An improbable creation: Brussels’ Grand-Place
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# Brussels’ Grand-Place I always return to the same thought when I arrive at the Grand-Place: a setting this dense should not be able to belong to everyday life. And yet this square is indeed the centre of Brussels. Within a relatively compact space, it brings together sculpted façades, gables, gilding, the Town Hall and the King’s House. Its name changes with the city’s languages: Grote Markt in Dutch, Gruute Met in Brussels dialect. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, the Grand-Place is internationally recognised for the richness of its ornamentation. Victor Hugo counted it among the world’s most beautiful squares. The judgement is old, but its effect remains: here, every façade seems to ask you to look up for a little longer. ## Why make the detour The Grand-Place is an astonishing creation, not because of a single architectural gesture but because of the intensity of the whole. The guild houses line the square alongside the Town Hall and the King’s House, also known as the Broodhuis. Gilded details, statues and stone decoration give the ensemble an almost theatrical appearance. Yet this harmony tells a turbulent story. In August 1695, during the War of the League of Augsburg, French troops commanded by Marshal de Villeroy bombarded Brussels. Most of the houses around the square, some of which were still wooden, were destroyed. The façade and tower of the Town Hall survived, along with a few stone walls. The tower had served as a landmark for the artillery. The guilds then rebuilt their houses lavishly in stone. The Brewers’ Guild house now contains the Brewers Museum. The square we contemplate is therefore also the result of a collective reconstruction, conceived in the aftermath of brutal destruction. Its history does not end there. In 1523, the first Protestant martyrs, Henri Vos and Jean Van Esschen, were burned here by the Inquisition. Forty years later, the Counts of Egmont and Hornes were beheaded here after presenting Philip II with grievances concerning his policy in the Netherlands. This episode contributed to the outbreak of the armed revolt against Spanish rule, led by William of Orange. ## The best time The Grand-Place is especially suited to an attentive visit, when you can take the time to observe its façades rather than simply pass through it. Light changes the way its sculptures, stonework and gilded elements are read: returning at another time of day reveals different contours. The square lies at the heart of Brussels and is a major landmark for visitors and residents alike. For a calmer approach, it is worth setting aside time simply to contemplate it, without trying to identify everything at once: the place’s power also lies in its abundance. ## Preparing your visit The best starting point is to take in the whole from the centre of the square, then gradually move closer to the façades. The Town Hall, with its façade and tower preserved from the 1695 bombardment, forms one of the principal visual reference points. Opposite it, the King’s House deserves particular attention. The Grand-Place’s present appearance does not always exactly correspond to the buildings reconstructed after 1695. Following the destruction and alterations associated with the French Revolution, the square notably lost its statues and gilding. Its heritage value was rediscovered in the mid-19th century. A major restoration campaign was then undertaken in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, under the impetus of Mayor Charles Buls and the Brussels authorities. Some restorations are interpretations of their time. The King of Spain, for instance, was restored using information that was sometimes incomplete. The Maison de l’Étoile, to the left of the Town Hall, was demolished to widen a street before being rebuilt with a colonnaded ground floor and a pedestrian arcade. The King’s House itself is a 19th-century Neo-Gothic creation, freely inspired by the earlier building, which was then in poor condition. ## Access and landmarks The Grand-Place stands in the centre of Brussels. It is easy to include in a walking exploration of the city centre, without any complicated route. Once there, the Town Hall and its tower provide immediate orientation; the guild houses trace the rest of the square’s perimeter. A visit to the square itself is above all a matter of looking: the gables, sculptures, gilding, differences between the façades, and traces of a history shaped by destruction, reconstruction and successive restorations. For practical information that may change, it is best to consult official Brussels channels or those of the relevant sites.
Information
Where: Bruxelles — Belgique
URL : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand-Place_de_Bruxelles