Brussels: area by area: The Lower Town – The Grand Place – The Guild Houses

In Brussels the guilds built their houses, of course, around the main town square. After the French bombardment of August 1695, the city ordered the guilds to submit the restoration plans of the houses before a final approval could be given for the construction.
Because of this wise decision the unity of style could be preserved and former irregularities could be done away with. In the middle Ages no house numbers were given, but names. There were so few stone houses that most people could locate a house just by its name.

On the Grand-Place the names of the houses are often indicated by a little statue or some part of the decoration. Here follows a list of the houses with their names and eventual specific historic details. The list starts at the group of houses on the left side of the Town Hall and continues clockwise: This is actually a group of 7 houses, each with a different name. The names of the houses are: The Fame - The Hermit - The Fortune - The Windmill - The Tin Pot - The ill - The Beurs