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This panorama was taking in the city center of of Mechelen, Belgium. Though now in the shadow of Brussels, Mechelen is a historically important city in its own right. From 1506 to 1530 it was the capital of the Netherlands under Margaret of Austria. In 1559 it became an archbishopric, a sign of great importance. It was famous for its wood carvings, some of which can still be seen in the churches of the city, and for lace and tapestry manufacture.
Today it is a vibrant town, mixing trendy and traditional. Its carillon school is world-renowned, training students from all over the world in the art of playing carillons, sets of 24 or more bells hung in church towers. Shops downtown are often housed in buildings with the old-style Flemish architecture, but offer edgy fashions sure to appeal to the younger generation.
In the photo, you can see the St. Rumbold's Cathedral (in Dutch: Sint-Romboutskathedraal) whose foundations go back to shortly after 1200. Around the area, you can see also many historical buildings. The large, historical building next to the cathedral is the Beyaert town house, a building that dates from the twelfth century and was originally an overnight shelter for pilgrims. It was the town hall for a while and is now a post office. The building on the other side of the square is the "Schepenhuis", or Aldermen's house, which has a fascinating history going back to 1288. Between the buildings behind the parking lot, you can also see the "Grote markt", a central square with many historical buildings including the townhall. Around the panorama, you can see many restaurants and galleries in historical buildings.
Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. Founding member of the European Union, it covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres and has a population of about 10.7 million. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, it was a prosperous centre of commerce and culture. Upon its independence, Belgium eagerly participated in the Industrial Revolution and, at the end of the nineteenth century, possessed several colonies in Africa. Today, Belgium's strongly globalized economy and its transportation infrastructure are integrated with the rest of Europe. Its location at the heart of a highly industrialized region helps made it 2007 the world's 15th largest trading nation. Cultural life is nowadays concentrated within each language community and a variety of barriers have made a shared cultural sphere less pronounced. Anyway, the region corresponding to today's Belgium has seen the flourishing of major artistic movements that have had tremendous influence on European art and culture. Text extracted from wikipedia.
