City Hall of Leuven, a gothic building, entirely jagged, with a roof riddled with a network of dormers
If you were to see just one monument in Leuven, it would undoubtedly be the magnificent Town Hall, which alone is worth a detour through the city. A lacework, a chiselled shrine, Flamboyant Gothic perfection - no superlative can do full justice to what is perhaps the most perfect Gothic civil monument of all time and place. It was built between 1439 and 1469 by the same architects as St. Peter's Church. More than its interior, it is the façade of the building that is a true masterpiece. Entirely indented, it resembles a gigantic shrine, covered with statues. At each corner of the building, a slender tower rises above the roof, which is riddled with a network of dormer windows. The niches on the facades house 236 statues (they've only been there since the 19th century). They represent the city's historical figures, apostles and prophets (220 men and 16 women).
The rooms open to the public include 15th-century sculpted mutules, works by Constantin Meunier and a statue of Marguerite la Fière, a mythical figure from Leuven.
On the second floor, the Louis XVI salon displays a copy of Belgium's most famous justice painting, Dirk Bouts' La Justice de l'empereur Othon, the original of which is in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. The painting was originally commissioned for Leuven town hall.
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Further information
Opening time and information on STADHUIS - TOWN HALL
Guided tour daily at 3 pm in Dutch and at 4 pm in English. Admission €4.
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De rondleiding binnen met de gids is zeker aan te bevelen. Te combineren met bezoek aan Oude Markt, St. Pieterskerk en de universiteitsbibliotheek
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Leuven's Grote Markt and city center is truly wonderful, with many amazing sights and restaurants. Some sights are almost out of a fairy-tale, and I dare say the Stadhuis is the crowning jewel of it.