Brussels City Museum

The Maison du Roi/Broodhuis before the 19th century neo-Gothic reconstruction campaign

Brussels' Town Hall was erected in stages between 1401 and 1455 on the south side of the Grand Place, and made the square the seat of municipal power. To counter this, from 1504 to 1536, the Duke of Brabant ordered the construction of a large Flamboyant edifice across from the city hall as a symbol of ducal power.[4] It was built on the site of the first cloth and bread markets, which were no longer in use, and it became known as the King's House (Middle Dutch: 's Conincxhuys), although no king has ever lived there. It is currently known as the Maison du Roi ("King's House") in French, though in Dutch it continues to be called the Broodhuis ("Bread hall"), after the market whose place it took.

The King's House was rebuilt after suffering extensive damage from the bombardment of Brussels by French troops in 1695.[4] A second restoration followed in 1767. It was reconstructed once again in its current neo-Gothic form by architect Victor Jamaer in 1868.[2] Jamaer built two galleries and a central tower. He also adorned the facade with statues and other decorations. At the back, he added a new, much more sober wing in Flemish neo-Renaissance style. The museum was opened in 1887 on the second floor of the building.[5] The new King's House was officially inaugurated in 1896.

In 1936, the building was designated a historic site at the same time as the Town Hall,[6] and in 1998 a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the rest of the Grand Place.[3]

The Brussels City Museum features more than 7,000 items, including artifacts, paintings and tapestries from Brussels' history.[7] There are two dioramas of the city of Brussels in its early days and as it began to flourish in the 1500s. The museum's painting collections include works by Flemish Primitive Aert van den Bossche (15th century), and French historical painter Charles Meynier (18th century). The original statue of Manneken Pis is exposed on the top floor. Many items of the statue's wardrobe, consisting of around one thousand different costumes, could also be viewed in a permanent exhibition inside the museum until February 2017, when a specially designed museum, called Garderobe MannekenPis, opened its doors nearby at 19, rue du Chêne/Eikstraat.[8]

The City Museum is open every day except Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On the first Sunday of every month admission to the museum is free.[5]

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  Martyrdom of Saints Crispin and Crispinian, Van den Bossche (1490)
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  Bonaparte premier consul, Meynier (1804)