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Bank account of “National Trust Belgium” (NTAB)
BE17 0016 2443 2021
Lunch at the restaurant of the Musical Instruments Museum. Vegetarians please notify at registration.
After lunch, we will close this year’s activities on December 9th in the unique and prestigious setting of the Academy Palace.
The Palace and its handsome stables, situated in the centre of Brussels on the Paleizenplein/Place des Palais next to the Royal Palace, were built in neoclassical style between 1823 and 1828 by architects Charles Vander Straeten and Tilman-François Suys for Prince William of Orange in recognition of his brilliant action on the battlefield in Waterloo, from funds granted by the nation.
The princely family of William of Orange and his spouse, Princess Anna Pavlovna, sister of Tsars Alexander I and Nicholas I, occupied the palace a scant 2 years before the Belgian Revolution of September 1830 forced them to flee to the Netherlands.
Today the Palace houses five Belgian Academies i.e the “ Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique”, the « Académie royale de Médecine de Belgique », the « Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique », the « Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten » and the « Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van België”.
Our discovery of the Palace will start at 1 p.m. with a visit to the apartments of the Prince of Orange and his spouse, Princess Anna Pavlovna under the guidance of the Director of the “Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique”.
Subsequently, we will be given a general presentation on the Palace and the Dutch period followed by a guided tour of the rest of the palace and its gardens by the principal historian of the “ Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten ”.
The visit will be followed by an end of year drink in one of the beautiful side rooms of the Palace put at our disposal by the “Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie”.
Metro: lines 1 or 5, stops Central Station or Park Tram: lines 92 or 94, stops Place Royale/Koningsplein Bus: lines 27,38,71 and 95, stop Place Royale/Koningsplein