Page 222 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

220  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

began on the Gothic cathedral
in 1226 under Henry I, Duke of
Brabant, and continued over a
period of 300 years.
The cathedral interior is
relatively bare, due to Protestant
ransacking in 1579 and thefts
during the French Rev olution.
Over the west door, however,
is a magnificent 16th-century
stained-glass window of the
Last Judgment. Another
splendid feature is the
Art Nouveau entrance hall of the Centre flamboyantly carved Baroque
Belge de la Bande Dessinée pulpit in the central aisle, by
4 Centre Belge de an Antwerp sculptor, Hendrik
Frans Verbruggen. In the crypt
la Bande Dessinée are the remains of the original
Romanesque church, which
20 Rue des Sables. Tel 02-219 1980.
@ 29, 38, 63, 66, 71. v 25, 55, 92, 93. dates back to 1047. The white limestone facade of the
q Botanique, Rogier, Centrale. Open Cathédrale Sts-Michel et Gudule
10am–6pm Tue–Sun. Closed Jan 1,
Dec 25. & 8 0 = 7 6 Musées Royaux (1868–1914), the Musée Modern
des Beaux-Arts (19th century–present day), and
This unique museum pays tribute the Musée Magritte.
to the Belgian passion for comic Rue de la Régence 3. Tel 02-508 3211. The Musée Oldmasters
strips, or bandes dessinées, and to @ 27, 29, 38, 63, 65, 66, 71, 95. holds one of the world’s finest
world-famous comic-strip artists v 92, 93. q Parc, Centrale. Open collections of works by the
from Belgium and abroad. 10am–5pm Tue–Fri, 11am–6pm Sat & Flemish Primitive School. A
One of the exhibitions shows Sun. Closed public hols. & 8 call in work of particular note is The
advance. = - 0 7
the great comic-strip heroes, ∑ fine-arts-museum.be Annunciation (c.1415–25) by
from Hergé’s Tintin – who made the Master of Flémalle. The
his debut in 1929 – to the Six centuries of art, both Belgian trademarks of the Flemish
Smurfs and the Flemish comic- and international, are displayed Primitives are a lifelike vitality
strip characters Suske and in the four museums that make and a clarity of light. The
Wiske. Other displays explain up the Musées Royaux des greatest exponent of the style
the stages of putting together Beaux-Arts: the Musée was Rogier van der Weyden
a comic strip. There is also a Oldmasters (15th–18th centuries), (c.1400–64), the official city
series of life-size cartoon sets, of the Musée Fin-de-Siècle painter to Brussels, who has
special appeal to children. The several splendid
museum holds 6,000 original works on display at
plates, and a valuable archive the museum.
of photographs and artifacts. Peter Bruegel
The collection is housed in a the Elder (c.1525–69),
beautiful building, built in one of the most
1903–6 to the design of the outstanding Flemish
Belgian Art Nouveau architect artists, settled in
Victor Horta (see p223). Brussels in 1563.
His earthy scenes
5 Cathédrale Sts- of peasant life remain
his best known works,
Michel et Gudule and are represented
Parvis Ste-Gudule. Tel 02-217 8345. here by paintings
@ 29, 38, 63, 65, 66, 71. v 92, 93. such as The Bird
q Centrale. Open daily. & to crypt Trap (1565).
and treasury. 7 call in advance. Another highlight
of the Musée
Belgium’s finest surviving Oldmasters is the
example of Brabant Gothic world-famous
architecture, the Cathédrale Sts- collection of works by
Michel et Gudule is the national Peter Paul Rubens
church of Belgium. There has (1577–1640). The
been a church on this site since The Assumption of the Virgin (c.1615) by Assumption of the
at least the 11th century. Work Rubens at the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts Virgin stands out
For hotels and restaurants see p234 and p235

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