Rubenshuis is, as you can imagine, the house and studio that Pieter Paul Rubens and his family inhabited. Rubens bought the property in 1610, upon returning from an eight-year stint in Italy, and spent the next eleven years turning it into a stunning Italian palazzo. Then came the fun part: decorating! The enormous house was […]
Archive | See RSS feed for this section
Museum Plantin-Moretus, Antwerp
Museum Plantin-Moretus was my favorite museum-house in Antwerp. It was one of those places that sounded so-so, but ended up knocking my socks off. I really should say “our socks” since my husband also really loved it. So what makes it so great? The museum takes you through 300 years of printing activity. As in, […]
Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp
This museum houses Fritz Mayer van den Bergh’s extensive and eclectic art collection. Who was Mayer van den Bergh? He was an avid art collector who lived with his mother until he died unexpectantly at age 43. After his death in the early 1900’s, his mother built this museum next door to their residence. If […]
Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp
This is the largest Gothic church in the Low Countries. If you’re not impressed by this superlative, just know there are a lot of churches in the region. The 123-meter spire dominates Antwerp’s skyline. It feels roomy inside, too, as the wide central nave is flanked by three aisles on each side. Antwerp’s centerpiece originated […]
Museum Rockoxhuis, Antwerp
I have a love-hate relationship with museum-houses. On the positive side, they are stunningly elaborate, masterpiece-filled, lovingly preserved time machines that evoke the days of yore. On the negative side, their grandeur, opulence and contained artwork provoke a crippling case of real estate envy. Luckily/unluckily for me, Antwerp is chock-full of museum-houses. Museum Rockoxhuis is […]
Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne
Burgundy’s dukes used to call this showboat home. Now, it houses city hall and all its requisite administrative offices in the west wing and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in the east wing. The structure was originally built as a simple fortress built in the 9th century. Philippe the Bold rebuilt the ducal dwelling place in […]
Église St-Michel
This church started off in 889 as a small wooden chapel before the abbot of St. Stephen insisted on upgrading it in the 1000’s. By the 15th century, the church could barely contain its parishioners, so the choir was expanded. The Renaissance façade depicts biblical and mythological themes. The two 17th century towers are topped […]
Église Notre Dame
This church has one of the liveliest facades I’ve ever seen. Look up and you’ll see three rows of animated gargoyles frolicking and leering down at you. Église Notre Dame was built between 1220-1240 and restored in the late 1800’s. The interior has a collection of 13th century stained glass windows supplemented with a number […]
Cathédrale St-Bénigne: l’intérior
Ah, France. Another day, another cathedral. The Cathédrale St-Bénigne we see today is the latest iteration of a series of reconstructions that have occurred over the past 1,500 years. The first structure on this site was a basilica built in 535 AD, situated above the tomb of St Benignus, who is believed to have brought […]
Cathédrale St-Bénigne: le toit
While in Dijon, don’t forget to look up! Cathédrale St-Bénigne’s multicolored roof tiles add a lively touch to the skyline.
