THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

Opposite of the royal palace is the 'Palace of the Nation', or the Belgian Parliament. During the reconstruction of the royal quarter in 1777, the town authorities decided to construct a new building for the Council of Brabant. This medieval institution was the supreme court of justice for the dukedom of Brabant, as well as the official institution that gave executive power to the laws of the duke.

After the Belgian independence in 1830 it was, of course, the ideal place to house the Parliament of the new state. The architect was Barnabé GUIMARD, who constructed this monumental building in harmony with the other classical constructions around the royal park.

In the 'Hertogstraat/Rue Ducale', on the left side of the royal palace stands the Palace of Academics. The classical building with its sober decoration was built in 1820 to become the residence of William-Frederic of Orange, crown prince of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (i.e.: the period between 1815 and 1830 when Belgium and Holland were reunited for a short time). After the Belgian independence the building was offered to crown-prince Leopold II, the future King. Since he never stayed there, the building became the seat of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Literature and Beautiful Arts in 1876.