The two half-relief figures of  wolves above the gateway are the only remainders of this edifice. The right-hand wall runs steeply up toward the Naamestraat to a ruin that is accesible via an outside staircase. The gateway appears to be an archway, but it was probably a wall tower in which a passageway to the outside was later added. According to the history writer Edward Van Even, the figures of the wolves may be remainders of a Viking altar.*

*From Out and About in Leuven walks leaflet

Owing to the ransackings by Protestant iconoclasts in 1579 and thefts by  French Revolutionists in 1793, the interior of the cathedral is far less rich than it was in medieval times. It nonetheless contains some fine stained glass, such as the Last Judgement Window, dating from 1528, on the west front of the cathedral, facing the altar.*

Also of particular interest is the beautiful and original Grenzing organ.*

The flamboyantly carved Baroque Pulpit in the central aisle depicts Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Paradise. This pulpit, by the Antwerp-born sculptor Hendrik Verbruggen, was built in  1699, although it was not installed till 1776.*

*From The Belgium & Luxembourg Eyewitness Travel Guide.

Although it is the national church of Belgium. Cathedrale Sts-Michel-et-Gudule was granted cathedral status only in 1962. It was built with a sandy limestone brought from the local quarries and is one of the finest surviving examples of Brabant Gothic Gothic architecture

There has been a church on the site of the cathedral since at least the 11th century. Work began on the Gothic cathedral in 1226 under Henry I, Duke of Brabant, and was finally completed 300 years later at the begining of the 16th century, under the reign of Charles V. It was dedicated to the city’s patron saints, archangel Michael and a local 8th-century pious woman, St Gudule.*

The pillars of the nave are decorated with statues of the 12 apostles.

Click on photo for a short video.

*From Belgium and Luxembourg Eyewitness guide.

Palace of the Nation houses the parliament today. This forms an harmonious part of the perspective of Parc de Bruxelles. A symbolic site of the Belgian revolution of 1830, it was occupied by the people of Brussels during the attack against the Dutch.*

*From Brussels Guide – Collection ‘Beautiful Belgium’

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 open to the public in summer. When the national flag is flying on top of the palace it means the King is in Belgium.*

*From Brussels Guide – Collection ‘Beautiful Belgium’

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 a small playground for children. The garden is a link between the old town and the royal library Albert I, the Royal Museums of Fine art of Belgium, the royal Film library and the museum of Cinema (Cinematek), the memorial for King Baudouin…

“May you spend many years at Maredsous in the supreme comfort of soul that is given, to natures touched by grace, by faith in God’s infinite power and confidence in His goodness.”
— from a letter written by Albert I, King of the Belgians to his former tutor, General De Grunne, after the general retired to the Benedictine monastery at Maredsous, Belgium

At the base of the monumental staircase leading to the garden of the Mont des Arts (Kunstberg in Flemish) stands an equestrian bronze of Albert I, King of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934.

Designed by Alfred Courtens (1889-1967), it was unveiled in 1951. Mont des Arts is dedicated to the memory of Albert I, known as the “soldier king,” one of Belgium’s most popular monarchs.

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 as a town square since the 12th century (then called ‘Nedermarckt’), but also played a negative role in the history of the Belgian city. In the 16th and 17th century, hundreds of people have been executed on the town square for various reasons. Witches and protestants were burnt at the stake, while rebellians and other villains were decapitated. Needless to say that the the current role, as the bright center of Brussels, is much more positive.

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 edifice in the spring of 1402. In 1695, when the city was bombarded by Marshal de Villeroy, the Town Hall was destroyed by fire.

Atop the spire on the square tower body, stands a 5-meter-high gilt metal statue of the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Brussels, slaying a dragon or devil. The 96 meter high tower is in Brabantine Gothic style.

The facade of the town hall is decorated with numerous statues representing nobles, saints, and allegorical figures. The present figures are not the originals. The Grand Place was bombed in 1695 by the French. The damaged townhall had to be reconstructed.

Thomas Traherne