The Place Royale (, 'Royal Square') or Koningsplein (
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
, 'King's Square') is a historic
neoclassical square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...
in the
Royal Quarter of
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, Belgium. Modelled after the so-called French ''royal square'' and built between 1775 and 1782, according to a plan of the architects
Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré
Jean Benoît Vincent Barré ( Seine-Port, Seine-et-Marne, 22 January 1735 - Seine-Port, 27 January 1824) was a French architect. He was one of the most important architects of the 18th century and one of the creators of the 'Louis XVI style' ...
and
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard (also Gilles Barnabé Guymard de Larabe or Barnabé Guimard) (1734–1805) was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands (present-day Belgium) where he led important architectural and ...
, to replace the former
Palace of Coudenberg
The Palace of Coudenberg (french: Palais du Coudenberg, nl, Coudenbergpaleis) was a royal residence situated on the Coudenberg or Koudenberg (; Dutch for "Cold Hill"), a small hill in what is today the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium.
F ...
, it was part of an urban project including
Brussels Park
Brussels Park (french: Parc de Bruxelles, ; nl, Warandepark) is the largest urban public park in central Brussels, Belgium. Formerly known and still sometimes colloquially referred to as the Royal Park (french: Parc royal, nl, Koninklijk Park ...
.
The Place Royale is one of oldest architecturally consistent and monumental public squares, as well as an excellent example of 18th-century urban architecture. Rectangular and symmetrical in shape, it measures , and is entirely paved. In its centre stands an
equestrian statue
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...
of
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...
. It is also flanked by the
Church of St. James on Coudenberg, as well as some of the main museums in the city.
The / enters the square from the south, the / from the south-west, and the / and the
Mont des Arts/Kunstberg from the north-west. This area is served by
Brussels Central Station
Brussels Central Station (french: Gare de Bruxelles-Central, nl, Station Brussel-Centraal), officially Brussels-Central (french: Bruxelles-Central, link=no, nl, Brussel-Centraal, link=no), is a railway and metro station in central Brussels, B ...
, as well as by the
metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
stations
Parc/Park (on lines
1 and
5) and
Trône/Troon (on lines
2 and
6).
History
Early history
The Place Royale was built on the former site of the /, the main market square adjacent to the former Castle and then
Palace of Coudenberg
The Palace of Coudenberg (french: Palais du Coudenberg, nl, Coudenbergpaleis) was a royal residence situated on the Coudenberg or Koudenberg (; Dutch for "Cold Hill"), a small hill in what is today the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium.
F ...
, which had served as the residence (and seat of power) of the counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors or governors who, from the 12th century to the 18th century, exerted their sovereignty over the
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Neth ...
and later over all or part of the
Burgundian and then
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
and
Austrian Netherlands
The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...
. This first square, whose initial enclosure was made of wood (1434), was provided in 1509 with a new stone fence designed by the court architects
Antoon I Keldermans and Antoon II Keldermans.
![Baliënplein](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Bali%C3%ABnplein.jpg)
The palace burned down on the night of 3 February 1731 in a fire that took much of the original royal complex. Funds were not available for rebuilding, so for more than 40 years, it remained in a state of ruins, known under the name of ("Burnt Court"). Several projects for the redevelopment of this space were proposed, including the reconstruction of a palace, which did not go beyond the stage of sketches, for lack of money. The construction of a new palace also seemed to be all the less necessary since, in the meantime, the court had moved to the Palace of
Orange-Nassau, on the site of today's
Palace of Charles of Lorraine
The Palace of Charles of Lorraine (french: Palais de Charles de Lorraine, nl, Paleis van Karel van Lotharingen) is a neoclassical palace in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Its construction started in 1757 to serve as the residence of ...
. In 1769, the idea germinated to clear and level the ruins of the Place des Bailles and to convert it into an esplanade intended for military parades. The plan was on the verge of completion in 1772, when another project rendered it obsolete.
Clearance and development
![Joachim Zinner, Plan pour la place royale et le Parc, 1780](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Joachim_Zinner%2C_Plan_pour_la_place_royale_et_le_Parc%2C_1780._Bruxelles%2C_Archives_G%C3%A9n%C3%A9rales_du_Royaume.jpg)
It was only in 1774 that
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Prince Charles Alexander Emanuel of Lorraine (french: Charles Alexandre Emanuel, Prince de Lorraine; german: Karl Alexander von Lothringen und Bar; 12 December 1712 in Lunéville – 4 July 1780 in Tervuren) was a Lorraine-born Austrian general ...
,
Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, proposed replacing the ruins with a monumental ''royal square'' inspired by French models such as the
Place Stanislas
Place Stanislas is a large pedestrianised square in the French city of Nancy, in the Lorraine historic region. Built between 1752 and 1756 on the orders of Stanisław Leszczyński, the square is one of oldest examples of an architecturally consis ...
in
Nancy (1755) and the
Place Royale in
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
(1759), of which it is almost an exact replica. The project was approved that same year by
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, who authorised the demolition. If at the beginning, this space, intended to be decorated with a statue of the governor, was sometimes called the ("Lorraine Square") in his honour, it is finally the name ("Royal Square") which was retained, according to the predominant model in France, which appeared more suitable to represent political power.
Construction of the new buildings around the square took from 1775 to 1782, using the
neoclassical design of the French architects
Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré
Jean Benoît Vincent Barré ( Seine-Port, Seine-et-Marne, 22 January 1735 - Seine-Port, 27 January 1824) was a French architect. He was one of the most important architects of the 18th century and one of the creators of the 'Louis XVI style' ...
, who drafted the basic project, and
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard (also Gilles Barnabé Guymard de Larabe or Barnabé Guimard) (1734–1805) was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands (present-day Belgium) where he led important architectural and ...
, who received that commission in 1769 and who carried out the detailed plans. The first draft of the project, designed by the engineers-architects Louis-Joseph Baudour and had planned to keep the
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
chapel of the former palace, which had been spared by the fire. Due to the architectural clash with the surrounding neoclassical buildings, however, it was pulled down. This plan was modified around 1780 by the Austrian
landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manageme ...
, who imagined connecting the square to the new Palace of Charles of Lorraine and
Brussels Park
Brussels Park (french: Parc de Bruxelles, ; nl, Warandepark) is the largest urban public park in central Brussels, Belgium. Formerly known and still sometimes colloquially referred to as the Royal Park (french: Parc royal, nl, Koninklijk Park ...
(housing a statue of Empress Maria Theresa, which was never carried out). The new district, known today as the
Royal Quarter, and designed on a structure connecting these three strategic points, also aimed to relieve congestion in this part of the city.
![Lorent-koningsplein-1778](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Lorent-koningsplein-1778.jpg)
The former statue of Charles Alexander of Lorraine, which stood at the centre of the square, was made by the
Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...
sculptor and architect
Peter Anton von Verschaffelt
Peter Anton von Verschaffelt (8 May 1710 – 5 July 1793) was a Flemish sculptor and architect.
Verschaffelt designed, among other things in Mannheim, the high altar of the Jesuit church ('' Jesuitenkirche''), the arsenal and the Bretzenheim Pala ...
. It showed the governor standing, dressed as a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
general draped in a
consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...
ar
mantle, attending to the affairs of state.
French revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
aries toppled the statue when they entered Brussels in January 1793. Replaced during the brief
Austrian restoration, this new statue was also knocked down by the French, who this time melted it down, turned it into coins, and planted a "
Liberty tree" on its site. This tree was itself felled in 1814, during the fall of the
Napoleonic Empire
The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Eur ...
.
19th and 20th centuries
![Place Royale (Koningsplein), Brussels, Belgium (ca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Place_Royale_%28Koningsplein%29%2C_Brussels%2C_Belgium_%28ca._1890-1900%29.jpg)
In the following centuries, official ceremonies and political demonstrations were occasionally held on the square.
Cavalcade
A cavalcade is a procession or parade on horseback, or a mass trail ride by a company of riders. The focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display. Often, the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. Often, a cava ...
s were organised there in honour of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
in 1810. It is still there that was celebrated the inauguration of
William I
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...
as ruler of the Netherlands on 21 September 1815. During the
Belgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium.
T ...
in 1830, a
barricade
Barricade (from the French ''barrique'' - 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. Adopted as a military term, a barricade denot ...
was erected across the eastern exit of the square next to the current
BELvue Museum
The BELvue Museum (french: Musée BELvue, nl, BELvue Museum) is a museum in central Brussels, Belgium, that focuses on the history of Belgium. It is managed by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF).
The museum is located in the Hôtel Bellevue, ...
, facing
Brussels Park
Brussels Park (french: Parc de Bruxelles, ; nl, Warandepark) is the largest urban public park in central Brussels, Belgium. Formerly known and still sometimes colloquially referred to as the Royal Park (french: Parc royal, nl, Koninklijk Park ...
, with two cannon positioned on it. On 21 July 1831,
King Leopold I
* nl, Leopold Joris Christiaan Frederik
* en, Leopold George Christian Frederick
, image = NICAISE Leopold ANV.jpg
, caption = Portrait by Nicaise de Keyser, 1856
, reign = 21 July 1831 –
, predecessor = Erasme Lou ...
took the oath as the first
King of the Belgians
Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled king or queen of the Belgians ( nl, Koning(in) der Belgen, french: Roi / Reine des Belges}, german: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's h ...
before members of Congress on a platform in front of the
Church of St. James on Coudenberg. The funerals of
King Leopold III
Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasi ...
and
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
, prince-regent between 1944 and 1950, also took place on the square.
Remaining empty for several decades, from 1848, the centre of the square was once again occupied by a monument (still present today); an
equestrian statue
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...
of
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...
, built at a time when the young Belgian State was in search of patriotic landmarks. The
blue stone posts connected by iron chains that originally lined the square disappeared in the middle of the 19th century and were replaced by
sidewalk
A sidewalk (North American English), pavement (British English), footpath in Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland, or footway, is a path along the side of a street, street, highway, terminals. Usually constructed of concrete, pavers, brick ...
s. By the turn of the 20th century, the square increasingly became a hub of intense traffic, first with the addition of a
horse-drawn tramway
A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar.
Summary
The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, wh ...
(later electrified), then through the rise of the automobile; the statue having
roundabout
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
function, from 1921, for north–south and east–west traffic.
Present day and future
Nowadays, in the north-western corner of the Place Royale lies an archaeological area. Under the paving stones of the square, excavated between 1995 and 2000 and then covered by a concrete slab, are the remains levelled at the end of the 18th century during the development of the square, as well as of the ; the great hall of the former
Coudenberg Palace. Classified as a
historical monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...
, these remains are part of a larger ensemble accessible from the
BELvue Museum
The BELvue Museum (french: Musée BELvue, nl, BELvue Museum) is a museum in central Brussels, Belgium, that focuses on the history of Belgium. It is managed by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF).
The museum is located in the Hôtel Bellevue, ...
.
Below the square also lies the so-called / ("Isabella Street"), a former street that connected the Palace to the
Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula (now Brussels' cathedral). Guimard had the street vaulted as part of the square's construction, with the intention of converting it into cellars. The lower rooms of these buildings also partially survived the fire, and are exposed in the archaeological site.
In 2014, the City of Brussels announced plans to restore the square's buildings and atmosphere, with wider sidewalks, new lighting and better enhancement of the facades. The work was scheduled to start in 2019 and end in 2020. However, the project did not see the light of day. New plans were put forward in 2021 with the public inquiry led by the City, the heritage organisation Beliris, and the Brussels Secretary of State for Urbanism and Heritage,
Pascal Smet
Pascal Smet (born 30 July 1967) is a Belgian politician, member of Vooruit.
Personal life
He was born in 1967 in Beveren-Waas. He earned a degree in Law at the University of Antwerp. He is openly gay.
Career
He was a member of the town counc ...
(one.brussels). If currently, 20% of the Place Royale is devoted to pedestrians and 80% to motorised traffic, the objective of the redevelopment project is to reverse this trend. Most of the square will therefore be on one level and the traffic lanes will be modified. The natural stone sidewalks, dating from the 18th century, will be preserved, as will the lampposts and paving stones already installed. Final plans were put to public consultation in 2021 and work may begin in the future.
Layout
Rectangular and symmetrical in shape (approximately ), the Place Royale follows the
neoclassical principles, and is modelled after the so-called French ''royal square'', as developed at the end of the 17th century. Its buildings being burdened with an architectural servitude, it has undergone few changes since its creation in the 18th century; the statue of
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...
has replaced that of
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Prince Charles Alexander Emanuel of Lorraine (french: Charles Alexandre Emanuel, Prince de Lorraine; german: Karl Alexander von Lothringen und Bar; 12 December 1712 in Lunéville – 4 July 1780 in Tervuren) was a Lorraine-born Austrian general ...
; and the original colonnade which enclosed it to the south was destroyed during the opening of the / in 1827.
![Belgique_-_Bruxelles_-_Plan_Place_Royale](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Belgique_-_Bruxelles_-_Plan_Place_Royale.JPG)
Around the square, one can find many cultural institutions of Brussels; the
BELvue Museum
The BELvue Museum (french: Musée BELvue, nl, BELvue Museum) is a museum in central Brussels, Belgium, that focuses on the history of Belgium. It is managed by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF).
The museum is located in the Hôtel Bellevue, ...
, the
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (french: Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België) are a group of art museums in Brussels, Belgium. They include six museums: the Oldmasters Muse ...
, the
Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) (the entrance of which is through the
Old England building), the remains of the former
Coudenberg Palace (whose entrance is through the BELvue Museum), and the
Magritte Museum
The Magritte Museum (french: Musée Magritte, nl, Magritte Museum) is an art museum in central Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to the work of the Belgian surrealist artist, René Magritte. It is one of the constituent museums of the Royal Museu ...
. Other major tourist attractions are located within walking distance of the square;
Brussels Park
Brussels Park (french: Parc de Bruxelles, ; nl, Warandepark) is the largest urban public park in central Brussels, Belgium. Formerly known and still sometimes colloquially referred to as the Royal Park (french: Parc royal, nl, Koninklijk Park ...
, the
Royal Palace
This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent.
Africa
* Abdin Palace, Cairo
* Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo
* Koubbeh Palace, Cairo
* Tahra Palace, Cairo
* Menelik Palace
* Jubilee Palace
* Guenete Leul Palace
* Imperial Palace- Massa ...
, and the
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
nl, Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele
, native_name_lang =
, image = Saints-Michel-et-Gudule Luc Viatour.jpg
, imagesize = 200px
, imagelink =
, imagealt =
, landscape ...
.
Church of St. James on Coudenberg
![Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg during civil twilight (DSCF7448)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg_during_civil_twilight_%28DSCF7448%29.jpg)
The principal building on the square is the neoclassical
Church of St. James on Coudenberg, consecrated in 1787, and designed by
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard (also Gilles Barnabé Guymard de Larabe or Barnabé Guimard) (1734–1805) was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands (present-day Belgium) where he led important architectural and ...
after the designs of
Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré
Jean Benoît Vincent Barré ( Seine-Port, Seine-et-Marne, 22 January 1735 - Seine-Port, 27 January 1824) was a French architect. He was one of the most important architects of the 18th century and one of the creators of the 'Louis XVI style' ...
. It succeeds two neighbouring places of worship; the chapel of the
Coudenberg Palace and the Coudenberg's abbey church, both demolished by command of Charles Alexander of Lorraine during his expansive urban planning projects, despite having escaped the great fire of 1731 that destroyed the palace. The first stone was solemnly laid by Charles Alexander of Lorraine on 12 February 1776, and the
portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
was finished in 1780. The
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
,
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
,
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
and
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is usually located ...
were built under supervision of
Louis Montoyer
Louis Montoyer (1747, Mariemont, Austrian Netherlands, now Belgium – 5 June 1811, Vienna) was an 18th-century Belgian-Austrian architect, principally active in Brussels and Vienna.
Life
He worked in Brussels as an architect and building co ...
in 1785–86.
During the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, the abbey was suspended and the church was made into a
Temple of Reason
A Temple of Reason (French: ''Temple de la Raison'') was, during the French Revolution, a temple for a new belief system created to replace Christianity: the Cult of Reason, which was based on the ideals of reason, virtue, and liberty. This "relig ...
, and then later into a Temple of Law. The church was returned to
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
control in 1802. On 21 July 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha took the oath that made him
H.M. Leopold I, the first
King of the Belgians
Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled king or queen of the Belgians ( nl, Koning(in) der Belgen, french: Roi / Reine des Belges}, german: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's h ...
, on the front steps of the church. The building lost somewhat of its typical neoclassical temple-like appearance by the addition, in the 19th century, of a
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
and
bell tower
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...
(after the design of the architect
Tilman-François Suys
Tilman-François Suys (in French) or Tieleman Frans Suys (in Dutch) (1 July 1783 – 22 July 1864) was a Belgian architect who also worked in the Netherlands.
Biography
Suys completed his architectural education in Paris, where he studied u ...
), as well as a coloured
fresco
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
by the painter
Jean Portaels on the
pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
.
The church's interior and facade have been
protected
Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...
through a
royal decree
A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...
since 2 December 1959.
Statue of Godfrey of Bouillon
![Godfrey of Bouillon statue in Brussels 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Godfrey_of_Bouillon_statue_in_Brussels_02.jpg)
At the centre of the square is an
equestrian statue
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...
of Godfrey of Bouillon, the leader of the
first crusade
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...
in 1096. The first equestrian statue to adorn Brussels, it was sculpted by
Eugène Simonis
Louis-Eugène Simonis (11 July 1810, in Liège – 11 July 1893, in Koekelberg) was a Belgian sculptor.
Career
Simonis studied under François-Joseph Dewandre at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Liège and at the age of nineteen went to I ...
and inaugurated on 15 August 1848 to replace the statue of Charles Alexander of Lorraine by
Peter Anton von Verschaffelt
Peter Anton von Verschaffelt (8 May 1710 – 5 July 1793) was a Flemish sculptor and architect.
Verschaffelt designed, among other things in Mannheim, the high altar of the Jesuit church ('' Jesuitenkirche''), the arsenal and the Bretzenheim Pala ...
, which had been melted down for the value of the metal during the
French rule over Brussels. A new statue of Charles Alexander of Lorraine was eventually placed nearby on the current /.
The statue represents Godfrey of Bouillon as he leaves for the First Crusade; the hero waves the standard and cries ("God wills it!"). In 1897, two
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
s by
Guillaume de Groot were built into the statue's
pedestal
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ci ...
.
One represents ''the Assault on Jerusalem'' led by Godfrey, who took the city on 15 July 1099. The other represents ''the Assizes of Jerusalem'', a collection of laws and
ordinance
Ordinance may refer to:
Law
* Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission
* Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet
* ...
s which were never promulgated by him.
Pavilions
The eight corner pavilions, built between 1776 and 1782, represent a remarkable
Louis XVI style
Louis XVI style, also called ''Louis Seize'', is a style of architecture, furniture, decoration and art which developed in France during the 19-year reign of Louis XVI (1774–1793), just before the French Revolution. It saw the final phase of t ...
neoclassical ensemble. Bearing numbers from 1 to 14, they are arranged symmetrically around the square:
* the former Hôtel du Lotto (no. 1–2) was built for the Imperial and Royal Lottery of the Netherlands. Also known as the Hôtel Altenloh after the jeweller's shop that occupied the building from 1920 to 1962, it is currently home to the
Magritte Museum
The Magritte Museum (french: Musée Magritte, nl, Magritte Museum) is an art museum in central Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to the work of the Belgian surrealist artist, René Magritte. It is one of the constituent museums of the Royal Museu ...
, part of the
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (french: Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België) are a group of art museums in Brussels, Belgium. They include six museums: the Oldmasters Muse ...
.
* the former Hôtel des Brasseurs (no. 3) was built by the Corporation of Brewers. It is currently part of the
Fin-de-Siècle Museum
The Fin-de-Siècle Museum (french: Musée Fin-de-Siècle, nl, Fin-de-Siècle Museum, "Museum of the Turn of the Century") is a museum in Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to the full spectrum of the arts of the period between 1884, when the ...
, another constituent of the Royal Museums. Also known as the Hôtel Gresham (for the wing facing the Place Royale), after the Gresham Life Assurance Society Limited that acquired it in 1900, or the Hôtel d'Argenteau (for the wing along the Rue de la Régence), it has an interesting
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
interior by the architect .
* the former Hôtel de Templeuve (no. 4), built for Countess Brigitte Scockaert de Tirimont,
dowager
A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property—a "dower"—derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchy, monarchical and aristocracy, aristocratic Title#Aristocr ...
of Templeuve, on the site of her family's former town house. It was sometimes called the Hôtel Arconati, after the name of its second owner and also the
Palace of the Count of Flanders
The Palace of the Count of Flanders (french: Palais du Comte de Flandre, nl, Paleis van de Graaf van Vlaanderen) is a neoclassical palace in Brussels, Belgium. It was originally built between 1776 and 1781 for Countess Brigitte of Tirimont-Te ...
because
Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
nl, Filips Eugeen Ferdinand Marie Clemens Boudewijn Leopold Joris
, image = Philippe comte de Flandre (1880).jpg
, caption =
, spouse =
, issue =
, house = Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
, father ...
, brother of
King Leopold II
* german: link=no, Leopold Ludwig Philipp Maria Viktor
, house = Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
, father = Leopold I of Belgium
, mother = Louise of Orléans
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Brussels, Belgium
, death_date = ...
, had acquired it in 1866 and lived there for nearly forty years. This building has been occupied by the
Court of Audit of Belgium
The Court of Audit of Belgium (Dutch: , French: ''Cour des comptes'', German: ''Rechnungshof'') is a Belgian governmental institution established by article 180 of the Belgian Constitution. The Court of Audit is a collateral body of the Belgian F ...
since 1984.
* the two former Hôtels de Coudenberg (no. 5–6 and 7–8) were built by the Abbey of St. James on Coudenberg. The building to the right of St. James' Church is currently occupied by the
ING
Ing, ING or ing may refer to:
Art and media
* '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film
* i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group
* The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes''
* "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 1992 ...
Cultural Centre (formerly the
BBL
A barrel is one of several units of volume applied in various contexts; there are dry barrels, fluid barrels (such as the U.K. beer barrel and U.S. beer barrel), oil barrels, and so forth. For historical reasons the volumes of some barrel units ...
Cultural Centre). The building on the left is occupied by the
Constitutional Court of Belgium
The Constitutional Court (Dutch: , french: Cour constitutionelle, german: Verfassungsgerichtshof) plays a central role within the federal Belgian state. This is a judicial court founded in 1980. Its jurisdiction was augmented in 1988 and 2003.
Hi ...
.
* the former Hôtel Belle-Vue (no. 9) was built by Philippe de Proft to install a luxury hotel. It is currently occupied by the
BELvue Museum
The BELvue Museum (french: Musée BELvue, nl, BELvue Museum) is a museum in central Brussels, Belgium, that focuses on the history of Belgium. It is managed by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF).
The museum is located in the Hôtel Bellevue, ...
.
* the former Hôtel de Grimbergen (no. 10) owes its name to
Grimbergen Abbey
Grimbergen Abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery in Grimbergen, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, established in 1128 in the place of an earlier foundation of Augustinian Canons.
The abbey itself was dissolved in 1796 in the aftermath of the French ...
which undertook its construction. It currently belongs to the government of the
Brussels-Capital Region
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. Under the building are the remains of the chapel of the former
Coudenberg Palace.
* the former Hôtel de Spangen (no. 11–14) owes its name to the Earl of Spangen for whom it was built. The building at the corner of the square and the / (no. 13–14) is now part of the
Musical Instruments Museum (MIM).
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Hôtel du Lotto - 01b.JPG, Hôtel du Lotto or Hôtel Altenloh (no. 1–2)
File:Hôtel Gresham - extérieur 5.JPG, Hôtel des Brasseurs or Hôtel Gresham (no. 3)
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Hôtel de Coudenberg - 01.jpg, Hôtel de Coudenberg (no. 7–8)
File:Hôtel de Grimbergen - 01.JPG, Hôtel de Grimbergen (no. 10)
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Hôtel de Spangen - 01.JPG, Hôtel de Spangen (no. 11–14)
Porticoes
At the corners of the square,
portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
es provide a link between the pavilions towards the /, the / and the /, the height, arrangement and decoration of which are almost identical to those of the ground floor of the pavilions.
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Portique du Borgendael - 01.JPG, Portico of the /
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Portique de la rue du Musée - 01.JPG, Portico of the /
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Portique de la rue de Namur - 01.JPG, Portico of the /
See also
*
Place des Martyrs/Martelaarsplein
*
Neoclassical architecture in Belgium
Neoclassical architecture ( nl, Neoclassicistische architectuur, french: Architecture néo-classique) appeared in Belgium during the period of Austrian occupation in the mid-18th century and enjoyed considerable longevity in the country, survivi ...
*
History of Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
*
Belgium in "the long nineteenth century"
In the history of Belgium, the period from 1789 to 1914, dubbed the " long 19th century" by the historian Eric Hobsbawm, includes the end of Austrian rule and periods of French and Dutch occupation of the region, leading to the creation of the ...
External links
Eupedia Tourism Article
References
Notes
Bibliography
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{{Authority control
Squares in Brussels
City of Brussels
Culture in Brussels
Arts in Belgium
Art gallery districts
Neoclassical architecture in Belgium
18th century in Brussels