On March 31, 2000, the Grand Béguinage of Louvain was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This magnificent historical site had been part of tumultuous times, going back to the 13^th century. At the end of the 12^th century, communities of Beguines existed in what is now Wallonia. Several decades later, there were also groups of devout women, who for various reasons had not chosen to enter convents, but who banded together at a distance from society. They lived piously, and worked hard to provide for themselves. Despite these facts, the term “beguine” had a pejorative connotation. This was due to the fact that during those times many alternative lifestyle movements that had been created were condemned as pagan by the Church. The beguines in fact did not recite the same vows as female members of religious orders. They did not live according to a monastic “rule”. It was not until the middle of the 13^th century that communities of beguines were granted an official status. In 1311 the communities were prohibited and chased out. The pope made an exception for Flanders -why some béguinages were able to survive there.

Out of all the remaining communities that had not disappeared, the Grand Béguinage was considered to be the oldest. It had supposedly been founded around 1232, and not long after the Infirmerie and the Hospice were involved in farming a large farm, with dozens of hectares of land. The number of beguines grew steadily, and in 1305 construction of the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, which still exists, was begun. Around 1700, a favourable time, about 300 beguines lived at the Grand Béguinage. After this period, their numbers began to decline. The last beguine died in 1988. The story of many beguines reflects the happy and unhappy periods our regions have known, through the centuries. After the Ancien Régime, the beguines were among the first victims of new modernist ideas. This eventually led to the disappearance of the communities. Beginning in 1800 the main buildings of the Grand Béguinage were used to house elderly women, widows and orphans, while the houses were rented out to lay people.

In 1962 the entire site, except for the church, was purchased by the KUL, which promised to restore everything from top to bottom. From 1963 to 1972, during a first phase of the project directed by Raymond Lemaire, most of the Grand Béguinage was restored and turned into residential space for students and professors.