MALINES (Flemish, Mechelen), an ancient and important city, and the seat since 1559 of the only Belgian archbishopric. Pop. (1930) 60,438. It is on the Dyle in the province of Antwerp, about half-way between Antwerp and Brussels. The archbishop is the primate of the country. The archbishop's palace is in a pic turesque situation, and dates from the creation of the see. The fine cathedral dedicated to St. Rombaut was begun in the 12th and finished early in the 14th century, and modified in the 15th after a fire. The massive tower of over 30o ft., which is described as unfinished because the original intention was to carry it to 50o ft., is its most striking external feature. The cathedral con tains a fine altar-piece by Van Dyck. The old palace of Margaret of Austria, regent for Charles V., has been preserved and is now a court of justice. In the church of Notre Dame (16th century) is Rubens' masterpiece "the Miraculous Draught of Fishes," and in that of St. John is a fine triptych by the same master. Malines, although no longer famous for its lace, carries on a large trade in linen, needles, furniture and oil ; it is a great junction for the lines Ghent—Liége and Antwerp—Brussels and has large state rail way-works.
The lordship of Malines was conferred as a separate fief by Pippin the Short on his kinsman Count Adon in 754. In the 9th
century Charles the Bald bestowed the fief on the bishop of Liege, and it passed to Philip the Bold, of Burgundy, in 1384. During the religious troubles of the 16th century Malines suffered greatly, and in 1572 it was sacked by Alva's troops during three days. In the wars of the 17th and 18th centuries it was besieged many times and captured by the French, Dutch and English on several occa sions. The French finally removed the fortifications in 1804, since which year it has been an open town.
Malines was bombarded three times during the World War (1914-18) ane seriously damaged. The Palais de Justice, restored shortly before the war, the School of Music, and the picturesque houses round the Bailles de Fer were ruined, and the south side of the cathedral of St. Rombaut and the chimes badly damaged. The Cloth Hall, also restored before the war, was, afterwards, used as the Town hall. The conferences held 1921-25 between Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop of Malines, and some dignitaries of the Church of England, to further a reunion of the Churches (see REUNION, CHURCH), brought Malines again into public notice; and in the spring of 1927, a war memorial to British soldiers was unveiled in the Cathedral.