Brussels - Guild Houses

Of the houses on either side of the Maison du Roi the most interesting is No. 24-25, "La Chaloupe d'Or" ("The Golden Sloop") which belonged to the tailors' guild.

The row of houses on the northwest side of the Grand' Place are the most elegant of all. No. 1-2, known as "Au Roi d'Espagne" and now the premises of a famous cafe of that name, belonged to the bakers' guild. Then, from right to left, come No. 3 "La Brouette" ("The Wheelbarrow"; the grocers' house), No. 4 "Le Sac" ("The Sack"; the joiners' and coopers' house), No. 5 "La Louve" ("The She-Wolf"; the archers' house), No. 6 "Le Cornet" ("The Cornucopia"; the bargees' house) and No. 7 "Le Renard" ("The Fox"; the shopkeepers' house).

Making up the southeast side of the Grand' Place is the large building known as the Maison des Ducs de Brabant, its facade reminiscent of an Italian palazzo. It is adorned with the busts of 19 dukes of Brabant - hence the name.

The five houses to the left of the Hôtel de Ville are very splendid. No. 8, "L'Etoile" ("The Star"), was not a guild house but seat of the ducal judiciary.