oak
commemorating the centenary of Belgium.
For three centuries, the
economy of La Hulpe has been driven by paper-making industry, favoured
by the closeness to Brussels and the availability of pure water. The
first paper mill was set up on the Grand Etang (Big Pond). In 1664, King
of Spain Philip II allowed the foundation of the "Imperial and Royal
Paper Manufacture" in La Hulpe. Paper-making industry was suppressed in
1970.
Domaine Solvay.
The castle of La Hulpe, built in French
style in 1842, was purchased by Count Ernest Solvay in 1893 and
transferred to the Belgian state by his grandson, Ernest-John Solvay, in
1968. It is surrounded by a 227-ha domain with pastures, woods and
ponds, known as Domaine Solvay. The castle and the domain are today
managed by the Walloon Region and the Domaine Solvay association. The
domain was protected for its aesthetic value by Royal Decree on 10 June
1963, then registered on the Walloon main heritage list in 1993, and
eventually listed as a Natura 2000 site. In 1988, the movie Le Ma�tre de
musique (The Music Teacher) by G�rard Corbiau, starring Jos� Van Dam,
was made in the castle and park of La Hulpe.
Natura 2000 site.
The
farm of the castle, built in 1833, is the seat of the Folon Foundation,
inaugurated on 27 October 2000. Jean-Michel Folon (1934�2005) is mostly
known as one of the most popular illustrators and poster designers of
the second half of the 20th century. In the 1990s, Folon decided to
create a foundation in the Solvay Domain, a place where he used to play
when he was a young boy. He transferred to the foundation more than 300
of his works and organized their scenographic presentation in 15 rooms
of the former farm. The foundation welcomed 80,000 visitore during its
first year of existence.
Finally, another famous inhabitant of La
Hulpe was the first Belgian aviator, Baron Pierre de Caters
