The Former Palace of Margaret of Austria

Margaret of Austria was regent of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1507 and 1530. Her residential palace was the Hof van Savoye (Court of Savoy), the first renaissance building in the Low Countries. The renaissance spread from here. Note the magnificent charming garden. From 1616 to 1796 the palace was home to the Great Council, the highest court of law in the Southern Netherlands. The facade still features Margaret’s coat of arms, alongside the coat of arms of Charles V and a figure of Lady Justice (Justitia). Today the building is a court of law.*

The Former Palace of Margaret of Austria

The Former Palace of Margaret of Austria

*From Hotelmagazine 2014-2015 Welcome in Mechelen

14 Comments CherryPie on May 17th 2014

14 Responses to “The Former Palace of Margaret of Austria”

  1. rusty duck says:

    Very nice. I think I could have got used to living there.

  2. Ayush says:

    really like the point of view in the last shot Cherie

  3. james higham says:

    Adore those covered ways.

  4. It’s rather a humble palace back in the 16th century then.
    Not like King Henry VIII’s palaces. ;)

  5. Mandy says:

    That is really beautiful. I love the distinctive red and white brick design and the gothic arches and ceilings.

  6. What a wonderful building Cherie the photography is brilliant,
    I’ve had a good read through the previous posts about your visit to Mechelen
    and it’s made me want to visit but I’m not sure how disabled friendly they are!

    love Di xx

  7. J_on_tour says:

    A dream to spend some time with the camera in and around that building. Great shot of the covered walkway.