|
The entire area of the royal park and the royal square
is situated on the site where the medieval court of Brabant
used to stand. This enormous palace dated from the 11th
century when the duke of Brabant left his 'castrum' in the
center of the city.
A new castle was built on the so-called 'Koudenberg' at
the edge where the higher part of Brussels stops and the
lower part begins. The successors of the dukes (e.g. Filip
the Good and Charles V) kept enlarging the palace which
turned into one of the most beautiful and picturesque royal
residences in medieval Europe.
The entire complex, however, burnt down in 1731 during
the Austrian rule of the Southern Netherlands. The palace,
which lay in ruin, was never to be reconstructed.
A part of this royal residence was the 'warande', or the
forest and the park of the palace. In 1775 the Austrian
governor decided, together with the City of Brussels, to
construct an new prestigious and modern residential area.
The former park was almost like a forest in the city, with
hills and little valleys where game and other animals lived.
The Austrian empress Maria-Theresia agreed to turn the
forest into a new park in classical style for the rich citizens
of Brussels to spend their free time in. The park was leveled,
new trees were planted and the roads where traced according
to geometrical plans. The architects were Guimard and the
Austrian Joachim Zinner.
Classical statues were placed in the park, some of which
had come from the burned residence. In 1780 a Waux-Hall
was built, where music was to be played and where people
could sit down and relax while having a drink or something
to eat. In 1803 a dinner for 1800 people was organized there
in honour of Napoleon and his wife Josephine.
|
