Editing Grand-Place

{{Short description|Square and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Brussels, Belgium}}
{{Redirect|Grand Place}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox street
| name                    = {{unbulleted list|{{native name|fr|Grand-Place|italic=no}}|{{native name|nl|Grote Markt|italic=no}}}}
| native_name             = {{native name list |tag1=fr|name1=Grand-Place |tag2=nl|name2=Grote Markt}}
| image                   = Grand-Place, Brussels - panorama, June 2018.jpg
| image_size              = 250px
| image_alt               = 
| caption                 = The {{lang|fr|Grand-Place|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Grote Markt|italic=no}}, with [[Brussels Town Hall|Brussels' Town Hall]] on the left
| postal_code             = 1000
| location                = [[City of Brussels]], Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
| map_type                = Belgium Brussels#Belgium
| map_caption             = Location within Brussels
| coordinates             = {{coord|50|50|48|N|4|21|9|E|type:landmark_region:BE|display=inline,title}}
| quarter                 = [[Neighbourhoods in Brussels#Central Quarter|Central Quarter]]
| terminus_a              = 
| terminus_b              = 
| length                  = {{convert|110|m|abbr=on}}
| width                   = {{convert|68|m|abbr=on}}
| designer                = 
| completion_date         = 
| inauguration_label      = Denomination
| inauguration_date       = 
| website                 = 
| embedded                =
 {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
 | child                  = yes
 | ID                     = 857
 | year                   = 1998
 | criteria               = Cultural: ii, iv
 | area                   = {{convert|1.48|ha|acre|abbr=off}}
 | buffer_zone            = {{convert|20.93|ha|acre|abbr=off}}
 }}
}}

The '''{{lang|fr|Grand-Place|italic=no}}''' ([[French language|French]], {{IPA|fr|ɡʁɑ̃ plas|pron}}; "Grand Square"; also used in English{{efn|name=fn1|In this case, the French word ''place'' is a "[[false friend]]", and the correct counterparts in English are "[[plaza]]" or "[[town square]]".<ref>{{Cite web|title=place {{!}} Etymology, origin and meaning of place by Etymonline|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/place|access-date=2021-11-06|website=www.etymonline.com|language=en}}</ref>}}) or '''{{lang|nl|Grote Markt|italic=no}}''' ([[Dutch language|Dutch]], {{IPA|nl|ˌɣroːtə ˈmɑr(ə)kt|pron|Nl-Grote Markt.ogg}}; "Big Market") is the central [[Town square|square]] of [[Brussels]], Belgium. It is surrounded by opulent [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] [[guildhall]]s of the former [[Guilds of Brussels]] and two larger edifices; the city's [[Flamboyant]] [[Brussels Town Hall|Town Hall]], and the [[Gothic Revival architecture|neo-Gothic]] ''King's House'' or ''Bread House''{{efn|name=fn4|{{langx|fr|Maison du Roi|link=no}}, {{langx|nl|Broodhuis|link=no}}}} building, containing the [[Brussels City Museum]].{{sfn|State|2004|p=187}} The square measures {{convert|68|by|110|m|ft}} and is entirely paved.

The Grand-Place's construction began in the 11th century and was largely complete by the 17th. In 1695, during the [[Nine Years' War]], most of the square was destroyed during the [[Bombardment of Brussels (1695)|bombardment of Brussels]] by French troops. Only the façade and the tower of the Town Hall, which served as a target for the artillery, and some stone walls resisted the incendiary balls. The houses that surrounded the Grand-Place were rebuilt during subsequent years, giving the square its current appearance, though they were frequently modified in the following centuries.{{sfn|Culot|Hennaut|Demanet|Mierop|1992}} From the mid-19th century, the square's heritage value was rediscovered, and it was thoroughly renovated.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=121–122}}{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=39}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=127–153}}

The Grand-Place is the most important tourist destination and most memorable [[landmark]] in Brussels.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=122}} It is also considered one of the world's most beautiful squares,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Grand-Place|url=https://visit.brussels/en/place/Grand-Place|access-date=2021-11-06|website=visit.brussels|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/most-beautiful-city-squares-in-the-world/square13/|title=The world's most beautiful city squares - perfect places for people-watching|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-01-19|language=en-GB}}</ref> and has been a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] since 1998.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/857|title=La Grand-Place, Brussels|last=Centre|first=UNESCO World Heritage|website=whc.unesco.org|language=en|access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref> The square frequently hosts festive and cultural events, among them, in August of every even year, the installation of an immense [[Flower Carpet (Brussels)|''flower carpet'']] in its centre.{{sfn|State|2004|p=129–130}} It is also a centre of annual celebrations during the [[Christmas]] and [[New Year]] period, and a [[Brussels Christmas tree|Christmas tree]] has been erected annually on the square since the mid-20th century.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-13|title=Christmas tree at the Grand-Place|url=https://www.brussels.be/christmas-tree|access-date=2021-11-06|website=www.brussels.be|language=en}}</ref> This site is served by the ''[[Trams in Brussels|premetro]]'' (underground tram) station [[Bourse - Grand-Place premetro station|Bourse - Grand-Place/Beurs - Grote Markt]] (on lines [[Brussels tram route 4|4]] and [[Brussels tram route 10|10]]), as well as the [[Brussels buses|bus]] stop {{lang|fr|Grand-Place|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Grote Markt|italic=no}} (on lines 33, 48 and 95).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ligne 33 vers DANSAERT - stib.be |url=https://www.stib-mivb.be/horaires-dienstregeling2.html?l=fr&_line=33&_directioncode=V |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=www.stib-mivb.be}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ligne 48 vers ANNEESSENS - stib.be |url=https://www.stib-mivb.be/horaires-dienstregeling2.html?l=fr&_line=48&_directioncode=V |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=www.stib-mivb.be}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ligne 95 vers GRAND-PLACE - stib.be |url=https://www.stib-mivb.be/horaires-dienstregeling2.html?l=fr&_directioncode=V&_line=95 |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=www.stib-mivb.be}}</ref>

==Naming==
[[File:Grote Markt Brussel 26.jpg|thumb|Two of the official names of the square in French and Dutch]]

The [[toponym]]s {{lang|fr|Grand-Place}} or {{lang|fr|Grand'Place}} (French, {{IPA|fr|ɡʁɑ̃ plas|pron}}; "Grand Square"; also used in English{{efn|name=fn1}}) are generic names designating a central [[town square]], namely in Belgium and [[Hauts-de-France|Northern France]]. Originally, the main square was the geographical centre of the towns and cities in these regions (for example the Grand-Place of [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]], [[Tournai]], [[Arras]], or [[Lille]]{{efn|The latter is now named the Place du Général-de-Gaulle.<ref name="Lille">J.-P. V., ''Liberté : de la Grand-Place à la rue de Lannoy'' in ''Journal de la société des amis de Panckoucke'', 2007, p.2</ref>}}). The Grand-Place of Brussels is the location of the [[Brussels Town Hall|city's Town Hall]], and thus its political centre. It also housed the largest [[marketplace]] in the city (hence its official names {{lang|nl|Grote Markt}} or {{lang|nl|Groote Markt}}, {{IPA|nl|ˌɣroːtə ˈmɑr(ə)kt|pron|Nl-Grote Markt.ogg}}; literally meaning "Big Market", in Dutch).

Nowadays, the names ''Grand-Place''{{efn|This is the name used in the UNESCO description.<ref name=":0" />}} (with a [[hyphen]]) in French and ''Grote Markt'' (with one 'o') in Dutch are most commonly seen. The historical spellings ''Grand'Place''{{efn|name=fn2|These are the names used on the wall plaques giving the name of the square.}} (with an [[apostrophe]]) in French and ''Groote Markt''{{efn|name=fn2}} (with a double 'o') in Dutch are outdated,<ref>{{cite book |first1=Maurice |last1=Grevisse |first2=André |last2=Goosse |title=le bon usage: Grammaire française |chapter=543 Le type grand-mère. |edition=14 |date=2008 |isbn=978-2-8011-1404-9| chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/grevisselebonusage14eed.deboeckduculot2007/page/n702/mode/1up?view=theater |location=Bruxelles |publisher=De Boeck & Larcier |page=703 |language=fr }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Michèle R. |last= Morris |date=1988 |title=Mieux écrire en français: Manuel de composition et guide pratique à l'usage des étudiants anglophones |chapter=4.5.2 Cas d'élision |edition=2nd |language=fr |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JocEfO__dvYC&dq=Mich%C3%A8le+R.+Morris,+Mieux+%C3%A9crire+en+fran%C3%A7ais,+Georgetown+University+Press,+1988+4.5.2.&pg=PA29 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Georgetown University Press |page=29 |isbn=9780878402250 }}</ref> but are also still in use in certain sources, such as on wall plaques giving the name of the square. This outdated French spelling is a grammatical exception; ''place'' being feminine, the modern French form would be ''Grande Place''. In the [[Brabantian dialect]] of Brussels (known as [[Brusselian dialect|Brusselian]], and also sometimes referred to as Marols or Marollien),{{sfn|Treffers-Daller|1994|p=25}} the Grand-Place is called ''Gruute Met''.<ref name="is" />

==History==

===Early history===
[[File:Bruxelles à travers les âges (1884) (14800342613).jpg|thumb|Schematic map of medieval Brussels; north is roughly below.<br />The ''[[Brussels City Museum|Bread House]]'' ({{lang|fr|Marché au pain}}) lies along the ''Causeway'' ({{lang|odt|Steenwegh}}) near [[Saint Nicholas Church, Brussels|St. Nicholas' Church]] and the [[Brussels Town Hall|Town Hall]] ({{lang|fr|Hôtel de Ville}}).<ref name="map" />]]

In the 10th century, [[Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine]], constructed a fort on [[Saint-Géry Island]], the furthest inland point at which the river [[Zenne|Senne]] was still navigable. The installation of a fort at this point marks the origin of what would become Brussels. By the end of the 11th century, an open-air marketplace was set up on a dried-up marsh near the fort that was surrounded by sandbanks.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=2–5}} A document from 1174 mentions this lower market ({{langx|la|forum inferius|link=no}}) not far from the port ({{langx|la|portus|link=no}}) on the Senne.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=2–5}} It was called the {{lang|odt|Nedermerckt}} (meaning "Lower Market" in [[Old Dutch]]){{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}} and likely grew around the same time as Brussels' commercial development.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=2–5}} It was also well situated near [[Saint Nicholas Church, Brussels|St. Nicholas' Church]] and along the ''Causeway'' ({{langx|odt|Steenwegh|link=no}}),<ref name="map">Map of Brussels in the 11th and 14th centuries from ''Bruxelles à travers les âges'' (Louis, Henri and Paul Hymans, 1884), p. 7</ref> an important trade route between the prosperous regions of the [[Rhineland]] (in modern-day Germany) and the [[County of Flanders]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brasserie Le Roy d'Espagne|url=https://roydespagne.be/en/history.php|access-date=2021-11-07|website=roydespagne.be|language=EN}}</ref>

At the beginning of the 13th century, three covered markets were built on the northern edge of the Grand-Place; a meat market, a bread market, and a cloth market.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=2–5}} These buildings, which belonged to the [[Duke of Brabant]],{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=2–5}} allowed the wares to be showcased even in bad weather, but also allowed the Dukes to keep track of the storage and sale of goods, in order to collect taxes. Other buildings, largely constructed of [[Thatching|thatch]] and [[timber]], with some made of stone ({{langx|odt|steenen|link=no}}), enclosed the Grand-Place.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=2–5}}{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=28}}{{sfn|State|2004|p=129–130}} Although none of these {{lang|nl|steenen}} remain, their names live on in nearby streets, such as the ''Plattesteen'', the ''Cantersteen'', or the {{lang|fr|Rue des Pierres|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Steenstraat|italic=no}}.{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=28}}{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=64}} In the middle of the market square stood a primitive public fountain. In 1302, it was replaced by a large stone fountain with eight water jets and eight basins, directly in front of the bread market.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=123}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=10}}

===Rise in importance===
Improvements to the Grand-Place from the 14th century onwards would mark the rise in importance of local merchants and tradesmen relative to the [[nobility]]. As he was short on money, the Duke gradually transferred parts of his control rights over trade and [[Mill (grinding)|mill]]s to the local authorities, prompting them to build edifices worthy of their new status.{{sfn|State|2004|p=132–136}} In 1353, the [[City of Brussels]] ordered the construction of a large indoor cloth market ({{langx|fr|Halle au Drap|link=no}}), similar to those of the neighbouring cities of [[Mechelen]] and [[Leuven]], to the south of the square.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=10}}{{efn|It is represented occupying the entire rear of the Town Hall in an engraving by Abraham van Santvoort after [[Leo van Heil]], {{circa|1650}}.{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=197}}}} At this point, the Grand-Place was still haphazardly laid out, and the buildings along the edges had a motley tangle of gardens and irregular additions.<ref name=is>{{cite web| title=History of the Grand Place of Brussels|url=http://www.ilotsacre.be/site/en/curiosities/grand_place-brussels.htm| publisher=Commune Libre de l'Îlot Sacré|access-date=August 25, 2009}}</ref> The city [[:wikt:expropriate|expropriate]]d and demolished a number of buildings that clogged the square, and formally defined its edges.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=10}}

[[File:A market scene on the Grand Place in Brussels, oil on canvas, 81x101 cm, c. 1670.jpg|thumb|left|A market scene on the Grand-Place, {{circa|1670}}]]

[[Brussels Town Hall|Brussels' Town Hall]] was erected in stages, between 1401 and 1455, on the south side of the Grand-Place, transforming the square into the seat of municipal power.{{sfn|State|2004|p=147}} The Town Hall's spire towers some {{convert|96|m}} high, and is capped by a {{convert|2.7|m|ft}}{{efn|name=fn3|This is the height of Saint Michael alone. Including the base to the point of the sword, the statue is about {{convert|5|m|ft}} tall.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}}}} statue of [[Michael (archangel)|Saint Michael]] slaying a demon or devil.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=10}} To counter this, from 1504 to 1536, the [[Duke of Brabant]] ordered the construction of a large [[Flamboyant]] edifice across from the city hall to house his administrative services.<ref name=is/> It was erected on the site of the first cloth and bread markets, which were no longer in use, and it became known first as the ''Duke's House'' ({{langx|dum|'s Hertogenhuys|link=no}}), then as the ''King's House'' ({{langx|dum|'s Conincxhuys|link=no}}), although no king has ever lived there. It is currently known as the {{lang|fr|Maison du Roi}} ("King's House") in French, but in Dutch, it continues to be called the {{lang|nl|Broodhuis}} ("Bread House"), after the market whose place it took.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=19}} Over time, wealthy merchants and the increasingly powerful [[Guilds of Brussels]] built houses around the square.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=17}}

The Grand-Place witnessed many tragic events unfold during its history. In 1523, the first Protestant [[martyr]]s [[Jan van Essen and Hendrik Vos]] were burned by the [[Inquisition]] on the square. Forty years later, in 1568, two statesmen, [[Lamoral, Count of Egmont]] and [[Philip de Montmorency, Count of Horn]], who had spoken out against the policies of [[Philip II of Spain|King Philip II]] in the [[Spanish Netherlands]], were beheaded in front of the King's House.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=122–123}}{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=56–58}}{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=36}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=16}} This triggered the beginning of the [[Eighty Years' War|armed revolt against Spanish rule]], of which [[William the Silent|William of Orange]] took the lead. In 1719, it was the turn of [[Frans Anneessens|François Anneessens]], dean of the Nation of St. Christopher, who was beheaded on the Grand-Place because of his resistance to innovations in city government detrimental to the power of the guilds and for his suspected involvement with uprisings within the [[Austrian Netherlands]].{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=116}}{{sfn|State|2004|p=12–13}}

===Destruction and rebuilding===
{{Multiple image
| align = 
| direction = vertical
| width = 220
| image1 = NIND MVB-Bombardement ISO200.jpg
| caption1 = The Grand-Place in flames during the [[Bombardment of Brussels (1695)|bombardment of Brussels]] in 1695. On the left, the [[Brussels Town Hall|Town Hall]]; on the right, the [[Brussels City Museum|King's House]], and in the background, [[Saint Nicholas Church, Brussels|St. Nicholas' Church]].{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=20}}
| image2 = Richard van Orley (II), Augustin Coppens - Ruins on part of the Grand Place from the corner of the Heuvelstraat to St Nicholas.jpg
| caption2 = View of the ruins of the Grand-Place after the bombardment from the corner of the {{lang|fr|Rue de la Colline|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Heuvelstraat|italic=no}} towards St. Nicholas{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=74}}
}}

On 13 August 1695, during the [[Nine Years' War]], a 70,000-strong [[Kingdom of France|French]] army under Marshal [[François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy]], began a [[Bombardment of Brussels (1695)|bombardment of Brussels]] in an effort to draw the [[League of Augsburg]]'s forces away from their siege on French-held [[Namur]] in what is now [[Wallonia]]. The French launched a massive bombardment of the mostly defenceless city centre with [[cannon]]s and [[mortar (weapon)|mortar]]s, setting it on fire and flattening the majority of the Grand-Place and the surrounding city. Only the stone shell of the Town Hall and a few fragments of other buildings remained standing.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=20–21}} That the Town Hall survived at all is ironic, as it was the principal target of the artillery fire.{{sfn|Culot|Hennaut|Demanet|Mierop|1992}}

After the bombardment, the Grand-Place was swiftly rebuilt in the following four years by the city's [[guild]]s and other owners.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=24–30}} Their efforts were regulated by the city's councillors and the Governor of Brussels, who required that their plans be submitted to the authorities for approval,{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120–121}} and fines were threatened against those who did not comply.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=24–30}}{{sfn|State|2004|p=132–136}} In addition, the alignments of the buildings were once again improved.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=24–30}}{{sfn|State|2004|p=130}} This helped deliver a remarkably harmonious layout for the rebuilt square, despite the ostensibly clashing combination of [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] and [[Louis XIV style]].{{sfn|Culot|Hennaut|Demanet|Mierop|1992}}{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=120}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=24–30}}

During the following two centuries, the Grand-Place underwent significant damage. In the late 18th century, [[French Revolution|French revolution]]aries known as the ''[[sans-culottes]]'' sacked it, destroying statues of the nobility and symbols of [[Christianity]].{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=121}}{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=130}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=34–36}} The guilds declined in importance in conjunction with the growing obsolescence of this form of economic organisation and the rise of proto-[[capitalism]]. They were abolished in 1795, under the [[French First Republic|French regime]],{{sfn|State|2004|p=132–136}} and the [[guildhall]]s' furniture and archives were seized by the state and sold at public [[auction]] on the square in 1796.{{sfn|Graffart|1980|p=270–271}} The remaining buildings were neglected and left in poor condition, with their façades painted, [[stucco]]ed and damaged by pollution.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=121}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=34–36}} The square itself was proclaimed "Square of the People" by a decree of the [[French Republican calendar|30 Ventôse An IV]] (1795) and a "[[Symbolism in the French Revolution#Liberty Tree|Liberty tree]]" was planted on that occasion. At the first hours of [[Belgian Revolution|Belgian Independence]], in 1830, skirmishes occurred on the Grand-Place,{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=148–152}} which became, for an extremely short time, the "Square of Regency".<ref name="is" />

By the late 19th century, a sensitivity arose about the [[Cultural heritage|heritage]] value of the buildings – the turning point was the demolition of the {{lang|fr|L'Étoile}} ({{langx|nl|De Sterre|link=no}}) guildhall in 1853 to widen the street on the left of the Town Hall in order to allow the passage of a [[Horsecar|horse-drawn tramway]].{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=34–36}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=127–128}} Under the impulse of the [[List of mayors of the City of Brussels|city's then-mayor]], [[Charles Buls]], the authorities had the Grand-Place returned to its former splendour, with buildings restored or reconstructed.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=121–122}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=46–47}}{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=39}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=127–153}} In 1856, a monumental fountain commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the reign of [[Leopold I of Belgium|King Leopold I]] was installed in the centre of the square.{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=161}} It was replaced in 1864 by a fountain surmounted by statues of the Counts of Egmont and Horn, which was erected in front of the King's House and later moved to the [[Sablon, Brussels#Petit Sablon|Square du Petit Sablon/Kleine Zavelsquare]].{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=123}}{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=163–165}} Thirty years later, during the ''[[Belle Époque]]'', a [[bandstand]] was raised in its place.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=123}}{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=181}}

The Grand-Place attracted many famous visitors during that period, among them [[Victor Hugo]], who resided in the {{lang|fr|Le Pigeon}} ({{langx|nl|De Duif|link=no}}) guildhall in 1852,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victor Hugo |url=http://www.brusselsremembers.com/memorials/victor-hugo |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Brussels Remembers |language=en}}</ref> as well as [[Charles Baudelaire]], who gave two conferences at the King's House in the 1860s.{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=166–167}} In 1885, the [[Belgian Labour Party|Belgian Workers' Party]] (POB/BWP), the first [[Socialism|socialist]] party in Belgium, was founded during a meeting at the Grand-Place, at the same place where the [[First International]] had convened, and where [[Karl Marx]] had written ''[[The Communist Manifesto]]'' in 1848.{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=157, 222–223}}{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=39}}

[[File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - La Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium, ca. 1895.jpg|thumb|left|The Grand-Place, {{circa|1895}}, with the [[bandstand]] in its centre]]

===20th and 21st centuries===
At the start of [[World War I]], as refugees flooded Brussels, the Grand-Place was filled with military and civilian casualties.<ref name="WWICityWeb">{{cite web|title=Occupation of Brussels on 20 August 1914|url=http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm/8385|website=City of Brussels|publisher=City of Brussels|access-date=September 3, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917081807/http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm/8385|archive-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref> The Town Hall served as a makeshift hospital.<ref name="WWICityWeb" /> On 20 August 1914, at 2 p.m., the [[German occupation of Belgium during World War I|occupying German army]] arrived at the Grand-Place and set up [[field kitchen]]s.{{sfn|Goedleven|1993|p=205–207}}<ref name="WWICityWeb" /> The occupiers hoisted a [[Flag of the German Empire|German flag]] at the left side of the Town Hall.<ref name="WWICityWeb" />

The Grand-Place continued to serve as a market until 19 November 1959, and it is still called the {{lang|nl|Grote Markt}} ("Big Market") in Dutch. Neighbouring streets still reflect the area's origins, named after the sellers of butter, cheese, [[herring]], [[coal]], and so on.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=2–5}} During the 1960s, in a low period of appreciation, the square served as a [[car park]]ing area, but the parking spaces were removed in 1972 following a campaign by citizens. However, car traffic continued to pass through the square until 1990.<ref name="Bulletin">{{cite news |last1=McHugh |first1=Karen |title=The picnic that changed Brussels: How a Bulletin campaign 50 years ago helped pedestrianise the Grand-Place |url=https://www.thebulletin.be/picnic-changed-brussels-how-bulletin-campaign-50-years-ago-helped-pedestrianise-grand-place |access-date=30 May 2021 |publisher=The Bulletin |date=30 May 2021}}</ref>

In 1979, the Grand-Place was [[1979 Brussels bombing|bombed]] by the [[Irish Republican Army]] (IRA). A bomb planted under an open‐air stage where a British Army band was preparing to give a concert injured at least 15 persons, including four bandsmen, and caused extensive damage.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/08/29/archives/ira-sets-off-bomb-at-belgian-concert-15-persons-are-hurt-in.html |title=I.R.A. Sets Off Bomb at Belgian Concert |newspaper=The New York Times |date=29 August 1979 |access-date=2024-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=29 August 1979 |title=IRA Bombs British Band On Belgian Visit |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/08/29/ira-bombs-british-band-on-belgian-visit/7d42047c-032b-4ca5-87d9-f7eac741b51b/ |via=www.washingtonpost.com |access-date=2024-11-12}}</ref>

In 1990, the Grand-Place was pedestrianised, a first step in the pedestrianisation of central Brussels, and it is currently part of a large [[pedestrian zone]] in the centre of Brussels.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brussels.be/pedestrian-zone|title=Pedestrian zone|website=www.brussels.be|date=October 31, 2016|language=en|access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref> The City of Brussels had been thinking about pedestrianising the square and its surrounding streets for several years, but a car park nearby prevented the project from materialising. When its licence ran out in September 1990, the city took the opportunity to conduct a pedestrian experiment. For three-and-a-half months, all traffic was to be banned on the Grand-Place, and also on the adjacent streets. After 1 January 1991, they would decide for good.<ref name="Bulletin"/>

The Grand-Place was named by [[UNESCO]] as a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1998.<ref name=":0" /> The place is now primarily an important tourist attraction.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=122}} A number of guildhalls have been converted into shops, terraced restaurants and [[brasserie]]s.{{sfn|State|2004|p=61}} Notable institutions include [[Godiva Chocolatier|Godiva]] [[chocolatier]] and Maison Dandoy [[speculoos]] confectionery. One of the houses owned by the [[brewing|brewers']] guild is home to a brewers' museum. In addition, the [[Choco-Story Brussels|Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate]] (since 2014, Choco-Story Brussels) was founded in July 1998 in the ''De Valck'' building, at 9–11, {{lang|fr|rue de la Tête d'or|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Guldenhoofdstraat|italic=no}}, just off the Grand-Place.{{sfn|State|2004|p=71}}

==Buildings around the square==

===Town Hall===
{{Main|Brussels Town Hall}}
[[File:Brussels, townhall oeg2043-00090 foto3 2015-06-07 08.38.jpg|left|thumb|<!-- Brighter image, fewer people -->[[Brussels Town Hall|Brussels' Town Hall]] stands {{convert|96|m|ft}} tall and is capped by a {{convert|2.7|m|ft}} statue of [[Michael (archangel)|Saint Michael]] slaying a demon.]]

The [[Brussels Town Hall|Town Hall]] ({{langx|fr|Hôtel de Ville|link=no}}, {{langx|nl|Stadhuis|link=no}}) is the central edifice on the Grand-Place. It was erected in stages, between 1401 and 1455, on the south side of the square, transforming it into the seat of municipal power. It is also the square's only remaining [[Medieval architecture|medieval building]].{{sfn|State|2004|p=147}} The Town Hall not only housed the city's magistrate, but also, until 1795, the [[States of Brabant]]; the representation of the three estates ([[nobility]], [[clergy]] and [[commoner]]s) to the court of the [[Duke of Brabant]]. In 1830, the provisional government operated from there during the [[Belgian Revolution]].

The oldest part of the present building is its east wing (to the left when facing the front). This wing, together with a shorter tower, was built between 1401 and 1421. The architect and designer is probably [[Jacob van Thienen]]  with whom [[Jean Bornoy]] collaborated.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}} The young Duke [[Charles the Bold]] laid the first stone of the west wing in 1444.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}} The architect of this part of the building is unknown. Historians think that it could be William (Willem) de Voghel who was the architect of the [[City of Brussels]] in 1452, and who was also, at that time, the designer of the {{lang|la|Aula Magna}}; the great hall at the [[Coudenberg|Palace of Coudenberg]].{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=126}}

The façade is decorated with numerous statues representing the local nobility (such as the [[Dukes of Brabant family tree|Dukes and Duchesses of Brabant]] and [[knight]]s of the [[Seven Noble Houses of Brussels|Noble Houses of Brussels]]), [[saint]]s, and [[allegory|allegorical]] figures. The present sculptures are mainly 19th- and 20th-century reproductions or creations; the original 15th-century ones are kept in the [[Brussels City Museum]] in the ''King's House'' or ''Bread House'' building across the Grand-Place.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=128–133}}

The {{convert|96|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} tower in [[Brabantine Gothic]] style is the work of [[Jan van Ruysbroek (architect)|Jan van Ruysbroek]], the court architect of [[Philip III, Duke of Burgundy|Philip the Good]].{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}}{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=32}} Above the roof of the Town Hall, the square tower body narrows to a lavishly [[pinnacle]]d octagonal openwork. At its summit stands a {{convert|2.7|m|ft|0|adj=mid|-tall}}{{efn|name=fn3}} gilt metal statue of [[Michael (archangel)|Saint Michael]], the [[patron saint]] of the City of Brussels, slaying a dragon or demon.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=10}} This statue is a work by Michel de Martin Van Rode, and was placed on the tower in 1454 or 1455.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=126}}{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=5–9}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=10}} It was removed in the 1990s and replaced by a copy. The original is also in the Brussels City Museum.

The Town Hall is asymmetrical, since the tower is not exactly in the middle of the building and the left part and the right part are not identical (although they seem so at first sight). According to a legend, the architect of the building, upon discovering this "error", leapt to his death from the tower.{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=30}} More likely, the asymmetry of the Town Hall was an accepted consequence of the scattered construction history and space constraints.

After various waves of restoration, the interior of the Town Hall has become dominated by [[Gothic Revival architecture|neo-Gothic]]: the Maximilian Room, the [[States of Brabant]] Room and their [[antechamber]] with [[Brussels tapestry|tapestries]] depicting the life of [[Clovis I|Clovis]],{{sfn|Crick-Kuntziger|1944}} the splendid Municipal Council Room, the likewise richly furnished ballroom and the Wedding Room (formerly the courtroom).{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=134}}

===King's House===
{{Main|Brussels City Museum}}
[[File:(Belgium) Brussels City Museum Aug 2009.jpg|thumb|<!-- Brighter image, view more from the front -->The [[Brussels City Museum]] is located in the ''Maison du Roi'' (King's House) or ''Broodhuis'' (Bread House).]]

As early as the 12th century, the [[Brussels City Museum|King's House]] ({{langx|fr|Maison du Roi|link=no}}) was a wooden building where bread was sold, hence the name it kept in Dutch; {{lang|nl|Broodhuis}} (''Bread House'' or ''Bread Hall''). The original building was replaced in the 15th century by a stone building which housed the administrative services of the [[Dukes of Brabant family tree|Duke of Brabant]], which is why it was first called the ''Duke's House'' ({{langx|dum|'s Hertogenhuys|link=no}}), and when the same duke became [[Spanish Netherlands|King of Spain]], it was renamed the ''King's House'' ({{langx|dum|'s Conincxhuys|link=no}}). In the 16th century, [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] ordered his court architect {{ill|Antoon II Keldermans|nl|Antoon II Keldermans}} to rebuild it in a [[Gothic architecture|late Gothic]] style very similar to the contemporary design, although without towers or galleries.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=17}}

The King's House was rebuilt after suffering extensive damage from the bombardment of 1695. A second restoration followed in 1767 when it received a [[Neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] [[Portal (architecture)|portal]] and a large roof pierced with three ''[[oeil-de-boeuf]]'' windows.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=44–45}} It was reconstructed once again in its current [[Gothic Revival architecture|neo-Gothic]] form by the architect {{ill|Victor Jamaer|fr|Victor Jamaer}} between 1874 and 1896, in the style of his mentor [[Eugène Viollet-le-Duc]]. On that occasion, Jamaer built two galleries and a central tower. He also adorned the façade with statues and other decorations. At the back, he added a new, much more sober wing in [[Flanders|Flemish]] [[Renaissance Revival architecture|neo-Renaissance]] style. The new King's House was officially inaugurated in 1896. The current building, whose interior was renovated in 1985, has housed the [[Brussels City Museum]] since 1887,{{sfn|State|2004|p=147}} in which, among other things, the Town Hall's original sculptures are shown.{{sfn|Hennaut|2000|p=44–45}}

===Houses of the Grand-Place===
{{Main|List of houses of the Grand-Place}}

The Grand-Place is lined on each side with a number of [[guildhall]]s and a few private houses. At first modest structures, in their current form, they are largely the result of the reconstruction after the bombardment of 1695. The strongly structured façades with their rich sculptural decoration including [[pilaster]]s and [[Baluster|balustrades]] and their lavishly designed [[gable]]s are based on [[Italian Baroque architecture|Italian Baroque]] with some Flemish influences.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=123–124}}{{sfn|State|2004|p=132–136}} The architects involved in the new development were [[Jan Cosijn]], {{ill|Pieter Herbosch|nl|Pieter Herbosch}}, {{ill|Antoine Pastorana|fr|Antoine Pastorana}}, {{ill|Cornelis van Nerven|fr|Corneille van Nerven}}, {{ill|Guilliam or Willem de Bruyn|fr|Guillaume de Bruyn}}{{sfn|Vlieghe|1998|p=277–278}}<ref>[Annales de la Société royale d'archéologie de Bruxelles, 1935, p. 163</ref> and {{ill|Adolphe Samyn|fr|Adolphe Samyn}}.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=121}}{{sfn|Baisier|2000|p=64}}{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=209–213}}

In addition to the name of the respective guild, each house has its own name. The house numbering starts at the northern corner of the square to the left of the {{lang|fr|Rue au Beurre|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Boterstraat|italic=no}} in a [[clockwise|counter-clockwise]] direction. The most beautiful houses are probably no. 1 to 7 on the north-western side. On the south-western side, between the {{lang|fr|Rue de la Tête d'or|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Guldenhoofdstraat|italic=no}} and {{lang|fr|Rue Charles Buls|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Karel Bulsstraat|italic=no}}, are the Town Hall, and the houses no. 8 to 12 to the left of it on the south-eastern side. Still on the south-eastern side, between the {{lang|fr|Rue des Chapeliers|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Hoedenmakersstraat|italic=no}} and the {{lang|fr|Rue de la Colline|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Bergstraat|italic=no}}, are the houses no. 13 to 19. On the north-eastern side, the King's House, which is located between the {{lang|fr|Rue des Harengs|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Haringstraat|italic=no}} and the {{lang|fr|Rue Chair et Pain|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Vlees-en-Broodstraat|italic=no}}, is to the right of the houses no. 20 to 28 and to the left of the houses no. 34 to 39.{{sfn|Heymans|2011|p=207–213}}

{| class="wikitable"  style="font-size:94%;"
! #
! style="text-align:left" | French name
! style="text-align:left" | Dutch name
! style="text-align:left" | English translation
! style="text-align:left" | Guild / Affectation
! Site plan
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Roy d'Espagne|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Coninck van Spaigniën|italic=no}}'''
| "The King of Spain"
| ''House of the Corporation of Bakers''
! rowspan=19 style="padding:10px; background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #e4e4e4, #f9f9f9);" | [[File:GrandPlaceMap.jpg|350px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2–3
| '''{{lang|fr|La Brouette|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Cruywagen|italic=no}}'''
| "The Wheelbarrow"
| ''House of the Corporation of Greasers''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Sac|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Sack|italic=no}}'''
| "The Bag"
| ''House of the Corporation of Carpenters''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
| '''{{lang|fr|La Louve|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Wolf|italic=no}} / {{lang|nl|Den Wolvin|italic=no}}'''
| "The She-Wolf"
| ''House of the Oath of Archers''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Cornet|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Horen|italic=no}}'''
| "The Cornet"
| ''House of the Corporation of Boatmen''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Renard|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Vos|italic=no}}'''
| "The Fox"
| ''House of the Corporation of Haberdashers''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
| '''{{lang|fr|L'Étoile|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Sterre|italic=no}}'''
| "The Star"
| ''House of the Amman''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Cygne|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Zwane|italic=no}}'''
| "The Swan"
| ''House of the Corporation of Butchers''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
| '''{{lang|fr|L'Arbre d'Or|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Gulden Boom|italic=no}}'''
| "The Golden Tree"
| ''House of the Corporation of Brewers''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 11
| '''{{lang|fr|La Rose|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Roos|italic=no}}'''
| "The Rose"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 12
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Mont Thabor|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Bergh Thabor|italic=no}}'''
| "The Mount Thabor"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 12a
| '''{{lang|fr|Maison d'Alsemberg|italic=no}}''' /<br />'''{{lang|fr|Le Roi de Bavière|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Huis van Alsemberg|italic=no}}''' /<br />'''{{lang|nl|De Koning van Beieren|italic=no}}'''
| "House of Alsemberg" /<br /> "The King of Bavaria"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 13–19
| '''{{lang|fr|Maison des Ducs de Brabant|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Huis van de Hertogen van Brabant|italic=no}}'''
| "House of the Dukes of Brabant"
| Various (see below)
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 13
| '''{{lang|fr|La Renommée|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Faem|italic=no}}'''
| "The Fame"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 14
| '''{{lang|fr|L'Ermitage|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Cluyse|italic=no}}'''
| "The Hermitage"
| ''House of the Corporation of Carpet Makers''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 15
| '''{{lang|fr|La Fortune|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Fortuin|italic=no}}'''
| "The Fortune"
| ''House of the Corporation of Tanners''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 16
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Moulin à Vent|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Windmolen|italic=no}}'''
| "The Windmill"
| ''House of the Corporation of Millers''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 17
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Pot d'Étain|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Tinnepot|italic=no}}'''
| "The Tin Pot"
| ''House of the Corporation of Cartwrights''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 18
| '''{{lang|fr|La Colline|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Heuvel|italic=no}}'''
| "The Hill"
| ''House of the Corporation of Sculptors, Masons, Stone-Cutters and Slate-Cutters''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 19
| '''{{lang|fr|La Bourse|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Borse|italic=no}}'''
| "The Purse"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 20
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Cerf|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Hert|italic=no}}''' / '''{{lang|nl|Het Heert|italic=no}}'''
| "The Deer"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 21–22
| '''{{lang|fr|Joseph et Anne|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Joseph en Anna|italic=no}}'''
| "Joseph and Anne"
| Private houses
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 23
| '''{{lang|fr|L'Ange|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Engel|italic=no}}'''
| "The Angel"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 24–25
| '''{{lang|fr|La Chaloupe d'Or|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Gulden Boot|italic=no}}'''
| "The Golden Boat"
| ''House of the Corporation of Tailors''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 26–27
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Pigeon|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Duif|italic=no}}'''
| "The Dove"
| ''House of the Corporation of Painters''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 28
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Marchand d'Or|italic=no}}''' /<br /> '''{{lang|fr|Aux Armes de Brabant|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|De Gulden Koopman|italic=no}}''' /<br /> '''{{lang|nl|De Wapens van Brabant|italic=no}}'''
| "The Golden Merchant" /<br /> "The Weapons of Brabant"
| ''House of the Corporation of Greasers''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 34
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Heaume|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Helm|italic=no}}'''
| "The Helmet"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 35
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Paon|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Pauw|italic=no}}'''
| "The Peacock"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 36–37
| '''{{lang|fr|Le Petit Renard|italic=no}}''' / '''{{lang|fr|Le Samaritain|italic=no}}''' <br />and '''{{lang|fr|Le Chêne|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|'t Voske|italic=no}}''' / '''{{lang|nl|De Samaritaen|italic=no}}''' <br />and '''{{lang|nl|Den Eycke|italic=no}}'''
| "The Small Fox" / "The Samaritan" <br />and "The Oak"
| Private houses
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 38
| '''{{lang|fr|Sainte-Barbe|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Sint Barbara|italic=no}}'''
| "Saint Barbara"
| Private house
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 39
| '''{{lang|fr|L'Âne|italic=no}}'''
| '''{{lang|nl|Den Ezel|italic=no}}'''
| "The Donkey"
| Private house
|}
{{Clear}}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Edificios en la Grand-Place, Bruselas, Bélgica, 2021-12-15, DD 07.jpg|From right to left: Le Roy d'Espagne, La Brouette, Le Sac, La Louve, Le Cornet and Le Renard
File:Edificios en la Grand-Place, Bruselas, Bélgica, 2021-12-15, DD 12.jpg|From right to left: L'Étoile, Le Cygne, L'Arbre d'Or, La Rose and Le Mont Thabor
File:Bruxelles Grand-Place Maison des Ducs de Brabant 2.jpg|House of the Dukes of Brabant
File:Bruxelles Grand-Place No. 28-20 2.jpg|From right to left: Le Cerf, Joseph et Anne, L'Ange, La Chaloupe d'Or, Le Pigeon and Le Marchand d'Or
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Grand-Place - Côté nord-est.jpg|From right to left: Le Heaume, Le Paon, Le Petit Renard, Le Chêne, Sainte-Barbe and L'Âne
</gallery>

==Events==
Festivities and cultural events are frequently organised on the Grand-Place, such as [[Son et lumière (show)|sound and light show]]s during the [[Christmas]] and [[New Year]] period as part of the "Winter Wonders",{{sfn|State|2004|p=108}} as well as concerts in the summer. Among the most important and famous are the [[Flower Carpet (Brussels)|Flower Carpet]] and the [[Ommegang of Brussels|Ommegang]], both taking place in the summer.{{sfn|State|2004|p=129–130}} The Belgian Beer Weekend, an event dedicated to [[Beer in Belgium|Belgian beers]], during which small and large breweries present their products at the Grand-Place, has taken place since 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Belgian Brewers - Belgian Beer Weekend|url=http://www.belgianbrewers.be/en/events/belgian-beer-weekend-171/|access-date=2021-11-05|website=www.belgianbrewers.be|archive-date=20 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820031233/http://www.belgianbrewers.be/en/events/belgian-beer-weekend-171|url-status=dead}}</ref> The square has also been used for community gatherings and public celebrations, such as receiving athletes following sporting events.<ref name=":2" />

[[File:Гранд-Плас в день фестиваля.jpg|thumb|The Grand-Place on the day of the Belgian Beer Weekend]]

===Flower carpet===
{{Main|Flower Carpet (Brussels)}}
Every two years<ref>{{cite book|last=Kemp|first=Richard|date=1997|orig-year=1991|chapter=Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg|title=The Picture Atlas of the World|edition=Third|location=9 Henrietta Street, London|publisher=[[DK (publisher)|Dorling Kindersley]]|page=41|isbn=0-7513-5358-2}}</ref> in August, coordinating with [[Assumption of Mary|Assumption Day]], an enormous ''[[flower carpet]]'' is set up in the Grand-Place for three to four days.{{sfn|De Vries|2003|p=31}} On this occasion, nearly a million colourful [[begonia]]s or [[dahlia]]s are set up in patterns forming a carpet-like [[tapestry]], and the display covers a full {{convert|24|by|77|m|ft}}, for area total of {{convert|1800|m2|sqft|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}.<ref name=is/> The first Flower Carpet was created in Brussels in 1971 by the [[Ghent]] [[landscape architect]] Etienne Stautemans in an effort to advertise his work, and due to its popularity, the tradition continued in subsequent years. Starting in 1986, the event has been regularly held biannually, each time under a different theme, with the Flower Carpet now estimated to attract between 150,000 and 200,000 local and international visitors.<ref name="patrimoine">{{Cite web |title=Le Tapis de Fleurs de Bruxelles — Patrimoine - Erfgoed |url=https://patrimoine.brussels/decouvrir/inventaires-du-patrimoine-bruxellois/inventaire-du-patrimoine-culturel-immateriel/le-tapis-de-fleurs-de-bruxelles |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=patrimoine.brussels}}</ref>

[[File:Grand Place Bruselas 2.jpg|thumb|[[Flower Carpet (Brussels)|Flower Carpet]] at the Grand-Place]]

===Ommegang of Brussels===
{{Main|Ommegang of Brussels}}
Twice a year, at the turn of June and July, the [[Ommegang of Brussels]], a type of [[medieval pageant]] and folkloric costumed procession, ends with a large spectacle at the Grand-Place. Historically the largest [[Illuminated procession|lustral procession]] of [[Brussels]], which took place once a year, on the Sunday before [[Pentecost]], since 1930, it has taken the form of a [[historical reenactment]] of the [[Joyous Entry]] of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Charles V]] and his son [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]] in Brussels in 1549. The colourful parade includes floats, traditional [[processional giant]]s, such as [[Michael (archangel)|Saint Michael]] and [[Gudula|Saint Gudula]], and scores of folkloric groups, either on foot or on horseback, dressed in medieval garb. Since 2019, it is recognised as a [[Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity|Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]] by [[UNESCO]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=UNESCO - Ommegang of Brussels, an annual historical procession and popular festival|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists|access-date=2020-10-20|website=ich.unesco.org|language=en}}</ref>

===Christmas tree===
{{Main|Brussels Christmas tree}}
[[Christmas]] and [[New Year]] celebrations have been held on the Grand-Place every year since 1952<ref>Francois Robert, ''La ville s'enguirlande'', ''Le Soir'' (in French), 3 December 1993</ref> or 1954.<ref>Francois Robert, Jean Wouters, ''Un sapin de Finlande pour la Grand-Place'', ''Le Soir'' (in French), 4 December 1996</ref> They have been officialised since 2000 as part of the "Winter Wonders" in the city centre.<ref name="Winter Wonders">{{Cite web|date=2017-04-10|title=Winter Wonders and Christmas Market 2021|url=https://www.brussels.be/winter-wonders|access-date=2021-11-06|website=www.brussels.be|language=en}}</ref> A [[Brussels Christmas tree|Christmas tree]] is erected on the square for the occasion and is decorated with lights that are switched on at a seasonal ceremony, whilst the square's façades are illuminated by a [[Son et lumière (show)|sound and light show]]. These festivities usually take place from the end of November until the beginning of January and attract a large number of people.<ref name="Winter Wonders" />

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:NIND MVB-1887GrandPlace ISO200.jpg|The Grand-Place in 1887 by [[Cornelis Christiaan Dommersen]]
File:Grote Markt (9379072012).jpg|The Grand-Place, towards the ''King's House''
File:Grand-Place de Bruxelles en heure bleue.jpg|The Grand-Place during the [[blue hour]]
File:Brussels Panorama (8293237603).jpg|Panoramic view
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Belgium}}
* [[Peter Van Dievoet|Peter van Dievoet]] (sculptor and architect)
* [[History of Brussels]]
* [[Culture of Belgium]]
* [[Belgium in the long nineteenth century]]

==References==

===Footnotes===
{{Refbegin|60em}}
{{Notelist}}
{{Refend}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|20em}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin|60em}}
* {{cite book|last=Baisier|first=Claire|title=17th and 18th Century Terracottas: The Van Herck Collection|location=Brussels|publisher=King Baudouin Foundation|year=2000|isbn=978-90-5779-072-0}}
* {{cite book|last1=Billen|first1=Claire|last2=Duvosquel|first2=Jean-Marie|title=Bruxelles|series=L'esprit des villes d'Europe|location=Antwerp|language=fr|publisher=Fonds Mercator|year=2000|isbn=978-90-6153-450-1}}
* {{cite book|last1=Chiarenza|first1=Lillo|last2=Paelinck|first2=Valérie|last3=Denis|first3=Philippe|title=Toute la lumière sur la Grand-Place de Bruxelles|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=Éditions Queen II|year=2013|isbn=978-2-930719-00-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Crick-Kuntziger|first=Marthe|title=Les tapisseries de l'Hôtel de Ville de Bruxelles|location=Antwerp|language=fr|publisher=De Sikkel|year=1944}}
* {{cite book|last1=Culot|first1=Maurice|last2=Hennaut|first2=Eric|last3=Demanet|first3=Marie|last4=Mierop|first4=Caroline|title=Le bombardement de Bruxelles par Louis XIV et la reconstruction qui s'ensuivit, 1695–1700|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=AAM éditions|year=1992|isbn=978-2-87143-079-7}}
* {{cite book|last=D'Osta|first=Jean|title=Dictionnaire historique et anecdotique des rues de Bruxelles|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=éd. Paul Legrain|year=1986}}
* {{cite book|last=De Vries|first=André|title=Brussels: A Cultural and Literary History|location=Oxford|publisher=Signal Books|year=2003|isbn=978-1-902669-46-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sh4H3m-ztBAC}}
* {{cite book|last=Des Marez|first=Guillaume|title=Guide illustré de Bruxelles|volume=1|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=Touring Club Royal de Belgique|year=1918}}
* {{cite book|last=Gérard|first=Hervé|title=Bruxelles et ses places|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=180° éditions|year=2023|isbn=978-2-940721-32-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Goedleven|first=Edgard|title=La Grand-Place de Bruxelles: Au coeur de cinq siècles d'histoire|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=Racine Lannoo|year=1993|isbn=978-2-87386-002-8}}
* {{cite journal|last=Graffart|first=André|title=Register van het schilders-, goudslagers- en glazenmakersambacht van Brussel, 1707–1794|journal=Doorheen de Nationale Geschiedenis|location=Brussels|language=nl|publisher=[[State Archives in Belgium]]|year=1980}}
* {{cite book|last=Hennaut|first=Eric|title=La Grand-Place de Bruxelles|series=Bruxelles, ville d'Art et d'Histoire|volume=3|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=Éditions de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale|year=2000|url=http://patrimoine.brussels/liens/publications-numeriques/versions-pdf/bvah/la-grand-place-de-bruxelles}}
* {{cite book|last=Heymans|first=Vincent|title=Les maisons de la Grand-Place de Bruxelles|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=CFC Éditions|year=2011|isbn=978-2-930018-89-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Martiny|first=Victor-Gaston|title=Bruxelles, architecture civile et militaire avant 1900|location=Braine-l'Alleud|language=fr|publisher=éditions J.-M. Collet|year=1992|isbn=978-2-87367-007-8}}
* {{cite encyclopedia|last=State|first=Paul F.|title=Historical dictionary of Brussels|volume=14|series=Historical dictionaries of cities of the world|location=Lanham, MD|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2004|isbn=978-0-8108-5075-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LErne3-05qoC}}
* {{cite book|last=Treffers-Daller|first=Jeanine|title=Mixing Two Languages: French-Dutch Contact in a Comparative Perspective|location=Berlin|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter|year=1994|isbn=978-3-11-013837-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o6ikOOwhKR4C}}
* {{cite book|last=Vlieghe|first=Hans|title=Flemish Art and Architecture, 1585–1700|location=New Haven, Connecticut|publisher=Yale University Press/Pelican History of Art|year=1998|isbn=978-0-300-07038-5}}
* {{cite book|ref={{harvid|Mardaga|1993}}|title=Le Patrimoine monumental de la Belgique: Bruxelles|volume=1B: Pentagone E-M|location=Liège|language=fr|publisher=Pierre Mardaga|year=1993|url=https://monument.heritage.brussels/files/cities/1000/documents/02-vol-b-fr-def_k.pdf}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Grand-Place/Grote Markt}}
* [https://whc.unesco.org/sites/857.htm UNESCO page related to the Grand-Place]
* [http://www.ilotsacre.be/images/virtualvisit/grand_place-grote_markt.htm Virtual visit, photos and webcam of the Grand-Place]
* [http://www.flowercarpet.be Brussels' Flower Carpet official website]
* [http://cuicui.be/belgium-brussels-grand-place/ Visit the Grand-Place in 360° Photosphere]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150317120906/http://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm?id=4664 Live WebCam]

{{World Heritage Sites in Belgium}}
{{Brussels topics}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Squares in Brussels]]
[[Category:City of Brussels]]
[[Category:Protected heritage sites in Brussels]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Belgium]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Brussels]]
[[Category:Baroque architecture in Belgium]]
[[Category:Car-free zones in Belgium]]
[[Category:Art by Peter Van Dievoet]]
[[Category:Symbols of Brussels]]