was injured by the French
when on their way to the siege of Antwerp in 1832, but has since
been restored.
The French retreat, which soon became a disorderly sauve qui peut,
followed the road to Genappe (p. 248), a village about 4M. to the 5. of
Plancenoit. Near Genapt where the road was blocked with cannon
and waggons, the Prussians captured Napoleon’s travelling carriage,
which the emperor had probably just quitted in precipitate haste, as it
still contained his hat and sword.
ConTINUATION OF Raitway Journey. The next station beyond
Waterloo is (12 M. from Brussels) Braine l’Alleud, Flem. Higen-
Brokel (355 ft.), a manufacturing town with 8800 inhab., whence
the Mound of the Lion (p. 154) on the field of Waterloo, which is
visible to the left, is 11/2 M. distant. The road to it leads directly
N. from the station.
Sream Tramway (in 4!/;-13/4 br.) vid Rivensart (p. 232) to (14 M.) Wavre
ranch-line via (8M.) Clabecq (p. 213) to (9!/2M.) Tubize, see
— Light railway to Virginul (p. 218) and to Nivelles-Nord (p. 238).
151/> M. Lillois. — 18M. Baulers, a suburb of Nivelles, is the
junction of the Manage and Ottignies line (p. 218).
{81/)M. Nivelles. — The station ( Nivelles-Fst) lies to the E. of the
town; on quitting it we turn to the left, cross the square diagonally, and
end the street to (!/, M.) the church of St. Gertrude. WNivelles- Nord,
ee p. 218. — Hotels, Hor. ru Mouron-Brano, Grand’ Place; A1cLe Noir,
a’ eee R, at 8-5, B. 4, déj. 2, D. 3 fr.; Hermann, at the station
Nivelles (325 ft.), Flem. Nyvel, on the Thines, a manufacturing
town with 12,300 inhab., owes its origin to a convent founded here
about the middle of the 7th cent. by Ita, wife of Pepin of Landen.
The former conyent-church of St. Gertrude, dedicated to a daughter
of Pepin, the first abbers of the convent, is a Romanesque edifice
of the 41th cent., with a well preserved crypt (three aisles) and a
lofty tower restored in the second half of the 19th century. On the
high-altar is the beautiful 13th cent. reliquary. of St. Gertrude
(d. 659); and among the many interesting objects in the treasury is
the saint’s crystal goblet. The Romanesque cloisters are badly restor-
ed. A monument in the town, commemorates Tirctoris (d. 1520),
the musician, and there are others to J. de Burlet, the statesman,
and to Baron de Seutin, the surgeon.
BAEDEKER’S Belgium and Holland. 45th Edit. 40 |