Paper 1: The Coudenberg Archaeological Site in Brussels: The Stakeholders Involved in the Renovation Process

Abstract

The last material evidence of the former Palace of Brussels, the Coudenberg archaeological site, is situated at the heart of the city, constitutes a remarkable part of its heritage, and has been listed as a legally protected monument. Following the redevelopment of the Royal Quarter in the eighteenth century, the successive archaeological discoveries of the last twenty-five years, and the progressive growth of the areas accessible to the public, the various components of the site have not all been preserved in the same condition. The work involved in developing such a complex has already necessitated considerable resources, and still requires more today. The owners, the City of Brussels and the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the site’s managers, the not-for-profit association ‘Palais de Charles Quint’, are continuing their programme of developing, promoting, and preserving the remains in order to hand down this important historical evidence to future generations.

Keywords:

• archaeology
• Coudenberg
• Hoogstraeten
• former Palace of Brussels
• place Royale
• conservation
• Charles V

Notes

1 In 1998, chartered surveyors Métric took a set of readings and made cross-sections of the archaeological site.

2 See <http://icom.museum> [accessed December 2013].

3 See <http://www.icomos.org/en> [accessed December 2013].