Collégiale Sainte-Gertrude de Nivelles

11th-century Romanesque collegiate church in Nivelles dedicated to Saint Gertrude, patron of cats, a Walloon heritage monument.

The Collegiate Church of Sainte-Gertrude in Nivelles is one of the most significant Romanesque churches in Belgium. Construction began shortly after the year 1000 — possibly from 1020 as a replacement for an earlier structure — and the church was consecrated in 1046. It is listed as a Walloon heritage monument and one of the defining landmarks of the Brabant Wallon region. The church is dedicated to Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, patron saint of cats and travellers. Her tomb inside the church made Nivelles a pilgrimage destination for centuries. The building was badly damaged in the Second World War and painstakingly restored. Today the collegiate church is the focal point of Nivelles town centre, easily reachable from Brussels.