Editing Mechelen (section)

{{Short description|City in Antwerp Province, Belgium}}
{{distinguish|Machelen|Michelin}}
{{Redirect|Mechlin|other uses|Mechlin (disambiguation)|and|Mechelen (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Mechelen
|namefr           = Malines
|picture          = {{Photomontage 
|border=0 
|size=275 
|spacing=2 
|color=none 
|photo1a          = Mechelen van hoog.jpg
|photo2a          = Mechelen Grote Markt 9-06-2012 14-39-43.jpg
|photo3a          = Mechelen, de Brusselpoort RM3411 foto8 2011-09-23 12.52.jpg
|photo3b          = Mechelen Palais 2.jpg
|photo4a          = Mechelen IJzerenleen 1.jpg
}}
|picture-legend   = Left to right, top to bottom: View of the city with [[St. Rumbold's Cathedral]] on the far left, ''Grote Markt'' with Mechelen City Hall, [[Brusselpoort]], [[Hof van Savoye]], ''IJzerenleen'' in the city center with the [[Schepenhuis, Mechelen|Schepenhuis]]
|map              = Mechelen Antwerp Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Mechelen municipality and ''[[Arrondissements of Belgium|arrondissement]]'' in the [[Flemish Region|Flemish]] province of [[Antwerp (province)|Antwerp]]
|arms             = Wapen Mechelen.svg
|flag             = Flag of Mechlin.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-VAN}}
|arrondissement   = Mechelen
|nis              = 12025
|pyramid-date     = 1 January 2006
|0–19  = 23.60
|20–64 = 58.51
|65    = 17.89
|foreigners       = 7.07
|foreigners-date  = 01/07/2005{{Ambiguous|date=August 2016}}
|mayor            = [[Bart Somers]] ([[Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats|Open Vld]])
|majority         = [[Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats|Open Vld]]-[[Groen (political party)|Groen]]-M+
|postal-codes     = 2800, 2801, 2811, 2812
|telephone-area   = 015–03
|web              = {{Official URL}}
|coordinates      = {{coord|51|01|40|N|4|28|50|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Mechelen''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈmɛxələ(n)|-|Nl-Mechelen.ogg}}; {{langx|fr|Malines}} {{IPA|fr|malin||LL-Q150 (fra)-Madehub-Malines.wav}}; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in English<ref group="n" name="cityname">Mechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. The city's French name, ''{{lang|fr|Malines}}'', had also been used in English in the past (in the 19th and 20th centuries); however, this has largely been abandoned. Meanwhile, the Dutch-derived ''{{lang|nl|Mechelen}}'' began to be used in English increasingly from the late 20th century onwards, even while ''Mechlin'' remained still in use (for example, a ''Mechlinian'' is an inhabitant of this city or someone seen as born-and-raised there; the term is also the name of the city dialect; as an adjective ''Mechlinian'' may refer to the city or to its dialect.</ref>) is a city and [[municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] in the [[Provinces of Belgium|province]] of [[Antwerp Province|Antwerp]] in the [[Flemish Region]] of [[Belgium]]. The municipality comprises the city of Mechelen proper, some quarters at its outskirts, the hamlets of [[Nekkerspoel]] (adjacent) and Battel (a few kilometers away), as well as the villages of Walem, [[Heffen]], Leest, Hombeek, and Muizen. The river [[Dyle (river)|Dyle]] (Dijle) flows through the city, hence it is often referred to as the ''Dijlestad'' ("City on the Dyle").

Mechelen lies on the [[Flemish Diamond|major urban and industrial axis]] [[Brussels]]–[[Antwerp]], about {{cvt|25|km}} from each city. Inhabitants find employment at Mechelen's southern industrial and northern office estates, as well as at offices or industry near the capital and [[Brussels Airport]], or at industrial plants near [[Port of Antwerp|Antwerp's seaport]].

Mechelen is one of Flanders' prominent cities of historical art, with [[Antwerp]], [[Bruges]], [[Brussels]], [[Ghent]], and [[Leuven]]. It was notably a centre for artistic production during the [[Northern Renaissance]], when painters, printmakers, illuminators and composers of [[polyphony]] were attracted by patrons such as [[Margaret of York]], [[Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy|Margaret of Austria]] and [[Hieronymus van Busleyden]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://ebl.vlaanderen.be/publications/documents/23947/Annual_Review_Flemish_Foreign_Affairs_2007.pdf |title=Annual review 2007 Flemish Foreign Affairs - see 13. The art cities action plan |page=22 |date=May 2008 |publisher=Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs - Departement Internationaal Vlaanderen |access-date=2012-10-31 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://iv.vlaanderen.be/nlapps/data/docattachments/Tourism%20in%20Flanders.pdf |title=Tourism in Flanders |date=10 April 2008 |publisher=Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs |quote=In terms of [[international tourism]], the emphasis lies on six magnificent historic and geographically concentrated cities of art: Brussels, Antwerpen, Brugge, Gent, Leuven and Mechelen |access-date=2009-10-19 }}{{dead link|date=July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://docs.vlaamsparlement.be/docs/stukken/2011-2012/g1588-1.pdf |title=Ontwerp van decreet houdende het Vlaams cultureel-erfgoedbeleid - stuk 1588 (2011-2012) – Nr. 1 ingediend op 2 mei 2012 (2011–2012) |pages=4–5 |year=2012 |publisher=Flemish Parliament |language=nl |quote=The five so-called art cities having a high density of cultural heritage across all types of work (Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Leuven and Mechelen) ... these cities have a long tradition in developing and substantiating a local cultural heritage. |access-date=2012-10-31 }} (quote translated)</ref>