Coudenberg

Listen Coudenberg / i? (Also: Koudenberg; Old Dutch: cold hill ) is a small hill in Brussels, where there was the palace of Coudenberg.

During 700 years, the castle and later the palace of Coudenberg the seat of the Counts, Dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors and rulers, who ruled from there from the 12th to the destruction of the palace in the 18th century over the Duchy of Brabant.

Today the archaeological foundations of the palace can be visited.

History

Around 1100 built by the Counts of Leuven on the hill of Coudenberg a fortress from which they dominated Brussels. Brussels and the Coudenberg castle gained during the construction of the Duchy of Brabant in importance. During the construction of the first fortifications of Brussels, the Castle of them was included and was henceforth also the defense of the city.

Despite this fortification was able in 1356 to Count Ludwig II to take the city. In 1365 Everard 't Serclaes ventured a successful rescue attempt. Under the leadership of the Dukes Joan and Wenceslas I then the second city wall of Brussels was built, which also includes the surrounding fields and housing developments. The castle, which was now of the new city wall in the distance, lost its defensive function and turned increasingly into a residential palace.

In 1430 the Duchy of Brabant from the House of Burgundy was occupied. Philip III. had converted the palace, beautify the park and build the Aula Magna. In the Aula Magna of the States-General were convened in 1465 for the first time. In the same room in 1515 Charles V was declared of age and 40 years later he resigned on the same site in favor of his son Philip II to the Spanish throne.

During his reign, Charles V left front of the palace, the place of Bailles set up and set up galleries and rooms in the Renaissance style. It also built the Grand chapelle ( Large Chapel ) in memory of his parents in the Gothic style. In the chapel of the vault of the Order of the Golden Fleece was kept.

In the 17th century during the time of the Spanish Netherlands further development work was carried out at the Palace. The Archdukes Albert VII of Austria and Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain restored the showpieces of the palace, the buildings and living spaces and gardens. In these works, a number of renowned artists such as Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens involved.

During the time of the Austrian Netherlands, the palace Maria Elisabeth of Austria was inhabited. On the night of 3 to February 4, 1731 a fire broke out and she was able to escape only with happiness. The fire-fighting operations were hampered by lack of water supply and the palace was almost completely destroyed by the fire. For a reconstruction was not enough money. Only in 1774 was named in the same place instead of the palace by Charles Alexander of Lorraine the Place Royale and place of the gardens of the Royal Park of Brussels, also Warandepark built. The few parts of the building that had the devastating fire of 1731 or less survived, was also eventually demolished after 1775. These were the Aula Magna and the court orchestra substantially. Cause the demolition was that the style of architecture did not meet the taste of the time. Only the underground rooms of the castle were retained and served partly in connection as cellars for about erected new buildings. In place of the Gothic chapel entworfende in neo -classical style monastery church of St. Jacob was built on the Koudenberg (Sint - Jacob op de Koudenberg / Saint -Jacques- sur- Coudenberg ). The church can be visited at Koningsplein today.

Archaeological excavations

In the wake of the destruction of the ruins parts of the former palace was again used for the construction of the new building - for example, as foundations and basement.

From 1985 to 1987, the first archaeological excavations took place under the direction of the Flemish Community. Further excavations followed. These excavations can be visited in partial Bellevue Museum, which is located on the site of the former quarters. The site has been awarded by the Belgian State to the European Heritage Label.