House of the Dukes of Brabant

On Grand-Place, you’ll find another impressive architectural ensemble: the House of the Dukes of Brabant. An enormous structure, since it takes up the entire east side of the square. Behind a single monumental façade, it actually gathers seven different houses that were once independent. You can still find the symbols belonging to the old guilds—see if you can spot them all. Look for a pewter pot, a hill, a hermit, a windmill, a purse, and the statue of Fame. Of course, you’ll also notice the busts of 19 dukes and duchesses of Brabant, all lined up between the columns. The house takes its name from these busts alone—because, in fact no duke ever lived here! Today, the title of Duke of Brabant, present since the 12th century, is given to the eldest child of the King of the Belgians, heir to the throne. Take a look at the sculpted pediment—its allegories represent Peace bringing back the figures of Commerce and Industry to the country. During the French Revolution, the guilds were abolished, and the busts of the dukes were destroyed—so these ones were re-sculpted at the end of the 19th century. Along the first balustrade, the various blue-and-gold framed plaques show how many times the grand and beautiful House of the Dukes of Brabant was restored.