Mont des Arts

Urban complex and historic site in Brussels, Belgium

* Mont des Arts (French)
* Kunstberg (Dutch)

The spire of Brussels' Town Hall seen from the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg

Location| City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
Coordinates| 50°50′38″N 04°21′24″E﻿ / ﻿50.84389°N 4.35667°E﻿ / 50.84389; 4.35667
Built| 1954–1969
Architect| Maurice Houyoux, Jules Ghobert
René Péchère (garden)
Architectural style(s)| Modernism
Website| www.montdesarts.com

Location within Brussels

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Mont des Arts (Belgium)

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The Mont des Arts (French, pronounced [mɔ̃ dez‿aʁ]) or Kunstberg (Dutch, pronounced [ˈkʏnstbɛr(ə)x] ⓘ), meaning "Hill/Mount of the Arts", is an urban complex and historic site in central Brussels, Belgium, including the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), the National Archives of Belgium, Square – Brussels Convention Centre, and a public garden designed by the landscape architect René Pechère.

The Mont des Arts's development began in the late 19th century as part of an urban renewal project initiated by King Leopold II to accommodate the city's cultural institutions. The first version of the site, designed by the landscape architect Pierre Vacherot, was inaugurated in 1910. Between 1956 and 1969, a major redesign was undertaken by the architects Maurice Houyoux and Jules Ghobert, resulting in the current layout.

This site is located between the Rue Montagne de la Cour/Hofbergstraat and the Place Royale/Koningsplein in its "upper" part, and the Boulevard de l'Empereur/Keizerslaan and the Place de l'Albertine/Albertinaplein in its "lower" part. It is served by Brussels-Central railway station.

## History

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### Early history

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The area of the Mont des Arts knew different affectations during its history. Jews settled there until the 14th century, as attested by the old Escaliers des Juifs or Ioode trappen ("Jewish Stairs"), a former series of four steep staircases leading to Brussels' upper town.[1] Later, it used to be a densely populated neighbourhood, the Saint-Roch/Sint-Rochus Quarter (French: Quartier Saint-Roch, Dutch: Sint-Rochuswijk), centred around the now-disappeared Rue des Trois-Têtes/Driehoofdenstraat[2] and the former Place du Palais/Paleisplein (today's Place de la Justice/Gerechtsplein), where Brussels' first courthouse was located.[3]

The palace and gardens of Coudenberg in 1659, L. Vorsterman the Younger

Between the 15th and the 18th centuries, the hill overlooking the neighbourhood was known as the Montagne de la Cour/Hofberg ("Hill/Mount of the Court") after the former Palace of Coudenberg also located there. This palace, famous all over Europe, had greatly expanded since it had first become the seat of the Dukes of Brabant, but it was destroyed by fire in 1731.[4] Only a small section of the Rue Montagne de la Cour now remains below the Place Royale/Koningsplein.[5] The district's development over the next centuries raised one of the most complex questions in the town-planning history of Brussels: the link between the upper and the lower town through the reorganisation of the Montagne de la Cour.[6]

Map of central Brussels in 1695, showing the four Ioode trappen ("Jewish Stairs") in what was once known as the Jewish quarter

The "Jewish Stairs" in 1913 with the Hôtel Ravenstein on the left

### First Mont des Arts (1910–1954)

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By the end of the 19th century, King Leopold II had the idea to convert the site into an arts' quarter and bought the whole neighbourhood. Various architects and urban planners were called upon to draw plans of the buildings, which were to accommodate all kinds of cultural institutions.[7] In the meantime, the City of Brussels' then-mayor, Charles Buls, had laid out a modest plan for the Saint-Roch district. His urbanistic and aesthetic conceptions were totally opposed to those of Leopold II. The burgomaster wanted to preserve as much as possible of the old district, whilst the king imagined grandiose projects for his capital. Very isolated, Buls was not followed by the municipal council, which voted for the king's project on 19 November 1894. Sickened, Buls resigned five years later.[8][6]

Destruction of the Saint-Roch/Sint-Rochus Quarter in 1897–98 to make space for the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg

After the demolition of the old buildings in 1897–98, the site turned into an urban void because the project lacked sufficient finance. An agreement was finally signed in 1903 between the City of Brussels and the Belgian State for the construction of the Central Station and the creation of the Mont des Arts, at the same time as the complete reorganisation of the old Saint-Roch and Putterie/Putterij districts. To increase the area's appeal during the Brussels International Exposition of 1910, the king ordered the French landscape architect Pierre Vacherot to design a "temporary" garden on the hill. It featured a park and a monumental staircase with cascading fountains and terraces descending the gentle slope from the Place Royale down to the Boulevard de l'Empereur/Keizerslaan.[5] In 1910, a year after Leopold II's death, the new park was inaugurated by his successor, King Albert I.

The Mont des Arts in the 1920s, showing Vacherot's temporary garden

### Second Mont des Arts (1954–present)

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Although the garden was conceived as temporary, it became a well-appreciated green area in the heart of the capital, but when the plans for the Mont des Arts came back by the end of the 1930s, it had to be demolished to create a new square as the centre of the urban renewal project. The project was entrusted jointly to the architects Maurice Houyoux [fr] and Jules Ghobert [fr]. Between 1956 and 1969, the park and its surroundings gave way to massive, severe geometric structures such as the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) and the Congress Palace (now housing Square – Brussels Convention Centre). The new geometric garden, designed by the landscape architect René Pechère [fr], was built upon the concrete slab covering the Albertine car park.[5]

The construction of the Royal Library led to the complete disappearance of the old Palace of Orange-Nassau, with the exception of St. George's Chapel. Faced with a wave of protests, it was decided in 1961–62 to integrate it into the library complex.[9] The inauguration took place in 1969.[6]

## Places of interest

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### Royal Library of Belgium

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Main article: Royal Library of Belgium

The Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) and the equestrian statue of Albert I

The most important building on the Mont des Arts is the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), sometimes nicknamed Albertine in French or Albertina in Dutch, the national library of Belgium. The library owns several collections of historical importance, like the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy, and is the depository for all books ever published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors. There are four million bound volumes in the Royal Library, including a rare book collection numbering 45,000 works. The library has more than 750,000 prints, drawings and photographs, 150,000 maps and plans, and more than 250,000 objects, from coins to scales to monetary weights. This coin collection holds one of the most valuable coins in the field of numismatics, a fifth-century Sicilian tetradrachm.[10] The library also houses the Center for American Studies, a rich American Studies collection of 30,000 books in open stacks, as well as U.S. newspapers and databases.[11]

### Square – Brussels Convention Centre

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Main article: Square – Brussels Convention Centre

The former Congress Palace, housing Square – Brussels Convention Centre

Overlooking the city from the hillside of the Mont des Arts is Square – Brussels Convention Centre, the main convention centre in the City of Brussels. It is housed in the former Congress Palace, which was designed by Jules Ghobert and Maurice Hoyoux and built for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58). Square – Brussels Convention Centre's landmark feature is the three-storey, 16-metre-tall (52 ft) glass cube that forms the main entry to the premises. The cube has a treelike structure and the overall aesthetic is based on transparency and light. A terrace leads to the upper access situated on the Mont des Arts. Works of art decorate the convention centre's foyers, including expansive murals by Paul Delvaux, René Magritte and Louis Van Lint.

### National Archives of Belgium

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Main article: National Archives of Belgium

Next to the Mont des Arts, on the Rue de Ruysbroeck/Ruysbroeckstraat, is the National Archives of Belgium, the main depository of the State Archives of Belgium, holding over 70 km (43 mi) of archives. The National Archives preserves the archives of the central institutions of the Burgundian Netherlands, the Spanish Netherlands and the Austrian Netherlands until 1795, of the central public authorities of the French period (1795–1815) and of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830). It also holds the archives of the central institutions of the national, and later federal government, from the foundation of Belgium (1830) until today, except for the archives of the Ministries of Defence and of Foreign Affairs.

### Mont des Arts carillon

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Mont des Arts carillon

The Mont des Arts carillon is composed of twenty-four bells[12] produced by the Paccard bell foundry and can be seen on the rear façade of the Dynasty Palace.[13] The carillon was created as part of the buildings erected on the Mont des Arts for Expo 58 and is located in an arcade spanning the Rue des Arts/Kunststraat. Small recesses depict twelve figures, characters from Brussels history and folklore. They rotate to the sounds of the chimes, which consist of twenty-four bells. The twelve-pointed star-shaped clock on the façade was designed by Ghobert. A bronze automaton (a jacquemart) at the very top of the arcade strikes the hour.[12]

### Statue of Albert I

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Main article: Equestrian statue of Albert I, Brussels

To the west on the Place de l'Albertine/Albertinaplein, at the point where the Mont des Arts joins the Boulevard de l'Empereur, rises the equestrian statue of Albert I, third King of the Belgians. It was created by the sculptor Alfred Courtens [fr] and inaugurated in 1951.[6] The imposing bronze equestrian statue is placed high on the pedestal made of blue stone blocks, overlooking the city centre. Albert I is classically depicted as a soldier king wearing a military coat and holding a helmet. The style is reminiscent of that of the equestrian statue of Leopold II on the Place du Trône/Troonplein, whose author, Thomas Vinçotte, was Courtens's teacher.[14]

## Panoramic view and surroundings

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The garden of the Mont des Arts during the day

The same view during nautical twilight

The Mont des Arts offers one of Brussels' finest views. Though the glass and steel cube forming the new entrance to the convention centre has modified the upper part of the complex, the perspective created by Péchère has largely been preserved. From the elevated vantage point, the famous tower of Brussels' Town Hall on the Grand-Place/Grote Markt (main square) is clearly visible.[15] On a sunny day, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg and even the Atomium on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in northern Brussels can be seen.[16] From the other end, looking up towards the Place Royale, the dome of the Church of St. James on Coudenberg closes the perspective.

Major tourist attractions are located within walking distance of the Mont des Arts: the Musical Instruments Museum (MIM), the Oldmasters Museum, the Magritte Museum and the Fin-de-Siècle Museum of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Royal Palace, and the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.

## See also

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* Belgium portal

* List of parks and gardens in Brussels
* North–South connection
* Brusselisation
* History of Brussels
* Culture of Belgium
* Belgium in the long nineteenth century

## References

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### Citations

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1. ^ "Localisation de 'Escalier des Juifs' sur 14 plans de Bruxelles". www.reflexcity.net. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
2. ^ "Localisation de 'Rue des Trois-Têtes' sur 14 plans de Bruxelles". www.reflexcity.net. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
3. ^ "Place de la Justice". www.reflexcity.net. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
4. ^ Anagnostopoulos & Houssiau 2006, p. 3.
5. ^ a b c "Kunstberg - History". www.montdesarts.com. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
6. ^ a b c d "Mont des Arts – Inventaire du patrimoine architectural". monument.heritage.brussels (in French). Retrieved 29 October 2021.
7. ^ Liane Ranieri, Léopold II urbaniste, Brussels, Hayez (in French) (1973), p. 285
8. ^ Demey 1990, p. 260.
9. ^ Wasseige 1995, p. 26.
10. ^ Murray, Stuart A. P. The Library: An Illustrated History. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2012, p. 249-250.
11. ^ "Center for American Studies". Koninklijke Bibliotheek van Belgie Bibliotheque royale de Belgique. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
12. ^ a b Henneber 2002, p. 73.
13. ^ Haine & Meeùs 1986, p. 319.
14. ^ "Statue équestre d'Albert Ier – Bruxelles | BE-monumen". be-monumen.be (in French). 13 April 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
15. ^ "Mont des Arts Gardens". visit.brussels. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
16. ^ Poel, Nana Van De. "The History of the Mont des Arts in 1 Minute". Culture Trip. Retrieved 15 August 2018.

### Bibliography

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* Anagnostopoulos, Pierre; Houssiau, Jean (2006). The old palace of Coudenberg. Brussels, city of Art and History. Vol. 42\. Brussels: Éditions de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. ISBN 978-2-93045-706-2.
* Demey, Thierry (1990). Bruxelles, chronique d'une capitale en chantier (in French). Vol. I: Du voûtement de la Senne à la jonction Nord-Midi. Brussels: Paul Legrain/CFC. OCLC 44643865.
* Demey, Thierry (2013). Bruxelles, des remparts aux boulevards (in French). Brussels: Badeaux. ISBN 978-2-930609-02-7.
* Demey, Thierry (2010). Bruxelles en vert. Le guide des jardins publics (in French). Brussels: Badeaux. ISBN 978-2-930609-00-3.
* Demey, Thierry (2009). Léopold II (1865-1909). La marque royale sur Bruxelles (in French). Brussels: Badeaux. ISBN 978-2-9600414-8-4.
* Haine, Malou; Meeùs, Nicolas (1986). Dictionnaire des facteurs d'instruments de musique en Wallonie et à Bruxelles du IXe siècle à nos jours. Brussels: Pierre Mardaga. ISBN 978-2-87009-250-7.
* Henneber, Diane (2002). Bruxelles revisitée (in French). Brussels: La Renaissance du Livre. ISBN 978-2-8046-0631-2.
* Wasseige, Manoëlle (1995). Le Quartier Royal. Bruxelles, ville d'Art et d'Histoire (in French). Vol. 15\. Brussels: Éditions de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale.
* Le Patrimoine monumental de la Belgique: Bruxelles (PDF) (in French). Vol. 1B: Pentagone E-M. Liège: Pierre Mardaga. 1993. pp. 512–516.

## External links

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* Media related to Mont des Arts/Kunstberg at Wikimedia Commons

Authority control databases

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* VIAF
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* United States
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Other|

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