BRUSSELS TOWN HALL

Description

Essentials about the Brussels Town Hall in brief

The Brussels Town Hall is an architectural masterpiece and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world. The elegant, richly detailed 15th century Gothic building dominates the equally beautiful Grand Place in the heart of Brussels’ historic city center. The nearly 100-meter high tower of the Town Hall can be seen from many directions and guides visitors to the Town Hall. A visit to Brussels is definitely not complete without seeing this magnificent building. If you also want to see the inside of the Town Hall, you can take a guided tour.

The history and architecture of the Brussels Town Hall

The Brussels Town Hall was built in the period from 1401 to 1421 by the Flemish architect Jacob van Tienen. Initially, only the current left wing was built as an extension to an already existing belfry. The Town Hall was not originally planned to be any larger. However, after the guilds had won participation in the city government against the patrician families and the building had become too small for the enlarged council, the second, shorter wing of the city hall was built from 1444 to 1448.

The 96-meter-high late Gothic belfry was designed by Jan van Ruysbroeck, Philip the Good’s master builder. From 1449 to 1455, the tower was built in place of the previous one. Its magnificent design was intended to eclipse the famous Belfry of Bruges. Above the height of the roof, the massive body of the tower elegantly slims to an octagonal lantern of long-lancet windows and an open ribbed construction. At its top is a gilded statue of the dragon-fighting Archangel Michael, the patron saint of the city of Brussels. The asymmetrical integration of the tower into the building is striking: while the left wing consists of ten axes, the right wing has only six.

The town hall plays a central role in the Brabant Gothic style and became the model for later town halls. With its richly windowed façade and magnificent sculptural decoration, it refers to the town halls of Bruges, Oudenaarde and Louvain, but goes beyond them with its rich decoration and especially with the tower. Today’s sculptures are reproductions, the originals are kept in the City Museum in the Maison du Roi.

After the bombardment by French troops, which did not completely destroy the town hall, the building was given its present appearance in 1706 to 1714. The building is decorated with numerous sculptures. After several waves of restoration, the neo-Gothic style dominates the interior of the Town Hall: worth seeing are Maximilian Hall with a tapestry depicting the life of Clovis, the magnificent Council Hall, Festival Hall, which is also richly decorated, and Marriage Hall (the former courtroom).

The Town Hall once housed not only the city’s magistrate, but also the Brabant Estates Assembly until 1795. Today it houses the tourist office of the city of Brussels.