Date

Circa 1910

Designed by Lancelot Blondeel, the black marble fireplace is decorated with an alabaster frieze and topped by an oak chimneypiece carved with statues of Emperor Charles V, who visited Bruges in 1515, and his grandparents: Emperor Maximilian of Austria, Duchess Mary of Burgundy, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, and Queen Isabella I of Castile. The decorative statues were destroyed by the French in 1792, but later renovated. The bronze statues represent Justice, Moses and Aaron. This was the government center for the Brugse Vrije, the Liberty of Bruges, the district beyond the city itself. Inside this building is the famous monumental chimney designed by Lancelot Blondeel, built between 1528 and 1581 in oak wood, alabaster and marble, to commemorate the victory of Emperor Charles V over the French king François I at Pavia. Since 1883 the building was used for the city courts, together with the building on the left in Neo-classical style (the former Courts of Justice), rebuilt 1722-1727 by January Verkruys, which now houses the Tourist Information center of Bruges.