Consisting of two 18th-century mansions joined together by King William I of Holland. It was Leopold II who extended it into a royal palace by designing a new facade combining the side pavilions by two symmetrical wings and a portico surmounted by a sculpted pediment. It houses the offices of the royal family and is [...]
Archive for the 'Leuven 2015' Category
Filed under Art, Faith Foundations, Heritage, Holidays, Leuven 2015
Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg
14 Comments CherryPie on Sep 1st 2015
Filed under Faith Foundations, Heritage, Holidays, Leuven 2015
Place Royale
The Place Royal stands on the old square of a magnificent palace of the Dukes of Brabant begun in the 13th century. Embellished in 1452 by Philippe le Bon, altered and fitted out by Archduke Albert and Archduchess Isabelle, it was ruined by a fire in 1731, then rebuilt. 40 years later as a rectangular [...]
8 Comments CherryPie on Aug 31st 2015
Filed under Heritage, Holidays, Leuven 2015
Musical Instruments Museum
As we turn our backs to the steps that lead to the Garden of Mont des Arts we see some Art Nouveau buildings on our way to the Place Royal.
A key Art Nouveau structure, the building was erected in Brussels in 1886. Now fully restored, these former “Old England” shops have regained their full glory. [...]
8 Comments CherryPie on Aug 30th 2015
Filed under Heritage, Holidays, Leuven 2015
The Garden of Mont des Arts
A fountain with 9 jets of water is at the centre of the garden. The stairs that lead to the garden are decorated with reliefs of Oscar Jespers, Charles Leplae and Rik Poot. The rows of trees lead towards the statue of King Albert I on his horse below. On the right, little fountains and [...]
8 Comments CherryPie on Aug 28th 2015
Filed under Heritage, Holidays, Leuven 2015
The Grand Place Brussels
The square is surrounded by Brussels’ Town Hall, nearly forty guildhalls and other beautiful buildings from the 14th to 17th century. The 110 by 68 metre Grand Place is also home of the Flower Carpet, a bi-annual event featuring the creation of a colorful carpet design using more 700,000 cut begonias.
La Grand Place has been used [...]
14 Comments CherryPie on Aug 26th 2015
Filed under Art, Heritage, Holidays, Leuven 2015
The Patron Saint of Brussels
Brussels Town Hall is one of the Belgium’s finest civic buildings. Not only because of the numerous sculptures adorning its walls, but also because of its perfect proportions and the incomparable beauty of its tower, the spire of which is topped by the archangel Saint Michael, Brussels laid the foundation stone of the magnificent Gothic [...]
2 Comments CherryPie on Aug 25th 2015
