BRUSSELS CITY MUSEUM

Description

Essentials about the Brussels City Museum in brief

If you are interested in the city history of Brussels, you should definitely pay a visit to the Brussels City Museum. The City Museum is located in the beautiful Maison du Roi on the central Grand Place, directly opposite the Town Hall. Through 7,000 objects, the exhibition tells the long history of the Belgian capital. Aspects such as archaeology, art, urban development and life in the city are highlighted. By the way, probably the most important exhibit of the museum is the original statue of Manneken Pis.

The history and architecture of the Brussels City Museum

The Brussels City Museum is housed in the beautiful Maison du Roi on the central Grand Place, which was built in response to the construction of the Brussels Town Hall. After the Town Hall was built in several stages on the south side of the Grand Place in the first half of the 15th century and was a symbol of the city’s power, the Duke of Brabant had a large building erected directly opposite the Town Hall from 1504 to 1536 as a symbol of his ducal power. The building became known in French as the Maison du Roi (King’s House), although no king ever resided there. In Dutch, by the way, the building is still called “Broodhuis” (“Bread House”), after the market on whose site it was built.

The Maison du Roi was badly damaged during the bombardment by French troops, but was subsequently rebuilt. Further restorations followed in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the latter restoration, the building was transformed into its current neo-Gothic form. The architect Victor Jamaer built two galleries and a central tower and decorated the facade with statues and other ornaments. At the rear of the building, Jamaer added a soberly designed wing in the Flemish Neo-Renaissance style.

The Brussels City Museum was officially opened in 1887. Since 1998, the Maison du Roi, along with the rest of Grand Place, has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The exhibition in the Brussels City Museum

The Brussels City Museum displays more than 7,000 items from the history of the Belgian capital, including artifacts, paintings and tapestries. There are two dioramas of the city of Brussels, one from the early days of the city and once at its height around the year 1500. The museum’s collections of paintings include works by Flemish painter Aert van den Bossche (15th century) and French history painter Charles Meynier (18th century). And last but not least, probably the most important exhibit of the museum should not go unmentioned: The original statue of Manneken Pis, which can be admired on the top floor.