And now for a grand edifice or building of our Europe. One of my favorite countries in the continent ,and lucky to have been there several times, my fav is Brussels. We have criss cross the city in several occasion whether coming by train or car and in all memorable times.
I have written several posts on Belgium and mostly on Brussels in my blog, but feel not given full credit to the Royal Palace, so, therefore ,this is my take on it. Hope you enjoy it.
The Royal Palace of Brussels is located at the Place des Palais. Born from the meeting of four mansions built in the 18C; those of Walckiers, Bender, Belgiojoso and Belle-Vue, it now houses the office of the King of the Belgians, which gives its audiences and carries out its official activities, as well as some lavishly decorated function rooms for various annual events such as Heads of State visits and Christmas concerts.
A bit of history I like
In order to offer to the sovereign, King William I of the Netherlands, a residence worthy of his rank in Brussels, where he is supposed to reside every two years, the two central hotels, located on both sides of the rue Héraldique, were enlarged and joined by a central colonnade building. This was created between 1815 and 1829 to create what is called since then the Royal Palace of Brussels. Property of the State, the palace passes from the Netherlands to Belgium which becomes the owner after the Belgian revolution of 1830.
At the time of buying the hotel Belle Vue, located at the corner of the Place Royale, where he wanted to build his palace, Leopold II manages to convince the city of Brussels to give him a piece of the park of Brussels in exchange for State funding for the redevelopment of the Place des Palais, which will be shifted towards the creation of the fence and gardens in front of the Royal Palace.
A bit of older story goes like this. There exists in the heart of Brussels a place called the Coudenberg where power has always been exercised. Long before the birth of independent Belgium, Charles Quint ruled and abdicated in his palace which was a few meters away. Later, the Austrian governors administered their provinces of the southern Netherlands. Following the French Revolution and the establishment of the imperial regime, Napoleon also chose this place to govern these regions. At the fall of the Eagle, the king of the Netherlands took control of the Belgian provinces and, once again, it is on this height that the choice of the new master of the kingdom is made. When he ascended the throne of the new independent Belgium, Leopold I walked in the footsteps of his predecessors. He was enthroned on this Coudenberg and moved into the Royal Palace, located a stone’s throw away. Quickly, the palace of Brussels is a winter palace while the castle Laeken becomes the summer residence. Then, the palace located not far from the center of Brussels will become the place of work of the sovereign while the castle of Laeken becomes the true place of life of the dynasty. Over time, all the kings of the Belgians made their mark on this building which has often changed its face.
A bit of description inside tell us about beautiful things.
It has columns of stone, marble, gilding, mirrors, bay windows, the staircase of honor is one of the centerpieces of the site. Witnessing the end of the old Regime, the Empire Room (Salle Empire) was used for the concerts and balls of the Court. Everything begins with the magnificence of the staircase of honor. Pass the Grande Antechamber; it displays the portraits of Prince Leopold and Princess Charlotte of Wales. Then visit the Empire, Marble and Glass Halls. This patrimonial and cultural walk continues in the Grand and Petit Salon Blanc, those of Goya, Coburg, Louis XVI, the Thinker, Pilasters and Marshals, to arrive at the Great Gallery which ends in the Throne Room. At 41 meters long, the Grand Galerie, which is inspired by the Apollo Hall of the Louvre Museum, hosts official dinners. Monumental and adorned with sculptures by Auguste Rodin, the Throne Room is the Holy of Holies of the Kingdom of Belgium.
Some webpages to help you plan your trip here are
City of Brussels on the Royal Palace
Tourist office of Brussels on the Royal Palace
Official site of Belgian monarchy on the Royal Palace in French
There you go another dandy in pretty Brussels, easy to get there very central and very easy from Paris whether by air, train, or automobile. Enjoy Brussels and its Royal Palace.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 