| Full text |
70 Route 6. GHENT. Palais de Justice.
adjoining Pare Public (Pl. D, 3; entr., Rue du Vieux-Rempart and
Rue St. Georges 21), generally known as Baudeloohof, was laid out
in 1797 for a botanical garden.
We may now visit the Grand Bégninage (p. 77; tramway No. 3,
p. 54) and the Abbey of St. Bavon (p. 76), or we may return from
the Place St. Jacques to the Place St. Bavon (p. 63) via the Rue
Royale, which contains the Flemish Academy (PI. D, 4; left).
The Rue Royale intersects the Ruz Haut-Port or Hoogpoort
(P1. ©, D, 4), which contains the Gothic Guild House of the Gold-
smiths (1481; No. 29) and several quaint gabled houses of the 16th
century. Among these are the Cour St. Georges, at the corner of
the Marché-au-Beurre (p. 63), with a fine court (1476); the Groote
Moor (No. 52); the Zwarte Moor; and the Sikkel or La Faucille
(No. 56; now a conservatorium of music). Behind the Sikkel, in
the Rue du Séminaire (Pl. D, 4), is the picturesque court of the
Achtersikkel or Arriére-Faucille, with a Gothic tower (upper stage
Renaissance) and an oriel window.
In the Rue des Foulons (Volders-Straat), alittle to the S. of the
Marché-au-Beurre (p. 63) and Marché-aux-Grains (p. 64), rises the
University (Pl. 0, 4,5), built by Roelandt in 1819-26, with a
Corinthian portico. The handsome vestibule, reached through a
covered court, is adorned with frescoes by Vict. Lagye, L. de Taeye,
and Alfr. Cluysenaar. The Aula, a rotunda supported by columns,
is capable of containing 1700 persons. The Natural History Museum
is a collection of some merit. The college was founded in 1816,
and in 1835 it was re-organized as the Belgian State University for
the Flemish-speaking part of the country (comp. p. 253). The num-
ber of teachers is about 100, and there are about 1100 students.
To the S. of the University is the Place d’Armes or Kouter (PI.
©, 5), the most fashionable square in the town, planted with two
rows of well-grown lime-trees. A band plays here twice weekly in
summer (Sun. 12-1 & 8-10, Wed. 8-10 p. m.), and on Sunday morn-
ings a flower-market is held. At No. 12 in the Place d’Armes is the
Bourse de Commerce, or Exchange, the entrance to which is formed
by the old main guard-house of 1739 (business-hours, 2-5.30 on
Frid.; adm. 50c.). At the S.W. corner of the square is the French
Theatre (Pl. C, 5; p. 54), erected by Roelandt in 1837-40. No. 25
is the former Hotel Faligan (1755), now a club.
At the S.W. angle of the inner town rises the imposing Palais
de Justice (Gerechtshof; Pl. ©, 5), another ediflce by Roelandt
(1836-46), bounded on one side by the Lys, on the other by an arm
of the Scheldt. The chief facade, towards the Place du Commerce
on the N., has a Corinthian portico, and is approached by a lofty
flight of steps. In front is a bronze statue, by J. Dillens (1886), of
H, Metdepenningen (d. 1881), leader of the Liberals of Ghent. |
