King's House, Brussels
Historic Brussels building housing the city museum, a UNESCO site.
The building on the north side of Brussels’ Grand-Place, facing the Town Hall, started life as a covered bread market in the early 13th century. First mentioned in 1321, it was part of a complex of three markets—meat, bread, and cloth—that formed a quadrangle. The original wooden structure was replaced in stone in 1405. Over time, bakers stopped using the hall, but their trade leaders kept meeting there until the early 1400s. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the building housed administrative offices for the Duchy of Brabant, including the Receiver General, the toll chamber, and the forestry court.
By 1504, the aging building needed a full rebuild. Court architect Antoon II Keldermans drew up late Gothic plans, but demolition didn’t start until 1512–13, and construction ran from 1515 to 1536. After Keldermans died in 1515, Louis van Bodeghem took over, and Hendrik van Pede finished the work. Because the ground was marshy, the structure was built on stilts connected by cattle hides. This Gothic building was never finished—early 17th-century images show the left gable, double gallery, and central tower were missing. In 1565, a three-basin fountain was added at the entrance steps. Three years later, the counts of Egmont and Horn were beheaded in front of the building for opposing King Philip II, sparking the armed revolt led by William of Orange. In 1625, Archduchess Isabella placed a stone statue of the Virgin Mary, flanked by two saints, on the façade, along with a Latin inscription and chronogram.
The building was heavily damaged in 1695 during the French bombardment of Brussels. It was crudely restored in 1697 by Jan Cosijn, then more thoroughly in 1767, when it got a neoclassical portal and a large roof with three oeil-de-boeuf windows. The saints were replaced by an imperial eagle and a heraldic lion, and the fountain disappeared. During the French Revolutionary occupation in the late 18th century, it became a Maison du Peuple. After being nationalized, it was given to the City of Brussels, which sold it in 1811 to the Marquis Paul Arconati-Visconti. He resold it in 1817, and the new owner rented it for various uses: a tax office, courthouse, temporary prison, horse-feed storage for British cavalry after Waterloo, a ballet rehearsal room for La Monnaie, and a library. In 1864, a new fountain by Charles-Auguste Fraikin, topped with statues of Egmont a
- Location
- Brussels, Belgium
- Construction
- 1504–1536 (original Gothic); rebuilt 1874–1896 (neo-Gothic)
- Architect
- Victor Jamaer (19th-century reconstruction)
- Original Name
- Duke's House (Middle Dutch: 's Hertogenhuys)
- Current Name
- King's House (French: Maison du Roi); Bread House (Dutch: Broodhuis)
- UNESCO Listing
- 1998 (as part of Grand-Place)
- Current Use
- Brussels City Museum (since 1887)
Lore & Background
The building was first called the Duke's House, but when Charles V, Duke of Brabant since 1506, was crowned King of Spain in 1516, it became known as the King's House. No king has ever lived there. In Dutch it continues to be called the Broodhuis ('Bread House'), after the market whose place it took. The original structure was a bread market, with the earliest likely dating to the early 13th century; the first mention is from 1321. That wooden bread hall was replaced by a stone building in 1405. During the 14th and 15th centuries, it housed administrative services of the Duchy of Brabant.
In 1504, it was decided to rebuild on the site of the first cloth and bread markets. Court architect Antoon II Keldermans drew up plans in late Gothic style. Construction took place between 1515 and 1536. The building was never completed: early 17th-century depictions show the left gable, double gallery, and central tower remained unbuilt. In 1568, two statesmen, Lamoral, Count of Egmont and Philip de Montmorency, Count of Horn, were beheaded in front of the King's House, triggering the armed revolt against Spanish rule. The building suffered extensive damage in 1695 from the bombardment of Brussels by a French army under Marshal François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy. It was crudely restored in 1697, then more thoroughly in 1767.
In the late 18th century, during French Revolutionary occupation, it served as a Maison du Peuple. It was sold to the Marquis Paul Arconati-Visconti in 1811, then resold in 1817. Uses included a tax office, courthouse, temporary prison, horse feed storage for British cavalry after Waterloo, a rehearsal room for the Theatre of La Monnaie's ballet school, and a library. Under mayor Charles Buls, it was reconstructed between 1874 and 1896 in neo-Gothic form by Victor Jamaer, who added two galleries and a central tower. The new King's House was officially inaugurated in 1896. It has housed the Brussels City Museum since 1887.
Reader's Guide
The King's House is significant as a central landmark on Brussels' Grand-Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its history reflects the evolution of Brussels from a medieval market town to a modern capital. Originally a bread market, it later housed ducal administration and witnessed the execution of the Counts of Egmont and Horn, a pivotal event in the Dutch Revolt. The building's multiple reconstructions—after the 1695 bombardment and the 19th-century neo-Gothic renovation—illustrate changing architectural tastes and the city's resilience. Today, as the Brussels City Museum, it preserves and presents the city's history. The building's dual name (King's House/Bread House) and the fact that no king ever lived there highlight the layers of historical usage and toponymy. Its inclusion in the UNESCO listing underscores its cultural and architectural value within one of Europe's most iconic squares.
Did You Know?
- No king has ever lived in the King's House.
- The building was originally a bread market, first mentioned in 1321.
- In 1568, the Counts of Egmont and Horn were beheaded in front of the building, triggering the armed revolt against Spanish rule.
- The current neo-Gothic form was designed by architect Victor Jamaer between 1874 and 1896.
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