"Most of the site of the Battle of Waterloo is, in fact, on the commune of Braine l'Alleud. Just take a trip to Saint-Etienne church and Hougoumont, the castle-farm built in the 15th century, and a key English outpost during those terrible days in June 1815! Braine l'Alleud village has been in existence since the 12th century, and was independent in 1212, hence the probable origin of "alleud" in its name, which means "freed" in Old French. The most important reminder of this past is the Jéricho Priory, also known as "Prieuré de la Rose" or ""l'Ermitage"", the result of a donation by the Duke of Brabant to Gembloux Abbey in 1131. In full expansion since the seventies, Braine-l'Alleud has exceptional surroundings, namely because it still contains remnants of the Forêt de Soignes that used to reach this far. Shared with neighbouring Rhode-Saint-Genèse, the Vallon des Sept Fontaines is best known by golf lovers."