In Belgium, it can take decades to construct a building. But Leuven’s Stadhuis (town hall) may hold the record for the longest wait. It took more than 400 years to complete the Gothic building.
The first stone was laid down in 1448. By 1469, the architect Matthijs van Layens had finished the main work. But his ambitious design included 236 niches that were intended to contain statues. They were all empty.
The city council got off to a slow start in the mid-15th century by placing an order for just five statues. The boat carrying them to Leuven sank in a storm and all five statues were lost. The city ordered five replacements, which were placed in five niches. But they were stolen. Undeterred, the city placed a third order. The five statues were placed at the top of the building, out of reach of thieves. But in 1477 a storm brought all five crashing to the ground.
The city, perhaps wisely, abandoned the project. But in 1852 the famous French writer Victor Hugo visited Leuven. He wrote an angry letter to the city council calling on them to Meublez les niches (Fill the niches). The city took notice. By 1880, all 236 niches had been filled with statues. They represented mediaeval dukes, figures from the Bible, Flemish artists and university professors.
But one of the niches is now empty. In November 2020, following Black Lives Matter protests, Leuven city council voted to remove a statue of King Leopold II from its niche. His statue ended up in the basement of the town hall.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
