As someone who loves his city, I felt compelled to write about the monumental Bourse building. Located in the city centre, a stone’s throw from the Grand-Place, this complex is extremely rich in sculptures grouped together in a relatively small space. Most of these sculptures are mainly related to trade, industry and innovations from the period when it was built.
From a symbolic point of view, the work shows us how much our architects and sculptors of the time, while building their monument, wanted to provoke our reflection but also leave a message for posterity.
It is this point that I want to draw the attention of passers-by to. One cannot look at this monument with indifference. It is only by seeing and revisiting the façades that our eyes are opened to new avenues of thought and new symbols that we had previously overlooked.
For decades, the Stock Exchange building played a key role in the development of trade and industry. The fruits and cornucopias found all around the building are symbols of this prosperity.
The decision to establish a beer museum in this building was not made lightly, quite the contrary. For centuries, beer was a source of prosperity for our city. Proof of this can be found on the Grand-Place in the form of the Brewers’ House, topped by a statue of Charles of Lorraine on his steed, which bears witness to the prosperity of this guild.
This fascinating study is the result of the work of Robert FRANCKEN (a renowned name in the history of Freemasonry), former Worshipful Master of the Saint Michel Lodge in Brussels.
Discover this study online or download it HERE (in French)