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Palace of Coudenberg

Coordinates:50°50′33″N4°21′36″E/ 50.84263°N 4.36009°E/50.84263; 4.36009
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(Redirected fromCoudenberg)
Not to be confused withHouse of Coudenbergh.

The Royal Palace in Brussels,Peter Brueghel the YoungerandSebastian Vrancx,c. 1627

ThePalace of Coudenberg(French:Palais du Coudenberg;Dutch:Koudenbergpaleis) was a royal residence situated on the Coudenberg or Koudenberg (listenⓘ;Dutch for "Cold Hill" ), a small hill in what is today theRoyal QuarterofBrussels,Belgium.

For nearly 700 years, the Castle and then Palace of Coudenberg was the residence (and seat of power) of the counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors or governors who, from the 12th century to the 18th century, exerted their sovereignty over theDuchy of Brabantand later over all or part of theBurgundianand thenSpanishandAustrian Netherlands.[1]

The palace was completely destroyed in an accidental fire that broke out on the night of 3 February 1731. Only the underground parts remain today. After several years of recent excavations, the archaeological vestiges of the palace and its foundations are open to the public.[2][3]

History

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Early history

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The exact date when the first castle of Coudenberg was built remains a subject of debate. It is generally fixed to the middle of the 11th century, when thecounts of Leuven and Brusselsleft the bottom of the valley of the riverSenneand built their castle on the heights of the Coudenberg, where there was a smaller risk of floods, and from where they could dominate Brussels.[4]The choice of this site was also undoubtedly explained by its strategic position near urbanised areas, the road leading toLeuvenwhere their main residence was located, as well as theSonian Forest,an important reserve forgameand raw materials.[5]In 1047, the transfer byLambert II, Count of Leuvenof therelicsof themartyrSaintGudulafrom Saint Gaugericus' chapel to the church that would later become theCathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula,[6]probably corresponded to the displacement of the seat of county power from the lower to the upper town.[4]Still, the existence of the castle is well attested in the 12th century.

The Court of Brussels,Cornelis de JodeafterBartholomeus de Momper the Elder,late 16th century

With the creation of theDuchy of Brabantin 1183 by theHoly Roman EmperorFrederick Barbarossa,the Coudenberg gained in importance and was included within thefirst great wallbuilt around the city. The hunting park of the dukes led down the hill to the north, a remnant of which is nowBrussels Park.[7]

Rise in importance

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When at the start of the 13th century, the Duke of Brabant preferred Brussels to Leuven, the Coudenberg castle became the seat of the court.[5]With the construction of thecity's second wall,following the 1356 occupation byLouis II, Count of Flanders,the castle was no longer necessary as a primary defence, and it was gradually converted from a military strong point into a residential palace to fit its new prestigious role.[5]From that time on, links were woven between the ducal house and the city; the latter took charge of some embellishment works for the palace that had become by then the dukes' principal seat of government and a leisure home.[5]

After 1430, when Brabant was annexed through inheritance byBurgundy,Philip the Goodordered the building of new wings for the palace, further embellishments to the park, and the building of theAula Magna,a gigantic hall for royal receptions and otherpageantry.[8][9][3]The first regular meetings of theStates General,composed of delegates from the middle class, clergy and nobility of theBurgundian Netherlands,were held there in 1465. It was in this room that, in 1515,Duchess Margaret of Austriaformally relinquished herregencyover theHabsburg NetherlandstoCharles of Habsburg.It was also in this same room that, in 1555, Charles V abdicated in favour of his son, KingPhilip II of Spain.[9][3]During his reign, Charles V ordered the creation of a large market square, known as thePlace des Bailles/Baliënplein,in front of the palace.[8][9]In the palace itself, he instructed the building of galleries and rooms inRenaissancestyle and the construction of theGrand Chapelinlate Gothicstyle,[9]in memory of his parents,Philip the HandsomeandJoanna of Castile.

In the 17th century, under their reign as the sovereigns of theSpanish Netherlands,the ArchdukesAlbert VIIandIsabellaestablished their court on the Coudenberg. The archdukes restored the façade of the palace, transformed the buildings and refitted the apartments and gardens.[8][10]For the protection of the Archduchess, as she made her way to her devotions in the cathedral (this being the height of theWars of Religion), the street that skirts theAula Magnaand the chapel was extended almost as far as theChurch of St. Michael and St. Gudula(now Brussels' cathedral), and renamed theRue Isabelle/Isabellastraat( "Isabella Street" ).[8][3]As art lovers, the archdukes brought to their court the best artists of the time,Jan Brueghel the ElderandPeter Paul Rubensamong them, to decorate the palace with their works.

Fire and destruction

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This impressive complex suffered several fires over the centuries. In 1679, a fire destroyed part of the roof. On the night of 3 February 1731, a fire broke out in the kitchens and quickly engulfed the entire palace.[8][11]The freezing conditions made it difficult to deliver any water and the means of firefighting were very insufficient.[11]In the morning, the palace was in ruins with many of the works of art destroyed along with the governmental archives. Only the court chapel and the walls of theAula Magnawere somewhat spared.[11][12]

After the fire, the court moved to the Palace ofOrange-Nassau,on the site of today'sPalace of Charles of Lorraine,which from then on was known as the "New Court".[13]Funds were not available for rebuilding, so for more than forty years, the old palace remained in a state of ruin, known as theCour brûlée( "Burnt Court" ).[14]Several projects for the redevelopment of this space were proposed, including the reconstruction of a palace, which did not go beyond the stage of sketches, for lack of money.[15]In 1769, the idea germinated to clear and level the ruins of the Place des Bailles and to convert it into an esplanade intended for military parades.[15]The plan was on the verge of completion in 1772, when another project rendered it obsolete.[8]

It was only in 1774 thatPrince Charles Alexander of Lorraine,Governor of the Austrian Netherlands,proposed replacing the ruins with a monumentalroyal squareinspired by French models such as thePlace StanislasinNancy(1755) and thePlace RoyaleinReims(1759), of which it is almost an exact replica.[8][16][17]The project was approved that same year by EmpressMaria Theresa,who authorised the demolition.[18]The first draft of the project, designed by the engineers-architects Louis-Joseph Baudour andClaude Fisco[fr][19]had planned to keep theGothicchapel of the former palace, which had been spared by the fire. Due to the architectural clash with the surrounding neoclassical buildings, however, it was pulled down.

  • The Fire of 1679 in the Coudenberg Palace by Gillis van Auwerkercken
    The Fire of 1679 in the Coudenberg PalacebyGillis van Auwerkercken
  • View of the palace's courtyard after the fire on 3 February 1731
    View of the palace's courtyard after the fire on 3 February 1731
  • View of the ruins from the park
    View of the ruins from the park

Present day

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Further information:Place Royale, Brussels
ThePlace Royale/Koningspleinwas built atop the ruins of the old palace.

Nowadays, on the Coudenberg, just off the south-western corner ofBrussels Park,lies thePlace Royale/Koningsplein,theneoclassicalsquare built between 1775 and 1782 atop the ruins of the old palace.[19]At the centre of the square is anequestrian statueofGodfrey of Bouillon,the leader of theFirst Crusadein 1096.[20]This square is also faced by the neoclassicalChurch of St. James on Coudenberg,which was designed by the architectsGilles-Barnabé GuimardandLouis Montoyerand built from 1776 to 1787.[21][22]In the 19th century, adomeandbell tower,as well as a colouredfresco,were added to the church.[23]

Around the Place Royale, one can find many museums and cultural institutions:[3]theBELvue Museum,theRoyal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium,theMusical Instruments Museum(MIM) (the entrance of which is through theOld Englandbuilding), and theMagritte Museum.There are a number of other notable buildings on the Coudenberg including theCourt of Audit of Belgium;the Royal Chapel, built in 1760–61 with aLouis XVI-styleinterior; and thePalace of Charles of Lorraine.Other major tourist attractions are located within walking distance:Brussels Park,theRoyal Palace,and theCathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.

Archaeological remains and partial restoration

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The remains of the ancient palace and adjacent building have been extensively excavated below present ground level, and preserved with a partial concrete cover. The remains can be visited via theBELvue Museum,and provide an excellent presentation of this historical site. The main buildings of the palace stood on roughly the same location as the present-day museum and theRue Royale/Koningstraat,which faces it. The adjacent chapel andAula Magnabuildings stood on sites that are now respectively part of theCentre for Fine Arts(BOZAR/PSK centre) and the north corner of thePlace Royale/Koningspleinbeside theMusical Instruments Museum(MIM). The formerRue Isabelle/Isabellastraatran beside these buildings; it had a significant slope, but the present surface of the Rue Royale, which parallels it, is flat, as the whole area was levelled in the 18th century. The lower rooms of these buildings partially survived the fire, and are exposed in the archaeological site.

The preserved remains presently visitable comprise the cellars of the main palace, the rooms underlying the main banqueting hall in theAula Magna,as well as the warehouse space that underlay the chapel. On the other side of the Rue Isabelle, all along its length lay the house of the influential Counts of Hoogstraeten, currently at an advanced stage of excavation, with a view to later opening to visitors, alongside the existing remains.

  • Model of the palace
    Model of the palace
  • Stairs
    Stairs
  • Passage
    Passage
  • Foundations
    Foundations
  • Statue of an apostle, 15th century
    Statue of an apostle, 15th century
  • Under the chapel
    Under the chapel

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^Anagnostopoulos & Houssiau 2006,p. 2–5.
  2. ^Anagnostopoulos & Houssiau 2006,p. 8–11.
  3. ^abcdeGérard 2023,p. 37.
  4. ^abSmolar-Meynart, Vanrie & Soenen 1991,p. 15.
  5. ^abcdWasseige 1995,p. 3.
  6. ^Mardaga 1994,p. 339.
  7. ^"Parc de Bruxelles".Bruxelles Environnement(in French). 31 March 2015.Retrieved1 November2019.
  8. ^abcdefgMardaga 1994,p. 222.
  9. ^abcdWasseige 1995,p. 4.
  10. ^Wasseige 1995,p. 5–6.
  11. ^abcWasseige 1995,p. 6–7.
  12. ^Rudi Schrever,Paleis op de Coudenbergin: Historiek, 28 September 2014(in Dutch)
  13. ^Wasseige 1995,p. 7.
  14. ^Wasseige 1995,p. 13.
  15. ^abWasseige 1995,p. 8.
  16. ^Wasseige 1995,p. 10.
  17. ^Fletcher 1996,p. 821.
  18. ^Mardaga 1994,p. 222–223.
  19. ^abWasseige 1995,p. 15.
  20. ^Mardaga 1994,p. 225.
  21. ^Mardaga 1994,p. 226.
  22. ^Wasseige 1995,p. 19.
  23. ^Wasseige 1995,p. 19–20.

Bibliography

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50°50′33″N4°21′36″E/ 50.84263°N 4.36009°E/50.84263; 4.36009

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