Brussels - Maison du Roi / Broodhuis

Opposite the Hôtel de Ville stands the Maison du Roi which, despite its name, was never a royal residence. The king in question was the king of Spain and the "maison" was in fact the law courts. Directly in front is the spot where executions were carried out. The Maison's 13th C. predecessor was a building known as the Broodhuis (Bread House), appropriately enough since bread was indeed sold there for a time. Later it became a ducal law court before being replaced in 1515. By now rechristened the Maison du Roi, it was destroyed in 1695. The post-bombardment reconstruction was never very satisfactory and in 1873 rebuilding started yet again, based this time on the 1515 plans. The house as seen today was completed in 1895. The statues above the central arcade are those of Mary of Burgundy, Charles V and Duke Henry I.