The Provinciaal Hof (English: Provincial Court) is a neo-Gothic building on the Markt (main square) in Bruges, Belgium. It is the former meeting place for the Provincial Government of West Flanders.
The Provinciaal Hof (English: Provincial Court) is a neo-Gothic building on the Markt (main square) in Bruges, Belgium. It is the former meeting place for the Provincial Government of West Flanders.
In 1294, the Waterhalle, 95 metres (312 ft) long and about 30 metres (98 ft) high, was built as the central point of the port of Bruges, right in the heart of the city. When the boats no longer could reach the hall, it was demolished in 1787 and replaced with a neoclassical building. From 1850 on, part of this was used to house the provincial government meetings, until it burned down in 1878. A replacement in neo-Gothic style, intended to house the province and a postal office, was started in 1887 by the architects Louis Delacenserie and René Buyck. The post office was opened in 1891, and the first part of the Provinciaal Hof in 1892. The last parts of the buildings were finished in 1920. [1]
The building was used as the government meeting hall until 1999, and is now mainly a ceremonial building, and also used for exhibitions. [1] In 2012, the Federal Government, which owns the building, was considering to sell it, but the Provincial Government, the main user of the Hof, protested. [2]
Both the exterior and the interior are in the Gothic Revival style. The central meeting room has ten sculptures of royalty by Hendrik Pickery, and mural paintings of famous people from West Flanders. The rest of the building is decorated with more sculptures by Hendrik and his son Gustaaf Pickery, stained glass windows by Jules Dobbelaere, and chandeliers by Edward De Vooght. A number of paintings can be found as well, including work by Joos de Momper, Jan Van de Putte, Jan Baptist van Meunincxhove, and paintings from the Romantic era. [1]
Flanders is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics, and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish. The official capital of Flanders is the City of Brussels, although the Brussels-Capital Region that includes it has an independent regional government. The powers of the government of Flanders consist, among others, of economic affairs in the Flemish Region and the community aspects of Flanders life in Brussels, such as Flemish culture and education.
West Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemish province of East Flanders to the east, the Walloon province of Hainaut in the south and the French department of Nord to the west. Its capital is Bruges (Brugge). Other important cities are Kortrijk in the south and Ostend (Oostende) on the coast, Roeselare and Ypres (Ieper). The province has an area of 3,197 km2 (1,234 sq mi) which is divided into eight administrative districts (arrondissementen) containing 64 municipalities. As of January 2019, West Flanders has a population of 1,195,796.
Mechelen is a city and municipality in the province of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Mechelen proper, some quarters at its outskirts, the hamlets of Nekkerspoel (adjacent) and Battel, as well as the villages of Walem, Heffen, Leest, Hombeek, and Muizen. The Dyle flows through the city, hence it is often referred to as the Dijlestad.
St. Salvator's Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral of Bruges, Belgium. The cathedral is dedicated to the Verrezen Zaligmaker and Saint-Donatius of Reims.
The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, usually shortened to the Cathedral of St. Gudula or St. Gudula by locals, is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral in central Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, the patron saints of the City of Brussels, and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Brabantine Gothic architecture.
Bouchout Castle is a castle in Meise, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. In the 12th century, this territory of the young Duchy of Brabant was strategically positioned between the County of Flanders and the Berthout family, lords of Grimbergen. Most likely, the first fortification was built by Wouter van Craaynem at the end of the Grimbergen Wars (1150–1170). Bouchout Castle is situated at an altitude of 32 metres (105 ft).
Louis Delacenserie (1838–1909) was a Belgian architect from Bruges. The spelling of his name differs greatly; De la Censerie, Delasencerie, Dela Censerie or Dela Sencerie are the most common alternative forms. His father was a merchant and building contractor from Tournai.
Jean-Baptiste Bethune {April 25, 1821 - June 18, 1894) was a Belgian architect, artisan and designer who played a pivotal role in the Belgian and Catholic Gothic Revival movement. He was called by some the "Pugin of Belgium", with reference to the influence on Bethune of the English Gothic Revival architect and designer, Augustus Pugin.
The Diocese of Bruges is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, which covers all of Belgium.
The Bokrijk Provincial Domain is a park and museum complex near Genk, Province of Limburg in Belgium. It is known for its open-air museum which displays a large collection of historical buildings from across Flanders which presents the history of rural life in the region. The domain is 5.5 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi) in area and also hosts an important botanical garden (arboretum), nature reserve, and the largest open-air playground in Flanders.
The Markt is the central square of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. It is located in the heart of the city and covers an area of about 1 ha.
The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bruges, Belgium. The church houses a relic of the Holy Blood allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders. Built between 1134 and 1157 as the chapel of the Count of Flanders, it was promoted to a minor basilica in 1923.
Saint Michael's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Ghent, Belgium built in a late Gothic style. It is known for its rich interior decoration.
Baaigem is one of the six villages belonging to the municipality Gavere. It is located on the edge of the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium, and used to be an independent municipality till the end of 1976.
The Mu.ZEE is a museum in Ostend, Belgium, specializing in Belgian art from 1830 onwards. It was created in 2008 by the fusion of the former Provinciaal Museum voor Moderne Kunst and the Museum voor Schone Kunsten Oostende, both located in Ostend. The museum has two dependencies, the Ensorhuis in Ostend, and the Permekemuseum in Jabbeke. Mu.ZEE is an abbreviation of "Kunstmuseum aan Zee".
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country. It is the sixth most populous city in the country.
Ter Doest Abbey was a Cistercian abbey in Belgium, in the present Lissewege, a district of Bruges, West Flanders.
The City Hall of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium, is a landmark building and the seat of that city. Built in a late Gothic monumental-style between 1376 and 1421, it is one of the oldest city halls in the former Burgundian Netherlands. It is located on Burg Square, the area of the former fortified castle in the centre of Bruges.
Vlaamse Erfgoedbibliotheek or Flanders Heritage Library is a library consortium in the Flemish Region of Belgium bringing together six institutions with considerable holdings of manuscripts and old printed books. The network was founded in 2008, and was authorised as a heritage organisation for Flanders in 2012.
Andreas Johannes Ludovicus baron van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge was a Dutch nobleman, politician, author and art collector. He served as Governor of North Brabant between 1830 and 1842.
