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Lede is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises...

Lede is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Impe, Lede proper, Oordegem, Smetlede, Wanzele and Papegem. On January 1, 2006 Lede had a total population of 17,068. The total area is 29.69 km² which gives a population density of 575 inhabitants per km². The current mayor of Lede is Geert Grepdon, from the VLD (Liberal) party. Lede is known for a specific statue of St-Mary, "Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-van-Zeven-Smarten" (Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows), to which a local myth attributes magical powers, making Lede into a local pilgrimage destination. The statue is taken around in a procession during a Sunday in June, after the biannual nine-day festival. The local church, built in 1496, houses the statue. The abandoned Castle of Mesen is situated in central Lede. It is scheduled to be destroyed in 2007.