My Happy Weekend Picture - The Egmont Palace in Brussels

One of the most beautiful palaces in Brussels (capital of Belgium)
is the Egmont Palace. You can see the amazing building from the
Egmont Park but it is not open for public because it houses the
Belgian Ministry for foreign affairs.

Egmont Palace Brussels Belgium
Egmont Palace seen from the Egmont Park - own picture


Between 1548 and 1560 it was built by Françoise of Luxembourg and her
son Lamoral, Count of Egmont.




















Lamoral, Count of Egmont, source picture: wikipedia


History about Lamoral, Count of Egmont

Lamoral, Count of Egmont was a great general and statesman in the
Spanish Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Year's War.

He was at the head of a powerful and wealthy
family in the Low Countries. His father was John IV of Egmont, a
knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Egmont was a member of King Philip II of Spain's official council of
state for Flanders and Artois.  Together with William, Prince of Orange
and the Count of Horn he protested against the institution of the
inquisition in Flanders.

King Philip II of Spain didn't listen to this protests, he sent the
Duke of Alba to the Low Countries. William, Prince of Orange
left Brussels and he warned Lamoral, Count of Egmont, but the last
one, wanted to stay in the city.

The Duke of Alba immediately arrested the Counts of Egmont and Horn
and he took them prison.

On June 5th. 1568 both noble men were beheaded at the Grand Place in
Brussels.

More about the Palace

The Egmont palace was dramatically transformed in the 18th. century.
It was clothed in a Neoclassical style.

In 1920 it hosted the Summer Olympics in the garden.

After World War I, the German family Arenberg were forced to sell
the palace to the city of Brussels.

In 1964 it was sold to the Belgian state.

In 1977 the Egmont Pact (reform of the Belgian State) was signed
@ this palace during the second administration of Leo Tindemans.

A Weekend Picture

Many readers of my blog, know that I like to visit or to see in this
case, beautiful palaces with an amazing History.

I'd like to wish you a great weekend and a good start of the brand
new week.

Thank you too for the likes, reshares, the nice comments on
Google+ and on Twitter as well.

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