Situated 45 minutes' drive southwest of Brussels, Enghien is legendary for straddling the linguistic border. Whereas it's situated within the French-speaking area of Wallonia, a number of streets to the north-west of the city centre are within the Dutch-speaking area of Flanders. Past this peculiarity, the city is greatest recognized for its Parc d'Enghien, thought-about one of the crucial lovely parks in Europe on the time of its development within the seventeenth century. Though the park has been gotten smaller and considerably modified, essentially the most exceptional function to outlive is undoubtedly the Pavillon des Sept Étoiles, or Seven Stars Pavilion.
Hidden within the coronary heart of the forest, the pavilion is a white and gray heptagonal kiosk set within the centre of a round pond. It was constructed round 1661 on the park's highest level, supposed to function an commentary level for stargazing. Its identify, Seven Stars, refers to “the seven planets recognized on the time”. Nevertheless, a correction is critical: on the time of its development, solely six planets have been recognized. The seventh was in all probability the Solar.
Every of its seven arches opens onto a park path lined with a unique species of tree. The seven paths have been separated by seven smaller paths ending with a statue representing one of many seven “planets”. Through the years, this format across the pavilion disappeared, and the pavilion turned hidden underneath a thick forest.
On the finish of the Nineteen Nineties, throughout the pavilion's restoration, the choice was made to replant the location based on its authentic design. As we speak, you possibly can stroll alongside avenues of hornbeam timber that kind a heptagon with a 125-meter radius across the pavilion, simply as they did within the seventeenth century.
The pavilion's development displays the widespread enthusiasm for astronomical discoveries on the time, together with among the many aristocracy, fueled by the works of Galileo and Copernicus. Categorised as a monument and historic website since 1972, it's also included on the Checklist of Distinctive Heritage Websites in Wallonia.
