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The magnificent town hall of Leuven can be admired at the Grote Markt (Market Square). Since a few years this market square is free from traffic. Therefore, a visitor can take all the time it takes to fully stand in awe at the most perfect and beautiful expression of the Brabantine Gothic style : the Mayor's House.

The harmonious dimensions and rich decoration of the walls make the of the town hall a shrine of medieval splendor. The first stone was laid in 1439, the designer was the architect Sulpitius Van der Vorst. He died shortly afterwards and architect Keldermans continued his work. When Keldermans died in 1445 a third architect, Mathijs de Layens, continued the construction from 1447 until 1468. It was Mathijs de Layens who gave the flamboyant Gothic look to the building. He is therefore also considered the creator of the town hall. 

In 1706 the staircase at the entrance was added. The town hall was renovated for the first time in the 19th century. During the restoration new neo-gothic elements were added. A first restoration ran from 1829 until 1841. During the second half of the century the statues were added to further decorate the façade. This was due to the French writer Victor Hugo, who, during his stay in Leuven, insisted that statues would be made to fill out the empty niches because he found that such a splendid building could not be left unfinished. From 1893 until 1907 the beautifully sculptured pedestals on which the statues rest, were renovated too. During the bombings of 1944 the town hall suffered considerable damage which resulted in another renovation campaign from 1962 until 1983. In the 1990's the building, which had become very black, was thoroughly cleaned.

The town hall looks like a delicately wrought relic shrine. It shows the late gothic style at its most splendid. The elegant lines are accentuated by the proportions of the facades. The main facades count 10 bays , whereas the side facades count only 3. The vertical movement, which is so typical for the Gothic style, is reinforced by the slim towers on all four corners of the building. There is a total of 236 statues (made in the 19th century). They represent artists, scientists, historic persons and other people that played an important role in the history of the city. On the higher floors the Counts of Leuven and the Dukes of Brabant are shown.

The interior is also worth a visit. The different rooms are richly decorated with paintings  (amongst others paintings of the Mayors of Leuven since 1794). In the entrance hall are four statues by the 19th century Belgian sculptor Constantin Meunier.

Location :
Grote Markt
Open :
from Mondays to Fridays
Guided tours: at 11am and 3 PM, Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays : at 3 PM.

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