CORPORATE HOUSES
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The houses on the Grand-Place, most of which date from the 17th century, represent the guilds, trades and corporations of Brussels.
The houses on the Grand-Place represent the guilds, trades and guilds swept away during the Revolution. After a complete restoration, they now gleam as they did on the first day of their reconstruction, most of them standing again just 3 years after the bombardment of 1695.
Maison du Roi. Opposite the Town Hall, this exuberant neo-Gothic building was rebuilt in the 19th century on the foundations of the former Bread Hall. It houses the Brussels City Museum, well worth a visit.
On the east side of the square, seven houses form a gilded palace facade. Known as the "House of the Dukes of Brabant" (due to the busts of the Dukes and Duchesses of Brabant), they form a harmonious whole. During his exile in Brussels, Victor Hugo stayed at the "Moulin à vent" (former guild of millers), before moving on.
Between rue de la Colline and maison du Roi, numbers 26-27 ("Le Pigeon", former house of the painters' guild) are where Victor Hugo stayed for longer after his stay at the "Moulin à vent".
Between Maison du Roi and Rue au Beurre, these houses are reminiscent of their wooden predecessors.
To the left of the town hall, the Maison du Cygne has housed a bistro since the 19th century. It was the meeting place of Karl Marx (another famous exile), Friedrich Engels and other activists. It was here that they wrote the Communist Manifesto. Just next door, at number 10, "L'Arbre d'Or", a former brewers' house, houses the Belgian Brewers Museum.
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