Style in the Antwerp City Hall
If you plan to spend several days in Belgium, one of the places that you should visit is Antwerp. It’s, for me, one of the jewels of the country, a place where its traditional architecture will surprise you. It is also very easy to explore on foot, at least the historic center, and everything is very close.
Today we wish to highlight the building of the city hall of Antwerp, that you will read in the signals post as “Stadhuis“. It’s located in the Grote Markt in Antwerp, the main square, and from my point of view is one of the most attractive buildings in the city, especially when it’s decorated with flags in some local party or some other type of celebration.
The style and elegance of the Antwerp City Hall
The Antwerp City Hall is in Renaissance style and was built by the master Floris between 1561 and 1565. Sure that you will be impressed in front of its facade since, in addition to its beauty, is quite extensive.
Its facade is in Renaissance style, mixing many elements of Italian style, as classic columns, pillars, porticoes… as well as the presence of several statues that symbolize the Justice, Prudence and the Virgin Mary. The truth is that this is a real wonder.
If you get to visit in, you will see a place rich and elegantly decorated. Look first at the lobby with large frescoes of the nineteenth century ( century in which this bulding was absolutely restaured ), and then go to one of the jewels of the city hall, the Lounge Leys.
The Lounge Leys was the work of Henry Leys, who sadly died before see had completed its work in 1855. This lounge is beautifully decorated with frescoes of the own Leys. If we continue enjoying the tour we will see the Hall of the Marriages, with its fireplace adorned with caryatids of alabaster of the XVII century, the Council Chamber, with its great fresco on the roof of 1712, and the Office of the Burgomaster, with a Renaissance fireplace.
If you go by Antwerp you have to walk by the Grote Markt, and there, in its western part you will find the City Hall, one of the jewels of this great jewel of Belgium.
