BRUXELLES – HÔTEL DE VILLE – SALLE DU CONSEIL.

The Conseil communal is the Municipal Council of Brussels. These days it is made up of 49 member councillors who represent the 'communes' of the city. They meet in a room in the Hotel de Ville or Stadhuis called the 'Salle du conseil' or 'Gemeenteraadszaal'. They make decisions about Municipal law, the local police, City services and finance.

The Town Hall building was burnt out in 1695. Luckily the shell of the building remained and was restored. Another building behind it called the Halle aux Draps was restored by Corneille van Nerven on the rue de l’Amigo in 1720. It linked up with the Hotel de Ville and became part of the complex. The original name of the Salle du Conseil was the Salle d'Assemblée des États de Brabant.

The Council itself has its origins in the 15th century with Philippe le Bon and Jean IV de Brabant around 1430. The tapestries down this end of the room reflect this history together with the abdication of Charles V in 1556 and the inauguration of Emperor Charles VI as Count of Flanders, on October 17, 1717.

The tapestries are the work of Urbain & Daniel Leyniers and Henri Reydams based on drawings by Victor Janssens c.1720. Heritage items created by the two greatest Belgian tapestry makers of the period.

The room was restored in the 19th century in the "Louis XIV" style. Pierre-Victor Jamaer ‘s major contribution to the restoration was the addition of a huge mirror to take the place of a portrait of the sovereign. He also replaced the floor with a new parquet version.

In 1999 over a century later, there was yet another major renovation of the entire room which gives a brighter look to the interior that you see here in this photo taken around 1900. Gilding gone wild!

http://www.brussel.be/dwnld/70421000/Salle%20Conseil%20FR%2DNL%20150%20dpi%2Epdf