Random thoughts and photos of my journey through life…
The house of Van’t Sestich is named after the Louvain patrician family of that name. High up in the wall the Roman numeral LX can be seen; a play on the surname.
The facade of Van ‘t Sestichhuis is quite striking and intriguing. The architectural style of the brick patterns show kinship with with the architecture in Bijloke, Ghent and numerous town houses in Bruges. The gable is adorned with hakstenen motives which we can recognize as the Star of David.
11 Comments CherryPie on Jul 25th 2015
During WWI the Germans set the University Hall ablaze. The centuries-old library, which held hundreds of thousands of often rare books, went up in flames. With support from the Americans, a new library was built in the 192o’s in the Flemish Renaissance style. Impressive about this building are the many stones engraved with inscriptions from the hundreds of American technical and engineering schools that contributed to its reconstruction. The carillon in the tower, with its 63 bells – one of the largest in the country – was a gift from 16 American engineering societies.*
In front of the library, in Ladeuze square stands a monument entitled Totem; a giant beetle impaled on a needle. The strange spectacle left me wondering why and what it was supposed to signify.
The truth behind the story is that it was a gift to the city of Leuven by a Belgium-based artist Jan Fabre. Fabre is a well known sculptor, but also a playwright, choreographer, designer. This is not the first time he creates animal figures. In Nieuwpoort he has made a giant turtle monument, named ‘Searching for Utopia’. Similar works in the open are exhibited in Bruges. He also exhibited his works in The Louvre.
The ‘beetle-monument’ was unveiled in 2000, the year of the 575th anniversary of K.U. Leuven. The name of the work of art is the Totem. In the artist’s own words, this work symbolizes a lot of things: nature, radar for human existence and so on. The other meaning refers to a bigger collection Fabre made. He has actually made a whole collection of upside-down insects pinned on needles.
Fabre also says that he had a lot of help from professionals at K.U. Leuven without whose expertise he would have not done the job proper. Most importantly, he was roaming around Leuven a lot, looking for a perfect location for the monument. He choose the Ladeuze square because it is in front of the library and, as he claims: Totem is a tribute to knowledge, to beauty, to the poetry of existing/being.
*From Out and About in Leuven walks leaflet
14 Comments CherryPie on Jul 24th 2015
This little park between the small and large arms of the Dijle was designed by municipal architect Renilde d’Haese. It is part of the island that lies between the Zwartzustersstraat and the Redingenpoort. Here, in the Middle Ages, you could find the greatest concentration of water mills. And at one time, it was the mooring place of the ships that supplied the village of Hove and the various mills. Be sure to notice the sophisticated bridge and the bower when you walk past.*
*From Out and About in Leuven walks leaflet
12 Comments CherryPie on Jul 23rd 2015
Strolling along the River Dilje on our way back to Hotel Klooster I noticed the side view of this rather striking statue. The statue caught my eye because it was set off by the neighboring tree trunk which to me presents a similar profile and this intrigued me.
When I moved round to the front of the statue I found the image disturbing but I did not know what it represented. After a bit of research when I returned home I found the following information:
Stone sculpture of a woman with a dying son in her arms, overlooked by a man.
The work is one of the lesser known images of Leuven. The statue commemorates a part of the resistance movement of Leuven during World War II. The initiative came from the National Royalist Movement Leuven (NKB), and it was inaugurated on 4 October 1959. The creator Willem De Backer from Berg. He was a teacher at the Academy of Louvain between 1942 and 1970. Hence, the location of the image.
Now I know the context I think that the monument presents a powerful image. I would be interested to know your thoughts…
12 Comments CherryPie on Jul 22nd 2015
During the middle ages, jesters had to liven up things. They were often either deformed (e.g. a lump), small of posture, and had a big mouth and ears. Paep Thoon, who lived in Leuven during the 15th century (1430-1487), was such a character. He was an organist at the fraternity of the Holy Sacrament at St. Peter’s church. He was known to blurt out the truth either by means of a joke or a sarcastic remark. He never lost his sense of humor and on his dying bed reportedly asked to be buried in upright position, and beneath a gargoyle – so that he would never be thirsty.
In 1991, a Paep Thoon statue by Peter Vanbekbergen was placed at the Leie where the river Dyle crosses / runs under Brusselsestraat.
10 Comments CherryPie on Jul 21st 2015
On Sunday (yesterday) we took my in-laws out for lunch to Sugnall walled garden. It was a belated fathers day trip due to us traveling home from our holidays on fathers day.
We found that Sugnall walled garden was completely transformed since our previous visit. Everything was in full bloom and the summer marquee was in place. There had been a wedding and celebration in the garden the previous day and as we sat down the lady in charge of catering commented ’sorry about the mess there was a wedding here yesterday and I think they were having ‘to much’ fun…
Lunch was delicious; I chose beetroot and feta quiche which was served with salad from the walled garden. After lunch we took a leisurely stroll around the garden before heading homeward.
On our previous visit as we sat enjoying our afternoon drink we watched the moon rising in the sky. This evening after dinner we were treated to the crescent moon rising and falling in the distance behind our back garden.
16 Comments CherryPie on Jul 20th 2015
Filed under Faith Foundations, Heritage, Holidays, Leuven 2015
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
St Augustine
14 Comments CherryPie on Jul 19th 2015
