The meaning of the name Mellet is uncertain, but it may originate from the Old Frenchmeflet or meslet (the use of the long s explains the old spelling meflet). Other hypotheses suggest it comes from the Walloonmèsple (medlar tree), Old French melé (honey or yellowish), or Latinmelum (apple). Today, the village is also nicknamed the "carrot village" (village des carottes) by surrounding communities due to its historically abundant carrot cultivation, a theme celebrated in local events.
Geography
Mellet is crossed by a stream called Tintia, as well as the Villers stream, which is a tributary of the Tintia. The Tintia flows into the Piéton. It is part of the Meuse basin. The altitude of Mellet is 140 meters.
Demographics
The village has seen steady demographic growth, expanding from 1,021 inhabitants in 1831 to over 2,400 today. It has transformed into a residential area attracting both Dutch speakers and French-speaking commuters working in Brussels.
History
The village was offered by the Merovingians to the chapter of Saint-Ursmer of Lobbes towards the end of the 7th century. By the 10th century, it fell under the control of the counts and later the Dukes of Brabant. A small enclave called Biemelet was ceded in 1209 to the Count of Namur. The fiefdoms passed through several noble families, including Glymes-Berghes in the 15th century and Ligne-Arenberg in the 16th century.
In 1742, Marie-Anne de Spanghen married Count Maximilien-Ferdinand de Clauwez-Briant, who acquired the fiefs. The local castle featured two moats and drawbridges, and a chapel containing a bell that was legendarily buried during the 1789 French Revolution to escape vandalism. Economically, the agricultural village once housed lime kilns, eight tile factories, and seven chicory factories.
An old Roman road separates Mellet from the neighbouring village of Villers-Perwin. Its layout is still very visible. It originally connected Bavay to Tongeren.
The Dungeon of Mellet, the only vestige of the old medieval 13th-century castle, is today a tourist center. We can find a local museum inside of it focusing on history, tile making, and local folklore. The castle was transferred to the municipal administration in 1862 and used as a school until 1868.
The Saints-Martin-et-Mutien-Marie Church, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries with Gothic elements. It was restored notably in 1666, the late 19th century, and 1992. It houses a 17th-century painting of "The Last Supper".
The Colombier farm (also known as the Stouf farm) on Rue Burny, built in the mid-17th century.
The Petit Chassart farm on Rue de Fleurus, dating from the first third of the 19th century.
The village was the terminus of the former vicinal tramway line 60 from Charleroi, which was electrified in 1932. The passenger tram service ended in 1957, and the village's "Place du Terminus" is named after this old line.
Le patrimoine monumental de la Belgique. Vol.20: Wallonie, Hainaut, Arrondissement de Charleroi. Liège: Pierre Mardaga. 1994. p.602. ISBN978-2-8700-9588-1.
Michaux, Lucien (2010). Le patrimoine de Mellet. Carnets du patrimoine. Vol.68. Agence Wallonne du patrimoine. p.64. ISBN978-2-87522-003-5.
