Page 63 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

BRUSSELS  61

Le Pigeon was home to Victor Hugo,
the exiled French novelist who chose RUE AU BEURRE RUE DU
PAIN VLEES
this house as his Belgian residence in BOTERSTRAAT R CHAIR ET HERBES GRASMARKT
MARCHE AUX
1852. Some of the most compli mentary EN BROODSTR
comments about Brussels emerged
HARINGSTR
later from his pen. R DES HARENGS
GRAND PLACE
GROTE MARKT
RUE C. BULS STRAAT
R DES BRASSEURS
BROUWERSTR
Locator Map
See Brussels Street Finder, Map 2
La Maison des Ducs de Brabant is a
group of six guildhouses. Designed by
the Controller of Public Works, Guillaume Stone busts of the ducal line
de Bruyn, the group looks like an Italian along the façade gave this
Baroque palazzo. group of houses their name.

3 Le Pigeon 4 La Maison Des Ducs De Brabant
La Maison des
Le Renard (The Fox) Boulangers, also
was built in 1699 as known as Le Roi
the guildhouse of the d’Espagne, was a
haberdashers by the showpiece built
Flemish architects Marc by the guild of
de Vos and van Nerum. bakers. The 1697
Façade details show St octagonal copper
Nicolas, the patron dome is topped
saint of merchants, by a golden
and cherubs, play­ figure blowing
ing with ribbons. a trumpet.

Le Cornet displays the Italianate Flemish
style. This boatmen’s guildhouse (1697) is
most notable for its gable, which is in the Le Roy d’Espagne
form of a 17th­century frigate’s bow. now houses the
Grand Place’s finest
bar (see p94), with a
popular terrace from
which to drink in
the splendours of the
square. The gilt bust
over the entrance
represents St Aubert,
the patron saint of
bakers. There is a vast
bust of Charles II of
Spain on the second
7 Le Renard, Le Cornet And Le Roi D’espagne level of the façade.

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