Ghent City Hall is a four-sided complex in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

, surrounded by the Botermarkt, the Hoogpoort, the Stadhuissteeg and the Poeljemarkt. The main wings are the late Gothic alderman's house of De Keure and the alderman's house of Gedele in the

Renaissance style Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

. The building has 51 halls.

Layout

The aldermen's house of De Keure (corner Botermarkt-Hoogpoort) was built in late Gothic flamboyant style between 1519 and 1539 to a design by

Rombout II Keldermans Rombout II Keldermans (ca. 1460 in Mechelen – 15 December 1531 in Antwerp), was an important architect from the Gothic period, born from a family of architects and sculptors (see Keldermans family). He was city architect of Mechelen and cou ...

and Dominicus de Waeghemaekere. The facade niches were intended to contain the statues of the

Counts of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the co ...

. The Gedele Alderman's House (corner Botermarkt-Poeljemarkt) is a product of the Renaissance and was built between 1595 and 1618. The facades are characterized by an application of successive Doric, Ionic and Corinthian three-quarter columns and pilasters, inspired by the design of the Italian renaissance palazzi. The side along the Botermarkt has nineteen bays and the side along the Poeljemarkt has nine bays and two gables. The interior of this part of the complex was embellished with chimneys and paintings especially during the 17th century. In the 17th century and early 18th century a number of small offices were built on the west side of the complex, while between 1700 and 1701 a new home for the caratekar of De Keure was erected. Also in the 18th century, the former ''Armenkamer'' was erected on the Poeljemarkt. Other works were carried out in the 19th century, including the thorough adaptation of the late Gothic alderman's house De Keure to the taste of the day. In 1870, carried out works of restoration, also with the collaboration of

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (; 27 January 181417 September 1879) was a French architect and author who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. H ...

. Between 1880 and 1881,

Charles van Rysselberghe Charles van Rysselberghe (25 July 1850 – 30 April 1920) was a Belgian architect. Biography Carolus Julianus van Rysselberghe was born in Meerle, Hoogstraten, on 25 July 1850. He was trained at the Academy of Ghent, studying there between 1863 an ...

built an intermediate section along the Poeljemarkt, between the Aldermen's House of Gedele and the Armenkamer. In the 20th century there were some more works of renovation. A cellar on the corner of Hoogpoort and Botermarkt (probably a remnant of the Cardeloet house) probably dates from before 1100. The oldest above-ground part in the center of the complex dates from 1482. The Pacification Hall was named after the Pacification of Ghent, proclaimed in 1576.

Gallery

File:20091105 Belfort (0012).jpg File:20040719 Zicht van Kathedraal, Gent (4).jpg File:Gent - Stadhuis Gent (48187017757).jpg File:Gent - panoramio (19).jpg File:Altes Rathaus Gent, Renaissance-Seiten 2019-09-28 ama fec.jpg File:Gent, Rathaus, gotisches Bauteil, 2019-09-25 ama fec.JPG

References

{{reflist City and town halls in Belgium Buildings and structures in Ghent Tourist attractions in Ghent