Palace of Coudenberg
Belgium · Europe
About
The Palace of Coudenberg (French: Palais du Coudenberg; Dutch: Koudenbergpaleis) was a royal residence situated on the Coudenberg or Koudenberg (; Dutch for "Cold Hill"), a hill in what is today the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. For nearly 700 years, the Castle and then Palace of Coudenberg was the residence (and seat of power) of the counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors or governors who, from the 12th century to the 18th century, exerted their sovereignty over the Duchy of Brabant and later over all or part of the Burgundian and then Spanish and Austrian Netherlands.
The palace was completely destroyed in an accidental fire that broke out on the night of 3 February 1731 and the Place Royale/Koningsplein was built between 1775 and 1782 atop its ruins. Only the underground parts remain today. After several years of excavations, the archaeological vestiges of the palace and its foundations are open to the public via the BELvue Museum.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.