Place Royale, Brussels

The Place Royale/Koningsplein with the statue of Godfrey of Bouillon in its centre
Place Royale, Brussels is located in Brussels
Place Royale, Brussels
Location within Brussels
Place Royale, Brussels is located in Belgium
Place Royale, Brussels
Place Royale, Brussels (Belgium)
Length113 m (371 ft)[1]
Width77 m (253 ft)[1]
LocationCity of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
QuarterRoyal Quarter
Coordinates50°50′32″N 04°21′34″E / 50.84222°N 4.35944°E / 50.84222; 4.35944
Construction
Completionc. 1782
Other
DesignerJean-Benoît-Vincent Barré, Gilles-Barnabé Guimard

The Place Royale (French: [plas ʁwajal]; "Royal Square") or Koningsplein (Dutch: [ˈkoːnɪŋsˌplɛin]; "King's Square") is a historic neoclassical square in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Modelled after the so-called French royal square and built between 1775 and 1782, according to a plan of the architects Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré and Gilles-Barnabé Guimard,[2] to replace the former Palace of Coudenberg, it was part of an urban project including Brussels Park.[3]

The Place Royale is one of oldest architecturally consistent and monumental public squares, as well as an excellent example of 18th-century urban architecture. Rectangular and symmetrical in shape, it measures 77 by 113 metres (253 by 371 ft),[1] and is entirely paved. In its centre stands an equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon.[4] It is also flanked by the Church of St. James on Coudenberg, as well as some of the main museums in the city.

The Rue de Namur/Naamsestraat enters the square from the south, the Rue de la Régence/Regentschapstraat from the south-west, and the Rue Montagne de la Cour/Hofbergstraat and the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg from the north-west. This area is served by Brussels-Central railway station, as well as by the metro stations Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5) and Trône/Troon (on lines 2 and 6).

  1. ^ a b c Mardaga 1994, p. 223.
  2. ^ Wasseige 1995, p. 15.
  3. ^ Mardaga 1994, p. 222.
  4. ^ Mardaga 1994, p. 225.