Palace of the Prince Bishops in Liege

Palace of the Prince-Bishops in Liège


Liège - a major Walloon city, located in southern Belgium - always has
fascinated me. It is grunge, flaming, rocking and rough.

Some parts of the city already existed at the times of the Romans.
However it became the place-to-be in the dark Middle Ages.
In the 15th. century Liège became involved in wars against the Dukes
of  Burgundy.

* Liège was ruled for decades by a Prince-bishop. A Prince-bishop was a
civic ruler of a secular principality and sovereignty. In Liège they were 
a part of the Holy Roman Empire *

One of  today's main sights of Liège is the Palace of the Prince-
Bishops, located on the Place St. Lambert.

Palace of the Prince-Bishops of Liège, Belgium





Some intersting history

Between 980 and 985 the bishops of Liège gained a new status they
became Prince Bishops.

Their first palace in Liège was built in the 11th. century by bishop
Notker, but it was destroyed in the fire of 1185.

In the Middle Ages the Prince Bishops of Liège had to govern a
large area. It even bordered regions around the city of Aachen
(nowadays in Germany).

Then a new palace was reconstructed under Rudolf of Zähringen.
However, this building also was much damaged, in the sack of the
city by the Burgundians (1465,1467 and 1468) and it was also
burned in 1505.

When bishop Érard de La Marck mounted the episcopal throne, he
found the Palace at the Place St. Lambert in Liège in ruins. He
ordered to build a new one and therefore he commanded the master
builder Arnold van Mulken to make his palace. This started in
1526. It was finished at the end of the 16th. century.


Erard de la Mark - Source picture: Wikipedia



Palace of the Prince Bishops in Liège in 1649
Source picture: Wikipedia



The principal facade on the south was completely rebuilt after a
new fire in 1734. Now the palace got a Louis XIV Regency style.
The architect was Jean-André Anneessens.

The Prince Bishops of Liège ruled till 1795, then the region was
overthrown by French revolutionary armies.

In 1849 a new west wing was built by the architect Jean-Charles
Delsaux. This was to accommodate the provincial government.


Palace of the Prince-Bishops in Liège
Source picture: Wikipedia


Nowadays the Palace of the Prince Bishops is occupied by the
Provincial service of Liège and the Palais de Justice.

Palace of the Prince-Bishops in Liège Belgium


A visit

The Palace of the Prince-Bishops is located in the heart of Liège.
It is not open for public but it offers a very nice view from the
outside.

I took the pictures of the current Palace of the Prince-Bishops during a
visit to Liège in 2018 and I really liked this monument with its nice,
important history. The center around the palace is vibrant with lots of
shops.

More about Liège on the site of Discover Liège or on next link

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