Place Royale (Brussels)
Encyclopedia
The Place Royale or Koningsplein (Dutch
, "King's Square") is a historic square near the center of Brussels
, Belgium
.
. The palace burned down, however, during a fire that took much of the original royal complex on the night of February 3, 1731. Construction of the new buildings around the square took from 1773 to 1780, using the design of French architect Barnabé Guimard, who received that commission in 1769. The square is almost an exact replica of the Place Royale in Reims
.
, consecrated in 1787, and designed by Barré and Guimard
. On the western side of the square is the main building of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
. The Palace of Justice
are south of the square, and Brussels' town hall
is west of the square. At the center of Place Royale is a statue of Godfrey of Bouillon
, the leader of the first crusade in 1096, riding on horseback. This statue was sculpted by Eugène Simonis
in 1848 to replace the statue of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
that had been melted down for the metal during the French Revolution.
Traffic circulation around the square is anticlockwise. Rue de Namur/Naamsestraat enters the square from the south, rue de la Régence/Regentschapstraat from the southwest, and Mont des Arts from the northwest.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, "King's Square") is a historic square near the center of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
History
The square itself is built on the former site of the Baliënplein, which was the main market square adjacent to the former palace of CoudenbergCoudenberg
Coudenberg or Koudenberg is a small hill in Brussels where the Palace of Coudenberg was built.For nearly 700 years, the Castle and then the Palace of Coudenberg were the seat of government of the counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors and governors who from the 11th century until its...
. The palace burned down, however, during a fire that took much of the original royal complex on the night of February 3, 1731. Construction of the new buildings around the square took from 1773 to 1780, using the design of French architect Barnabé Guimard, who received that commission in 1769. The square is almost an exact replica of the Place Royale in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
.
Layout
The principal building on the square is the Church of Saint Jacques-sur-CoudenbergChurch of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg
The Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg or Sint-Jacob-op-Koudenberg is a neoclassical church located in the historic square of Place Royale in central Brussels, Belgium.-History:...
, consecrated in 1787, and designed by Barré and Guimard
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands where he led important architectural and urbanistic projects such as the Place Royale in Brussels and the new 'Palace of the Council of Brabant' which today houses the Belgian...
. On the western side of the square is the main building of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium , is one of the most famous museums in Belgium.-The museum:...
. The Palace of Justice
Law Courts of Brussels
The Law Courts of Brussels or Brussels Palace of Justice is the most important Court building in Belgium, and is a notable landmark of Brussels. It was built between 1866 and 1883 in the eclectic style by architect Joseph Poelaert...
are south of the square, and Brussels' town hall
Brussels Town Hall
The Town Hall of the City of Brussels is a Gothic building from the Middle Ages. It is located on the famous Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium....
is west of the square. At the center of Place Royale is a statue of Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
, the leader of the first crusade in 1096, riding on horseback. This statue was sculpted by Eugène Simonis
Eugène Simonis
Louis-Eugène Simonis was a Belgian sculptor.-Career:Simonis studied under François-Joseph Dewandre at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Liège and at the age of nineteen went to Italy, where he continued his studies in Bologna and Rome. When he returned to Belgium he accepted an instructor...
in 1848 to replace the statue of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine was a Lorraine-born Austrian soldier.-Background:Charles was the son of Leopold Joseph, Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans...
that had been melted down for the metal during the French Revolution.
Traffic circulation around the square is anticlockwise. Rue de Namur/Naamsestraat enters the square from the south, rue de la Régence/Regentschapstraat from the southwest, and Mont des Arts from the northwest.