Michael the Archangel is one of the patron saints of Brussels. Veneration of the saint dates from 1047, when Count Lambert II founded a small church on the Treurenberg hill and dedicated it to Michael. It is now the Cathédrale des Saints Michel-et-Gudule.
Devotion to Saint Michael was popular in Flanders, dating from the mid-eighth century, having spread from the Middle East through Italy into northern Europe. Saint Michael has been featured on the seal of the city since 1229 and a statue of the saint adorns the top of the Hôtel de Ville.
According to legend, Lambert II kidnapped his father Henry II's fiancée, for which he had been sentenced to death. Lambert prayed to the saint to secure his escape, and, through divine intervention, he succeeded in doing so. In gratitude, he proclaimed Saint Michael the patron saint of the town. His principal feast day is 29 September.
See also Gudule.
Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Paul F. State.