My Sweet Belgium

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België
Berloz
My Sweet Belgium

I will tell you about the history of Belgium through pictures I take during my walks.

15/05/2023

Neither church nor castle, what is the role of this building? 🤔⬇️

This superb neo-Gothic building is the former post office of Liège, better known as the "Grand Poste".

In 1895, after many ups and downs and abandoned projects, the town council authorised the construction of a post office in the Chafour district, which was not doing well, particularly due to hygiene and moral problems.

The district was razed to the ground, the architect Edmon Jamar, a citizen of Liège, was chosen to design the new building, and the post office was built between 1898 and 1901 at a time when the sending of postal mail was booming.

After several postponements, it officially opened on 16 December 1901. This was particularly opportune as the city was preparing to host the World Fair, which was due to open in 1903, and visitors were expected to send many postcards.

Fortunately, the city had a modern and big enough post office for the occasion, because the World's Fair, which was finally held in 1905, welcomed more than 7 million visitors!

In 1914, the First World War broke out and in August the main gate was demolished by the German army. Postal services could not resume until October. However, mail sent from Liège was opened by the Germans, who required the sender's details to be given and German stamps to be used.

In 1940, the "Grand Poste" was damaged by the destruction of a bridge and the explosion of bombs on the Cockerill square. 💣

In the early 2000s, the building was disused, but its roof and facades were listed. Several rehabilitation projects followed, and in 2021, the Grand Poste finally reopened its doors. It now houses offices, restaurants and a traditional brewery because... Beligium you know 🤷‍♀️

So, would you have guessed that this building is a former post office building? 🤔

08/05/2023

Art and nature lovers, the Boverie is the perfect place for you! ⬇️

In the previous publication, I told you about the origins of the Boverie up until the World Fair of Liege in 1905.

After its closure in November 1905, the palace of fine arts (since the name Boverie was not given to it until much later) retained its role and various exhibitions were held there.

In 1930, on the occasion of the centenary of its independence, Belgium organised two major international exhibitions, one of which was held in Liege. Once again, la Boverie’s park hosted the event. The second international exhibition was held in Antwerp.

From 1951, the palace of fine arts housed several collections of the museum of fine arts, whose building was destroyed in 1970. It was then transferred to the palace of fine arts inla Boverie’s park, which was renamed the Museum of Modern Art in 1980.

From 1988 to 1993, the old palace underwent major renovations and was renamed the Museum of Modern Art and Contemporary Art, which closed its doors in 2011 to undergo further renovations.

It was at the end of these new works that the palace took on its current name: “la Boverie” was born and inaugurated in 2016.

Since then, the museum has regularly hosted new exhibitions in addition to its permanent collections. And it was in the context of the "Private Views" exhibition, which I was invited to discover at the end of last month, that I was able to visit la Boverie and its beautiful park. 🌳

"Private Views" gathers the works of private collectors coming from Liège, and is held at la Boverie until 13 August 2023.

Of course, the park is accessible all year round, and it's a place where you'll be happy to rest or have a picnic 🥗🥖 in the middle of a day of discovering the city of Liege.

Do you know of any other places where you can combine exhibition/museum and nature? I look forward to your recommendations! ⬇️

🇧🇪

02/05/2023

The name of this superb building is derived from the French word for "ox" 🐂😆
It is called the Boverie, which takes its name from the Boverie park. The park, in turn, takes its name from the oxen that used to be found in this rural district, which was long formed of meadows, hop fields, and islands on the Meuse. "Bouverie" or "boverie" means "housing of the ox".
In 1853, in order to respond to the increase in population and the development of trade, which led to larger boats being used to transport goods, and to reduce the problems of epidemics, particularly cholera, the Meuse had to be diverted. A bypass canal was dug, and from then on, the district became more upscale.
In 1865, an acclimatization garden and a zoo were built. The entire complex covered only half the area of the present-day park.
In 1903, Liège was selected to host a World Fair. For this occasion, 70 hectares of the city were urbanized and several bridges were built, including the magnificent Fragnée Bridge, which was to serve as the entrance to the exhibition.
As the work was delayed, the Universal Exhibition in Liège had to be postponed until 1905, which was perfect timing as Belgium would be celebrating its 75th birthday that year.
The work continued, and a superb building was constructed in the Boverie park. At the time, this building was not yet called the Boverie, but the Palais des Beaux-Arts (palace of fine arts). It covered an area of 2,500 m² and could be adapted to the needs of the moment.
Finally, on April 27, 1905, the Liège Universal Exhibition opened its doors and presented 37 different countries to the public. It closed its doors in November of the same year after being a great success, as it allowed the city of Liège to welcome over 7 million visitors.
Of course, the story of the palace of fine arts, aka the Boverie, doesn't end with the closing of the Universal Exhibition, so I'll tell you the rest of it in my next post😉

Have you ever heard of the Boverie before? 🤔

29/04/2023

[Today in history]

On 29 April 1899, the Belgian engineer and racing driver Camille Jenatzy drove his electric car 'La jamais content' ("The never happy") over 100 km/h. It's the first vehicle to reach that speed.

Adres

Berloz

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