Gertrude of Nivelles was a 7th-century Benedictine abbess born in Landen to the nobleman Pepin of Landen and Itta of Metz. Following her refusal of a royal marriage proposal at age ten, she entered religious life after her father's death. Alongside her mother, she established the Abbey of Nivelles in what is now Belgium. She served as the leader of this monastic community until her death in 659, dedicating her life to spiritual service rather than the political alliances common to her noble lineage.