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 Everyone talking about Brussels and its Metropole Hotel thinks also in the first place of the Grand Place, the heart of the town’s constant renewal. Just like the Agora in Athens, and the Roman Forum, it too has played an important part in the history of Brussels. Economic Iife developed around it. The first houses were built by merchants, who were followed by the gilds.
The Brussels Town Hall was constructed there in 1402. It was started by James van Thienen.
Charles the Bold laid the foundation stone of the right wing in 1444. John van Ruysbroeck was nominated architect of the tower in 1449. The decorative master-piece of the statue of St. Michael, by Martin van Rode, was placed on the top in 1465. This gothic construction is particularly important for its exterior decoration which includes the most outstanding examples of fourteenth and fifteenth century sculpture from Brussels. The back of the building, bounded by the “ rue de l'Amigo” and the “ rue de la Tête d'Or” (Guldenhoofdstraat), was built between 1708 and 1717 in Louis XIV style by Cornelius van Nerven. This site has previously been occupied by the Cloth Hall, built in 1353, but completely destroyed during the shelling of Brussels by Marshal de Villeroy in 1695, on Louis XIV's orders.
The interior of the town hall is very varied and luxurious. It is worth a visit for the collection of sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century tapestries alone. Both architecture and collections make the capital's town hall one of the most remarkable of European monuments. Remarks: lots of first-class Brussels hotels are located around the city Grand Place. Among them, the famous Metropole Hotel : set in a grand 19th century building, the Hotel Metropole is a ten minutes walk from the breathtaking Grand Place. A luxurious hotel where all guestrooms are decorated with Art Deco touches.
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Directly opposite there is another historical building: the “ Maison du Roi” in French or "Broodhuis" in Dutch. The previous thirteenth century Maison du Roi was built in wood. It was reconstructed for the first time in 1404, but its original purpose was given up. The duke of Brabant made it into the Chamber of TolIs, the Court of Forestry and the offices of the General Receiver of Brabant. It received the new name of "Duke's House". Entirely rebuilt between 1515 and 1530 under Charles V, it became known as the "King's House" which referred to his title of King of Spain. The new gothic building was created by such architects as A. Keldermans, L. van Bodeghem and above all, H. van Pede. It was severely damaged in 1695 by the above mentioned shelling by de Villeroy.
It was rebuilt and more or less mutilated in 1763, but Brussels bought it in 1872. It looked frightful and was therefore completely demolished between 1873 and 1885 and rebuilt by the city architect, Victor Jamar. He drew his inspiration from old engravings and the town hall of Oudenaarde which had been built in the sixteenth century by Henry van Pede.
The Brussels city council decided on March 3, 1860 to erect a monument to Egmont and Hoorn directly in front of the Maison du Roi, which occurred in 1864. Fifteen years later it was removed to the Petit Sablon Park . From the Metrople Hotel, you can reach by foot the Sablon Park : it is a 20 min. walk through the ancient town of Brussels
The Maison du Roi has been a town museum since 1887. It contains a rich fund of documents about the folklore and local as well as more general history and archaeology of the capital. ln addition, interesting collections of pottery, porcelain and lace ... and the huge wardrobe of about three-hundred and fifty costumes of Mannekenpis. |
