Brussels: Quartier Royal / Belgium  |
| Palais Royal (Brussels) |
The Quartier
Royal traditionally welcomed the leaders and nobility of Brussels. They chose the area called Hill Coudenberg other times because the air was purer than in the Lower City. Here was erected in the XV century Coudenberg Palace, residence of the Dukes of Brabant and Renaissance rulers.
In 1731 the palace was destroyed in just six hours by a fire. Slowly rebuilt during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the four new buildings and much of the park is designed in neoclassical style, on the election of Charles of Lorraine.
Today, the Quartier Royal transmits a quiet elegance, with some interesting eighteenth-century buildings that frame the Parc de Bruxelles and the Palais Royal, the Palais de Academy, Charles de Lorraine Palais, the Palais de la Nation and the superb Royal Place, bounded all the endless Rue Royal (Koningstraat), Rue Ducale (Hertogstraat), Rue de la Loi (Wetstraat) and the Place de Palais (Palaizenplain).
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| Palais Royal (Brussels) |
»Buildings and places of interest: " Palais Royal (Place des Palais): The most important of all the palaces that rise around the Parc de Bruxelles. It was built in the style of Louis XVI in the 1820 on the site of ancient palace Coudenberg. The work continued under Leopold II (ruled from 1865 to 1909) and completed much of the exterior facade. During the twentieth century interior improvements were incorporated and restored older areas such as those of Maquet between 1904 and 1912. Is the official residence of the royal family of Belgium whose flag, when hoisted on the roof, indicating the presence of the king in his country.
Upon entering the building a monumental staircase is found dominated by a beautiful dome. The Throne Room
, dating from 1872, is one of the most beautiful parts of the Palais Royal. Decorated grandly and has huge columns with pilasters, 11 large chandeliers and 28 chandeliers. The Hall of Mirrors
is also interesting for its original roof and grandeur. Reminds the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. Other sites that stand out are the Little White Room, which has portraits of the nineteenth century, large crystal chandeliers lit with candles and rococo furniture late eighteenth century, the Field Marshal room with a portrait of the first king of Belgium, Leopold I, an original copy of Winterhalter, 1823; the gallery, which presents the ceilings decorated with paintings of the late nineteenth century, representing the dawn, day and evening, and the Board Empire, the Goya or the lounge room Bleu.
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| St-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg in Place Royale (Brussels) |
"Place Royale / Koningsplain : The square retains the influence of Carlos Enrique Lorenzo
, governor of Brussels from 1749 to 1780, he rebuilt the place formerly occupied Coudenberg palace destroyed in the fire of 1731 in accordance with the prevailing style in Vienna, which he admired. Its beauty is due both to the harmony and uniformity of the eight surrounding neoclassical buildings, like the prospects can be seen on it. Barre and was built by Guimard between 1774 and 1780.
When the area was renovated, they left the burning ruins of the former palace and the space is organized in two excavations in 1995 plazas.Durante surfaced XV century remains belonging to the Aula Magna of the old palace hall where the emperor abdicated English Carlos V in favor of his son Philip II. This palace was build under the dukes of Brabant in the early thirteenth century and was favored under the reign of the dukes of Burgundy, especially by Philip the Good. Here now stands the Archaeological Site Coudenberg (Palacio de Carlos V) [official website
].
At the heart of the beautiful plaza symmetrical stands the statue of Godfrey of Bouillon, Brabant soldier who fought in the first cross-Catholic and died in Palestine. It was made in 1848 by Eugène Simonis to replace the statue of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, who had been cast in metal during the French Revolution.
"Église Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg (Place Royale): This beautiful building is the latest in a series of churches that occupied this site. From the twelfth century there was a chapel that was replaced with another for use of the dukes of Brabant. He became ducal chapel when Coudenberg built the palace in the thirteenth century. The chapel was looted in 1579 during conflict between Catholics and Protestants and the 1731 fire that destroyed the palace was badly damaged and had to be demolished. The present church was built in compliance with the prevailing neoclassical style in the area. It was consecrated in 1787 and designed by Barré and Guimard, although during the French Revolution was used as the Temple of Law and Reason. In 1802 he returned to the Catholic Church. The dome was completed in 1849. The barrel hall and apse with its half-dome are studded with floral motifs in plaster. Inside are two large paintings of Jan Portaels to each side of the crossing, as well as a seat reserved for the royal family.
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| Parc de Bruxelles from Place de Palais (Brussels) |
"Musée Belvue (Place des Palais 7): The Museum of Belgian Dynasty painting has a large collection, documents and other real objects depicting the history of the Belgian monarchy from the country's independence in 1830 until the present time. Since 1992, is headquartered in the former Bellevue Hotel, an eighteenth-century neoclassical building adjacent to the Palais Royale and built the palace in 1902. In 1998 included a permanent exhibition in honor of the late King Baudouin (reigned from 1951 to 1993), with official portraits and personal photographs.
" La Rue Royale
runs from Quartier Royal to the botanical garden. When was stated its neoclassical architecture, but now, its most notable buildings are examples of Victorian or art nouveau. The Parc de Bruxelles
occupied hunting grounds used in medieval times by the dukes of Brabant. It was renovated in the 1770s with fountains, sculptures and rides for the French and Austrian Barnabas Guimard Zinner, two geometric ponds with fountains, statues of the XVIII century and the Théatre du Parc at the northeast corner. In the Rue Ducale is located Palais
Académie , built in 1823 as the residence of crown prince since 1876 headquarters of the Royal Academy of Belgium. In the Rue de la Loi is the Palais de la Nation
, also the work of French architect Guimard Barnabas. It was built in 1783 and restored in 1883 after a fire. Since 1831 houses the two chambers of the Belgian Parliament: Deputies in the Senate right wing and left wing.
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| Old England-Musée Instrumental (Brussels) |
"Musée Instrumental (Rue Montagne de la Cour 2) [official website
]: Old England occupies the building formerly owned by a department store, a jewel of art nouveau, built by Paul Saintenoy in 1899 with a very elaborate facade made entirely of glass and wrought iron. It is topped by a domed gazebo and a lateral tower. The collection of the Musee Instrumental, formerly at the Sablon, began in the nineteenth century, when the state purchased 80 old and exotic instruments. Doubled its funding in 1876 with the donation of King Leopold II of 97 Indian musical instruments that gave him a maharaja. In 1924 and had 3,300 pieces, and now over 6,000 wind instruments, string and keyboard from medieval times to the present. Among the major pieces features a collection of prototypes of the Belgian Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, miniviolines from street musicians and a full copy of the study of a violin maker.
'Palais des Beaux-Arts (Rue Ravenstein 23): art nouveau style, was built between 1922 and 1928 by Victor Horta, who had to review the proposal to six times the height of the building, located on a hillside not obstruct the view of the city since the Palais Royal. It hosts various cultural events of music, dance, theater, film and art in general. Here is located the National Orchestra of Belgium. It owes its existence to Henri Le Boeuf, a financial music lover who gave his name to the main auditorium.
also contains the Musee du Cinema, now known as
Cinematek (Rue Baron Horta 9) [official website
], opened in 1962, with an interesting file and exhibitions. Classic movies are projected.
»Hôtel Ravenstein (Rue Ravenstein 3): For centuries it has been home to noble families, soldiers and officers of the court, and for the last 100 years is the headquarters of the Royal Society of Engineers. The building was erected in the fifteenth century, to Adolfo and Felipe Cleves-Ravenstein and acquired in 1896 by the city at that time used as storage obras de arte hasta su restauración en 1934. Es el último ejemplo que queda de una mansión de estilo borgoñón.
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| Palais de Charles de Lorraine (Bruselas) |
» Palais de Charles de Lorraine (Place du Musée 1): Es poco lo que se conserva del edificio original del palacio de Carlos de Lorena, gobernador de la ciudad de Bruselas a mediados del siglo XVIII e importante mecenas de las artes, ya que el palacio fue saqueado por las tropas francesas en el año 1794. Los bajorrelieves de la parte alta de la escalera representan el aire, la tierra, el fuego y el agua; además reflect the interest in alchemy at Charles de Lorraine. The highlight is the floor in a star of 28 points of the circular room, each built with a different kind of Belgian marble. The grand staircase is decorated with statues of L. Delvaux (1770) and stucco and silks from Lyon.
"Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts (Rue de la Regence 3) [official website
] [Learn more
]: Known collectively as Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, the Musée d'Art Ancien and the Musée d'Art Moderne is the most important of Brussels, specializing in fine arts. In these museums, adjacent to the Place Royale, displays objects from the two eras: ancient (XV to XVIII centuries) and modern (since the nineteenth century to the present). Housed in a neoclassical building by Alphonse Balat between 1784 and 1880, the Musée d'Art Ancien is the largest collection of dos.La understand the few valuables they left behind the French republican army, which stripped Brussels many of its treasures to bring to Paris. This collection was initially exhibited in the Palais de Charles de Lorraine and was swelled by some sponsors, donations and recovery of parts brought to France. The present gallery was opened in 1887. The Musée d'Art Ancien is famous for its magnificent art collection flamenco, the best in the world. They represented many old masters such as Van Dyck, Rubens, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Hugo van der Goes.
Opened in 1984, the Musée d'Art Moderne has a unique provision: eight levels of the building are underground, but a skylight allows many of the works can be viewed with natural light filtering through from the Place du Musée. The top three floors are devoted to temporary exhibitions. The wide and varied collection is sorted cronológicamente.Están represented many famous artists of the twentieth century, from 1900 until today, but the most famous works are those of the Belgian surrealists like André Breton, René Magritte and Paul Delvaux.
" Magritte Museum (Place Royale) [official website
]: Opened in 2009, has a wonderful collection of 200 works of René Magritte (1898-1967), master of surrealism. Among the exhibits are 'The Return' (1940), 'Scheherazade' (1948) or 'The Empire of Light' (1954).
» Bibliography:" Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp "(El País Aguilar Visual Guides)" 'Belgium and Luxembourg' (Total Guide Anaya Touring Club) »Brussels (Plano, guide) (Ediciones B) »Links: " About Belgium »Brussels (Wikipedia)" Stad Brussel " Belgian Tourist Office: Brussels and Wallonia (in English) » Tourism Flanders
