De Pinte, East Flanders Province, The Flemish Region, Belgium

🇧🇪 De Pinte is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. Before its existence as an independent municipality in 1868, De Pinte was a part of Nazareth. The municipality comprises the towns of De Pinte proper and Zevergem.

History The name of the municipality is issued from an inn, which was called "Het Pijntken", which was situated in the actual Pintestraat 69, and which was firstly used as the name of the municipality when it became independent of Nazareth on 2. June 1868 and it was called 'Little Nazareth" at that time. At the end of the 19th century many horticultural companies came in this area and further on in the 20th century, they were all parceled out. De Pinte became also a train station between Ghent and Kortrijk (as from 1839) and Ghent-Oudenaarde (as from 1857). The territory remained a vast stretch of moorland of the Abbey of Ghent Saint-Peter, which was called Scheldevelde. As from the 13th century, there was in the east of the current village centre, a mining farm located, in which activities started from the 18th century with a systematic exploration. On the Ferrari-map from the 1770s, the place appears as a rural area with scattered hamlets and country estates. In the place of the current centre, the map still shows the hamlet Pintestraete. In 1791 there was already a first request for the establishment of an auxiliary church. Its construction was started, but was soon stopped due to the French occupation.

When the community was founded at the end of the Ancien Régime, the area was part of the community of Nazareth. Sometimes, the village was called "Little Nazareth". Already in the Dutch period (1829) a request for autonomy was presented under the name "William Village", but was refused. In 1838, new plans for a church were approved and 1839, a first church was consecrated. In the middle of the 19th century, De Pinte intersected by railway lines, the railway Ghent-Kortrijk (1839) and Ghent-Oudenaarde (1857). A railway station was opened De Pinte. On 2 June 1868, the community became independent of Nazareth and became an independent municipality under the name De Pinte. Late 19th century, there were a number of horticultural establishments, which were executed later in the twentieth century.

In 1977, the former municipalities of De Pinte and Zevergem were joined into the new municipality De Pinte. The whimsical south border of the municipality was straightened by boundary adjustments until the Scheldt.

Communities De Pinte has 2 communities, De Pinte proper and Zevergem, with the former having greater population density but their size are similar. The Oudenaardse Steenweg (N60) is generally considered to be the border between the two municipalities. The community borders the following communities: • a. Sint-Denijs-Westrem (Ghent); • b. Zwijnaarde (Ghent); • c. Schelderode (Merelbeke); • d. Melsen (Merelbeke); • e. Vurste (Gavere); • f. Eke (Nazareth); • g. Nazareth; • h. Deurle (Sint-Martens-Latem); • i. Sint-Martens-Latem.

Transport The community of De Pinte is being crossed by the Oudenaardsesteenweg (N60) which gives direct connection to the highway A14/E17. The railway station of De Pinte gives direct connection to Brussels, Kortrijk, De Panne and Ghent.

Events Each year the Sneukeltoer bike race is organised in De Pinte, which has an attendance of about 2300 cyclists. The participation fees go to Kom op tegen kanker (a cancer treatment charity). An annual music festival, one of the largest in East-Flanders, Zeverrock, is organised in Zevergem district.