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
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. Its construction started in 1757 to serve as the residence of the
Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands
The governor ( nl, landvoogd) or governor-general () of the Habsburg Netherlands was a representative appointed by the Holy Roman emperor (1504-1556), the king of Spain (1556-1598, 1621-1706), and the archduke of Austria (1716-1794), to administ ...
,
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 ...
, replacing the Palace of
Orange-Nassau. It currently houses a museum, part of the
Royal Library of Belgium
The Royal Library of Belgium (french: Bibliothèque royale de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België, abbreviated ''KBR'' and sometimes nicknamed in French or in Dutch) is the national library of Belgium. The library has a history ...
(KBR).
Located on what is now the /, the palace lies atop the
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 ...
hill, not far from the
Place Royale/Koningsplein and the
Mont des Arts/Kunstberg, as well as nearby institutions such as the
Royal Palace of Brussels and 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 Mus ...
. 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, ...
, as well as by the
metro stations
Parc/Park (on lines
1 and
5) and
Trône/Troon (on lines
2 and
6).
History
Inception and construction
The construction of the current palace was started in 1757 on the site where the former Palace of
Orange-Nassau had stood. It was to serve as the residence 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 ...
, the
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
of what was then
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 pe ...
from 1744 until 1780. Indeed, in 1731, the nearby
Palace of Coudenberg had been destroyed by fire and the court had moved to the Palace of Nassau, which from then on was known as the "New Court". An avid builder, Charles Alexander imagined grandiose projects for his capital. This old palace, however, was dilapidated and no longer adapted to the taste of the time. It was thus sold for little money and almost completely demolished (except for Saint George's Chapel), to make way for the new palace.
The first
neoclassical wing, probably the work of the architect , was completed by the architect
Laurent-Benoît Dewez after Faulte's death in 1766. A second wing in the same style, designed by the French architect , was attached perpendicularly to the palace in 1825 to house the Palace of National Industry, intended to host periodic exhibitions supported by the sovereign of the
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...
,
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 10 ...
. Its construction coincided with the completion of the first section of the /, which ended temporarily at the foot of the
Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon
nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Zavelkerk
, native_name_lang =
, image = Brussels, église Notre Dame du Sablon oeg2043-00070 foto7 2015-06-07 13.28.jpg
, image_size = 250px
, alt =
, caption ...
.
File:Zicht op het Hof van Brabant en het Hof van Nassau - Brussel - 20408663 - RCE.jpg, ''View of the Court of Brabant and the Court of Nassau'', engraving by Jan van de Venne
Jan van de Venne or Jan van der Venne, also known as Pseudo van de Venne (active by 1616 – died before 1651), was a Flemish painter of genre, religious scenes, and cabinets who was court painter to the governors of the Southern Netherlands. , early 17th century
File: Guilliam van Schoor and Gillis van Tilborgh 001.jpg, ''The Palace of Nassau in Brussels'', Guilliam van Schoor and Gillis van Tilborgh, 1658
File:Martin van Meytens 007.jpg, ''Portrait 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 ...
'', Martin van Meytens
Martin van Meytens (24 June 1695 – 23 March 1770) was a Swedish-Austrian painter who painted members of the Royal Court of Austria such as Marie Antoinette, Maria Theresa of Austria, Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, the Emperor's family and me ...
,
Later usage and renovation
During the
French period
In Northern European historiography, the term French period (french: Période française, german: Franzosenzeit, nl, Franse tijd) refers to the period between 1794 and 1815 during which most of Northern Europe was controlled by Republican or Napo ...
, the
City of Brussels
The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Fl ...
bought the palace to install a library, an art gallery and a cabinet of physics and natural history, constituting the Museum of the
department of the Dyle, one of the fifteen departmental museums created under
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 wh ...
's initiative, within the framework of the decentralisation of the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...
in Paris. Bought by the
Belgian State from the City, these collections form the embryo of Belgian artistic and literary heritage which will gradually be concentrated around the current /. In 1804, the
royal chapel
A royal chapel is a chapel associated with a monarch, a royal court, or in a royal palace.
A royal chapel may also be a body of clergy or musicians serving at a royal court or employed by a monarch.
Commonwealth countries
Both the United King ...
was entrusted by Napoleon to the
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
community of Brussels and became
Brussels Protestant Church. It has largely retained its original appearance.
Until 1878, the Brussels Salon, a periodic exhibition of work by living artists, took place in the former apartments of Charles Alexander of Lorraine. This situation was not ideal because the permanent collection had to be temporarily stored or covered during the exhibition. In addition, the exhibitors complained that all paintings were not lit equally well. Renovation works were carried out so that in 1830 a Great Gallery could open with a
skylight
A skylight (sometimes called a rooflight) is a light-permitting structure or window, usually made of transparent or translucent glass, that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting and ventilation purposes.
History
Open ...
. Nevertheless, low-hanging works were still difficult to see. In 1851, the exhibition was held in a temporary construction in the courtyard, before returning to its traditional location until 1881, when the first rooms of the new
Museum of Fine Arts could be used. This museum remained the location for all subsequent editions.
Following
Belgian Independence, the
Royal Library of Belgium
The Royal Library of Belgium (french: Bibliothèque royale de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België, abbreviated ''KBR'' and sometimes nicknamed in French or in Dutch) is the national library of Belgium. The library has a history ...
(KBR), founded in 1837, gradually took over the premises. It moved successively into the museum of painting and sculpture, then into the Palace of National Industry. The first was set up in the new museum on the Rue de la Régence and the second, which became the Museum of Industry, joined the
Cinquantenaire Museum. Even the new wing, built at the rear of the Museum of Fine Arts by the architect E. Willame in 1879, to enclose the courtyard, was taken over by the administration and the
numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects.
Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inc ...
cabinet of the Royal Library. Only the contemporary art collections of the museum remain on site.
File:Salon1830bxl.jpg, The Brussels Salon of 1830 in the palace's new Grand Gallery, rendered by Jean-Baptiste Madou
File:StroobantsLorreinen.png, The palace in 1846, illustration from ''Guide pittoresque dans Bruxelles''
File:Museum Bruxelles 1880 Dumas.png, Map of the palace and Museums district in 1880
File:Brussel, Palace of Charles of Lorraine, reproductie uit boek art and architecture - Brussel en Lier - 20318295 - RCE.jpg, The palace in the 1950s
Contemporary (1960s–present)
With the construction of the
Mont des Arts/Kunstberg complex in the 1960s, it was decided to demolish more than three quarters of the palace. Since then, once through the gate, the visitor discovers a space amputated in its original momentum, despite its fine quality. If some admirable ''
salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon ( ...
s'' have been preserved behind the facades, it is however possible to associate the heavy interventions of the 1960s with a facade operation. These demolitions removed all traces of the old Palace of Nassau from which the new wing was born, so that today only the uprooted extension remains.
Since 22 November 2001, the palace has been listed as a
protected monument
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
by the Monuments and Sites Directorate of the Brussels-Capital Region.
It closed in 2017 for renovations, and reopened in 2019. Today, it serves as a museum for 18th-century items. The exhibits originate from the collections of the
Royal Museum of Art and History (RMAH) and the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR). The palace also hosts the Royal Library's temporary exhibitions.
Description
The Palace of Charles of Lorraine counts five halls, each decorated in
stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
and
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...
, whose interiors are reminiscent of the
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 pe ...
and the
Bishopric of Liège
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
in the 18th century. An impressive staircase, adorned with a statue of
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the ...
sculpted by the Flemish sculptor
Laurent Delvaux
Laurent Delvaux (1696, in Ghent – 24 February 1778, in Nivelles) was a Flemish sculptor. After a successful international career that brought him to London and Rome, he returned to the Austrian Netherlands where he was a sculptor to the cou ...
, leads up to the first-floor
rotunda. The rotunda's paving includes a central
rosette made up of 28 types of
Belgian marble, a sample of the Prince's collection of 5,000 minerals.
Royal Chapel
Donated to the
Protestant Church by
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 ...
in 1804, with a definitive concession in 1816, the former private chapel 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 ...
(also called the Royal Chapel) was integrated into the new constructions of the
Mont des Arts/Kunstberg in 1965. Restored and modified several times, this sanctuary was built in 1760–61 and presents a
Louis XVI-style interior with several
Régence
The ''Régence'' (, ''Regency'') was the period in French history between 1715 and 1723 when King Louis XV was considered a minor and the country was instead governed by Philippe d'Orléans (a nephew of Louis XIV of France) as prince regen ...
and
Louis XV
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...
elements. It is adorned with remarkable rosettes, putty,
rocaille
Rocaille ( , ) was a French style of exuberant decoration, with an abundance of curves, counter-curves, undulations and elements modeled on nature, that appeared in furniture and interior decoration during the early reign of Louis XV of France. ...
-style elements and garlands. In the
jubé, there is an organ by Bernhard Dreymann dating from 1839 to 1841.
Statue of Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Erected in 1848 at the centre of the Place du Musée, the statue of Charles Alexander of Lorraine was part of a series of sculptural works honouring great figures of
Belgian history
The history of Belgium extends before the founding of the modern state of that name in 1830, and is intertwined with those of its neighbors: History of the Netherlands, the Netherlands, History of Germany, Germany, History of France, France and ...
. Originally designed for
Brussels Park, then for the
Place Royale/Koningsplein, it had been ordered to the sculptor
Louis Jehotte, also author of a statue of
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
in
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far fro ...
(
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—al ...
). Nowadays, the statue is relegated to the side of the square, above the technical block of the Museum of Modern Art.
File:Palace of Charles of Lorraine 1.jpg, Entrance of the Palace of Charles of Lorraine
File:Paleis van Karel van Lotharingen 04.jpg, Closeup of one of the palace's 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 pedim ...
s
File:Philippe Neerman13.jpg, The rotunda with its marble flooring
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Statue de Charles de Lorraine - 03.JPG, Statue 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 ...
See also
*
List of castles and châteaux in Belgium
This is an incomplete list of castles and châteaux in Belgium. The Dutch word ''kasteel'' and the French word ''château'' refer both to fortified defensive buildings (castles proper) and to stately aristocratic homes (châteaux, manor houses or ...
*
Neoclassical architecture in Belgium
*
History of Brussels
*
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 ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
{{commons category, Palace of Charles of Lorraine
Website of the museum
Palaces in Brussels
City of Brussels
Protected heritage sites in Brussels
Neoclassical architecture in Belgium
Neoclassical palaces
18th century in Brussels
Houses completed in 1757