CENTRAL AND EASTERN FLANDERS 161

Key to Symbols see back flap

E M van Museum Leuven
Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28.
Tel (016) 272929. # 11am–6pm
Tue–Sun, 11am–10pm Thu. &
http://www.mleuven.be
The former Museum Vander
Kelen-Mertens has now been
revamped as M to provide a
dynamic space for high-profile
tem po rary art exhibi tions and
under line Leuven’s claim to
be a major city of the arts.

The 17th-century red-brick houses

of Leuven’s Groot Begijnhof

The original collection still

remains in the 17th–18th

century mansion, owned by

the Vander Kelen-Mertens

family until it was donated to

the city in 1918. The rooms

were refur bished in a variety

of histori cal styles, ranging

from a Renaissance salon to a

Rococo dining room, each

with the appro priate

antique furni ture, silver-

ware and ceramics.

Much of the art on

permanent display is by

the early Flemish Masters,

inclu ding Quentin Metsys

(1466–1550), who was

born in Leuven and is

noted for introducing

Italian style to north-

ern European art. It

also houses a lovely

version of the Holy Trinity by

the famed artist, Rogier van

der Weyden (see p102).

R Groot Begijnhof

Schapenstraat.

Founded around 1230, the

Groot Begijnhof was once one

of the largest béguinages in

Belgium and home to several

hundred béguines (see p61).

The complex of 72 charming

red-brick cottages, dating

mostly from the 17th century,

glimpses of 15th-century life
in Flanders. Although he was
born in the Netherlands, Dirk
Bouts spent most of his work-
ing life in Leuven, where he
won himself a position as the
town’s official artist.

P Fochplein
Adjacent to the Grote
Markt, the Fochplein,
is a narrow triangular
square containing some
of Leuven’s most popular
shops, selling everything
from fashion to food. In
the middle is the Font
Sapienza, a modern art
installation in the shape
of a fountain that shows
a student pouring water
through his empty head:
a pithy view of the
town’s student population.

is set around grassy squares

and cobbled streets near the

River Dijle. The university in

Leuven bought it in 1962 and

converted the cottages into

student accommodation which

can be viewed from outside.

The Fochplein’s

witty fountain

0 metres

0 yards

200

200

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

64 km (40 miles) SE of Antwerp.

Road Map D2. * 85,000.

£ Bondgenoten laan. @ 20,

50. n Naamsestraat 1; (016)


51. ( Christmas Markt
    (12–28 Dec). http://www.leuven.be

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LEUVEN
Fochplein 4
M van Museum
Leuven 5
Oude Markt 1
St-Pieterskerk 3
Stadhuis 2