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| Grote Markt / Big Market square-city hall, Brabo & guild houses tips and photos posted by real travelers and Antwerp locals.
Grote Markt
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 | Antwerp Grote Markt / Big Market square-city hall, Brabo & guild houses Reviews | 1 - 10 of 132 |  |
Not as big as the 'Grand'Place' of Brussels, but certainly as beautiful is the 'Grote Markt' (= Town Square) of Antwerp. Here is still the heart of the old city. The Grote Markt is beautifully surrounded by the Town Hall and the so-called houses of the Guilds or corporations. In the background the tower of Our Lady's Cathedral completes the magnificent view.
The houses of the Guilds are unfortunately not the original ones. A large part of the Grote Markt burned down in 1576. Most of the houses were rebuilt afterwards by Hans Vredeman, the town architect, in Flemish Renaissance style. In the 19th century the houses were again renovated. The house number 7 is one of the most beautiful. It was the house of the guild of Archers and is crowned by the statue of St. George. The house number 25 , a reconstruction of a house that used to stand at the 'Meir' is situated on the spot were an Inn used to stand. This Inn was mentioned in the medieval play of 'Marieken van Nieumwhegen'. Nowadays the Grote Markt is one of the most pleasant squares in the city (certainly since traffic has been banned from it). During beautiful warm summer days most people choose this spot to enjoy a refreshing beer from one of the many terraces. Directions: between the Cathedral and the river Schelde
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It is located in the middle Grote Market. The sculpture was designed by Jef Lambeaux after he got impressed the story of a giant who used to live by the river bank of Scheldt, and was very cruel. The giant used to chop hands of all the sailors who refuse to pay the toll, but a brave soldier kills the giant and throws his hand in the river.
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I was happily snapping photos of this fountain when my husband came up to me and asked if I had REALLY looked at the statue. It was then I noticed the water pumping out of a man's severed neck and severed arm, what kind of folks live in Antwerp anyway????
After I got back to the hotel I received the explanation of the grotesque fountain, legend has it that a mythical giant named Druon Antigon levied exorbitant taxes from the mariners who passed his castle on the river Scheldt, when they refused to pay, he'd cut off their hands and toss them into the river. So it was fitting that when Roman soldier Silvius Brabo slayed the giant, he also cut off his right hand and tossed it into the river.
One theory on the name of the city takes the Flemish word handwerpen (throwing of the hand) and turns it into Antwerpen (Antwerp). Even if it's not the origin of the city's name, the legend inspired two statues and you can find replicas of the giant's hand in things such as chocolates (yes, I ate one of those hands!)
Look at the 2nd and 3rd photos to see the giant's head and the severed neck/arm. Leave a Comment Directions: between the Cathedral and the river Scheldt
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When you visit De Grote Markt its like a step back in time. The houses are very beautiful and what I like best are the golden statues on top of almost every house. Leave a Comment
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City Hall was constructed by Cornelis Floris de Vriendt.in 1564. This is the mixture of Renaissance and Gothic style City Hall is almost similar to all other City Halls in Belgium. There are dozens of small doors at the ground floor, which used to the shops in early years.
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Like any other city in Europe, Antwerp also has some beautiful squares full of tourists and locals most of the time specially in a sunny afternoon. Grote Markt is a three sided square, on one side the Town Hall is located. Grote Markt is surrounded by some old style beautiful guild houses by other two sides.
Leave a Comment Directions: between the Cathedral and the river Schelde
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The middle part of the Antwerp’s Town Hall is decorated with the statues of Lady Justitia and Lady Prudentia.
Above the weapons of the Duchy of Brabant (black field with gold lion), the coat of arms of the Spanish King Philip II (middle) and of the Markgrave of Antwerp (right) is a Madonna statue.
This statue, that seems too big for the niche it stands in, was put there by the Jesuits during the Counter-Reformation to replace a Brabo statue. Directions: Between the Cathedral and the river Schelde
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The ‘Grote markt’ and the ‘Handschoen markt’ is where you can find the Gild houses. These are 16th and 17th century buildings where the gilds used to be. A gild is a sort of craft organization of that time. Each craft had its own gild and so its own gild house. The houses are richly decorated to show the welth and power of each gild.
Also on the Grote markt is the City Hall and Brabofountain. City Hall is also a Renaissance building dating 1564 designed by the architect C F de Vriendt. Leave a Comment Directions: between the Cathedral and the river Schelde
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The statue of Brabo tells the legend of Brabo who won the fight against the giant Antigoon. Brabo threw the hand of the giant in the Schelde and so the city was called Antwerpen (hand throwing). This is one of the stories that explain the name of the city, there are a few more so I don't know if it is true. In summer you can't sit on the statue because its a fountain. Leave a Comment
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The Guilds houses are not unfortunately the original ones, due to the fact that a large part of the Grote Markt burned down in 1576.
Most of the houses were rebuilt afterwards by Hans Vredeman, the town architect, in Flemish Renaissance style and in the 19th century were again renovated. Directions: Between the Cathedral and the river Schelde
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