Palace of the Nation

Last updated

Palace of the Nation
Palais de la Nation (DSC01812).jpg
Front view of the Palace of the Nation seen from the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat
Palace of the Nation
General information
Architectural style Neoclassical
AddressPlace de la Nation / Natieplein 2
Town or city1008 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region
CountryBelgium
Coordinates 50°50′49″N4°21′54″E / 50.84694°N 4.36500°E / 50.84694; 4.36500
Current tenants Belgian Federal Parliament
Construction started1778 (1778)
Completed1783 (1783)
Other information
Public transit access

The Palace of the Nation (Dutch : Paleis der Natie; [a] French : Palais de la Nation; [b] German : Palast der Nation) [c] is a neoclassical palace in Brussels, Belgium, housing the Belgian Federal Parliament. The Parliament consists of both the Chamber of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house), which convene in two separate hemicycles.

Contents

The palace was built from 1778 to 1783 to a neoclassical design by the French architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard and includes sculptures by Gilles-Lambert Godecharle. Under Austrian rule, it housed the Sovereign Council of Brabant before being used as a courthouse during the French period. During the Dutch period, it was one of two homes of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, the other being in The Hague. The palace was partially rebuilt at that time by the architect Charles Vander Straeten. Following Belgian independence in 1830, the Provisional Government of Belgium and Belgian National Congress moved into the building and the first session of the Chamber of Representatives and Senate was held there a year later. [1]

The building stands across the street from Brussels Park's northern entrance, near the site of the former palace of the Dukes of Brabant, which was destroyed by fire in 1731, and has itself been badly damaged by fire, in 1820 and 1883. [2] In the 1930s, a bunker was built underneath the park, connected by tunnels to the House of Parliament. [3] This area is served by Brussels-Central railway station, as well as by the metro stations Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5) and Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet (on lines 1, 2, 5 and 6).

History

Austrian Netherlands

The initial building, which was then called the Palace of the Council of Brabant (French: Palais du Conseil du Brabant), [4] was built between 1778 and 1783, during the time of the Austrian Netherlands, to the plans of the French architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard. [1]

At the time, it consisted of three parts:

The pediment of the central part is decorated with a bas-relief by the sculptor Gilles-Lambert Godecharle, which represents Justice punishing Vices and rewarding Virtues. [2]

United Kingdom of the Netherlands

The central body of the building was transformed in 1816–1818 by the architect Charles Vander Straeten  [ fr ] to house the States General established by King William I of the Netherlands. [1] The hemicycle built for this occasion at the rear burned down in 1820 and was rebuilt in 1821–22 by Vander Straeten. [2]

Kingdom of Belgium

The Palace of the Nation in the late 19th century The Palace of Nations, Brussels, Belgium-LCCN2001697908.tif
The Palace of the Nation in the late 19th century

The Chamber

In 1831, after Belgian independence, the building, merged with the palaces of the Chancellery and the Chamber of Accounts, took the name of Palace of the Nation (French: Palais de la Nation, Dutch: Paleis der Natie, German: Palast der Nation). [5] The semicircular hall built by Vander Straeten has since housed the Chamber of Representatives. [1]

In 1883, the Chamber was ravaged by a second fire and it took the architect Henri Beyaert three years, until 1886, to rebuild it. [6]

The Senate

In 1847–1849, a second hemicycle was built by the architect Tilman-François Suys to house the Senate. It was enlarged in 1902–03 by Gédéon Bordiau. [2]

See also

Notes

  1. Flemish pronunciation: [paːˈlɛisdɛrˈnaː(t)si] .
  2. French pronunciation: [palɛd(ə)lanɑsjɔ̃] .
  3. German pronunciation: [paˈlastdeːɐnaˈtsi̯oːn] .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgian Federal Parliament</span> Bicameral national legislature of Belgium

The Federal Parliament is the bicameral parliament of Belgium. It consists of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. It sits in the Palace of the Nation in the centre of the nation's capital, Brussels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brussels Park</span> Park in Brussels, Belgium

Brussels Park is the largest urban public park in central Brussels, Belgium. The park was formerly known and is still sometimes colloquially referred to as the Royal Park. It was the city's first public park, being originally laid out between 1776 and 1783 in a neoclassical style by the French architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard and the Austrian landscape architect Joachim Zinner, as part of an urban project including the Place Royale/Koningsplein. The area of the rectangular park is 13.1 ha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Justice, Brussels</span> Court building in Brussels, Belgium

The Palace of Justice of Brussels or Law Courts of Brussels is a courthouse in Brussels, Belgium. It is the country's most important court building, seat of the judicial arrondissement of Brussels, as well as of several courts and tribunals, including the Court of Cassation, the Court of Assizes, the Court of Appeal of Brussels, the Tribunal of First Instance of Brussels, and the Bar Association of Brussels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Poelaert</span> Belgian architect

Joseph Poelaert was a Belgian architect. He was entrusted with important projects in Brussels, such as Saint Catherine's Church, the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, the Congress Column, the Royal Theatre of la Monnaie and above all, the Palace of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brussels Stock Exchange</span> Stock exchange in Brussels, Belgium

The Brussels Stock Exchange, abbreviated to BSE, was founded in Brussels, Belgium, by decree of Napoleon in 1801. In 2002, the BSE merged with the Amsterdam, Lisbon and Paris stock exchanges into Euronext, renaming the BSE Euronext Brussels. The most well known stock market index on the BSE is the BEL20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Coudenberg</span> Former royal residence in Brussels, Belgium

The Palace of Coudenberg was a royal residence situated on the Coudenberg or Koudenberg, a small hill in what is today the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Palace of Brussels</span> Palace in Brussels, Belgium

The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital, Brussels. However, it is not used as a royal residence, as the king and his family live in the Royal Palace of Laeken in northern Brussels. The website of the Belgian Monarchy describes the function of the Royal Palace as follows:

The Royal Palace is where His Majesty the King exercises his prerogatives as Head of State, grants audiences and deals with affairs of state. Apart from the offices of the King and the Queen, the Royal Palace houses the services of the Grand Marshal of the Court, the King's Head of Cabinet, the Head of the King's Military Household and the Intendant of the King's Civil List. The Royal Palace also includes the State Rooms where large receptions are held, as well as the apartments provided for foreign Heads of State during official visits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels</span> Cultural venue in Brussels, Belgium

The Centre for Fine Arts is a multi-purpose cultural venue in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. It is often referred to as BOZAR in French or by its initials PSK in Dutch. This multidisciplinary space was designed to bring together a wide range of artistic events, whether music, visual arts, theatre, dance, literature, cinema or architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academy Palace</span> Palace in Brussels, Belgium

The Academy Palace or Palace of the Academies is a neoclassical palace in Brussels, Belgium. It was originally built between 1823 and 1828 for Prince William II of Orange. Nowadays, it houses five Belgian academies including the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium (RASAB). In English, it is also often called the Academy House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mont des Arts</span> Urban complex and historic site in Brussels, Belgium

The Mont des Arts or Kunstberg, meaning "Hill/Mount of the Arts", is an urban complex and historic site in central Brussels, Belgium, including the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), the National Archives of Belgium, the Square – Brussels Meeting Centre, and a public garden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bortier Gallery</span> Covered passageway in Brussels, Belgium

The Bortier Gallery is a glazed shopping arcade in central Brussels, Belgium. It was designed by Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer in 1847, in a neo-Renaissance style, and opened in the following year. As well as being one of the first European shopping arcades, it is a fine example of the joint use of cast iron and glass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marollen</span> Neighbourhood in Brussels, Belgium

The Marolles or Marollen is a popular historic neighbourhood of downtown Brussels, Belgium. It is situated between the Palace of Justice to its south-east, the Church of Our Lady of the Chapel to its north and the Halle Gate to its south. Its inhabitants are called Marolliens in French and Marollianen in Dutch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halle Gate</span> Former city gate and current museum in Brussels, Belgium

The Halle Gate is a former medieval city gate and the last vestige of the second walls of Brussels, Belgium. Built between 1381 and 1383, it was heavily restored in the 19th century in its current neo-Gothic style by the architect Henri Beyaert. It is now a museum dedicated to the medieval City of Brussels, part of the Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place Royale, Brussels</span> Square in Brussels, Belgium

The Place Royale or Koningsplein is a historic neoclassical square in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Modelled after the so-called French royal square and built between 1775 and 1782, according to a plan of the architects Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré and Gilles-Barnabé Guimard, to replace the former Palace of Coudenberg, it was part of an urban project including Brussels Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Charles of Lorraine</span> Palace in Brussels, Belgium

The Palace of Charles of Lorraine is a neoclassical palace in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Its construction started in 1757 to serve as the residence of the Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, replacing the Palace of Orange-Nassau. It currently houses a museum, part of the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St. James on Coudenberg</span> Church in Brussels, Belgium

The Church of St. James on Coudenberg is a Catholic church on the historic Place Royale/Koningsplein, in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to Saint James, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sablon, Brussels</span> Neighbourhood in Brussels, Belgium

The Sablon or Zavel is a neighbourhood and hill in the historic upper town of Brussels, Belgium. At its heart are twin squares: the larger Grand Sablon or Grote Zavel square in the north-west and the smaller Petit Sablon or Kleine Zavel square and garden in the south-east, divided by the Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon and the Rue de la Régence/Regentschapstraat. This area is served by Brussels-Chapel railway station and Brussels-Central railway station, as well as the tram stop Petit Sablon/Kleine Zavel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of the Count of Flanders</span> Palace in Brussels, Belgium

The Palace of the Count of Flanders is a neoclassical palace in Brussels, Belgium. It was originally built between 1776 and 1781 for Countess Brigitte of Tirimont-Templeuve, though it was heavily expanded in the 19th century. Nowadays, it houses the Court of Audit of Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place de la Monnaie</span> Square in Brussels, Belgium

The Place de la Monnaie or Muntplein, meaning "Mint Square", is a major square in central Brussels, Belgium. The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie, home to the National Opera of Belgium, is located on this square. It is served by the metro and premetro station De Brouckère on lines 1, 4, 5 and 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place des Palais</span> Square in Brussels, Belgium

The Place des Palais or Paleizenplein, meaning "Palaces' Square", is a major square in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Created in 1827, it is, along with the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, the Rue Ducale/Hertogstraat and the Rue Royale/Koningsstraat, one of the four thoroughfares surrounding Brussels Park. The square measures 70 by 350 metres and is entirely paved.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mardaga 1993, p. 335.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Palais de la Nation – Inventaire du patrimoine architectural". monument.heritage.brussels (in French). Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  3. "Un bunker sous le parc Royal de Bruxelles". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  4. Mardaga 1989, p. XXVI.
  5. Mardaga 1989, p. XLVII.
  6. Mardaga 1989, p. 129.

Bibliography