©M.Vanhulst
Coudenberg
entrance via the BELvue Museum
Coudenberg
© Bruxelles, Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles - Maison du Roi
Fire of the palace of Brussels in 1679
© M. Vanhulst
Coudenberg
Royale Place
© Bruxelles, Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles - Maison du Roi
Former palace of Brussels
© M. Vanhulst
Coudenberg
From the middle ages, a castle overlooked Brussels from Coudenberg hill. From the 12th century, the successive monarchs and their representatives transformed a small fortified castle into a sumptuous residential palace, one of the most beautiful palace of Europe and one of Charles V’s main residences. This prestigious building is severely damaged by fire in 1731. Some forty years later, the ruins of the palace are pulled down and the ground flattened out for the construction of the new royal district. The remains of this palace make up the Coudenberg archaeological site.
« Palais Charles de Quint » association
Place des Palais 7
1000 Brussel
Email: info@coudenberg.com
Website:
www.coudenberg.com
Tel: +32(0)70-22-04-92
Fax: +32(0)2-502-46-23
Formed in 1998 on the initiative of the Brussels-Capital region and the city of Brussels, the ‘’Palais de Charles Quint’’ association is responsible for managing the largest archaeological site in Brussels – the site on which the Coudenberg Palace once stood, underneath the Royal District. The association’s aim is to restore the Coudenberg to its rightful place at the heart of the city’s , Belgium’s and Europe’s historic and architectural heritage. The main thrusts of its policy are conservation, protection, restoration, presentation and promotion of the site by welcoming the public and encouraging various events and cultural meetings.
The royal district in Brussels gathers the buildings that have successively been the sovereigns’ urban residences since the end of the Middle Ages.
Today, the Place des Palais, the Place Royale and the Place du Musée link these historic seats of power in a concentration of the capital’s cultural wealth.
Under the reign of Charles Quint (Charles the Fifth) (1515-1555), the old medieval residence of the Dukes of Brabant was considerably enlarged by the construction of an imposing chapel, added onto the large ceremonial hall built by Philippe le Bon, Duke of Burgundy, his great-grandfather. His sister, Mary of Hungary also commissioned a remarkable gallery that opened onto the gardens.
Their descendents, the Archduke Albert of Austria and Isabelle of Spain further enlarged and embellished the palace in the 17th century. On 7th February 1731, a terrible fire reduced most of the architectural complex to ashes. It was never re-built, but the remains have been preserved and are partially accessible below the Royal Palace.
Entrance via the BELvue Museum, Place des Palais, 7. Closed on Mondays. www.coudenberg.com / www.belvue.be