The 17th-century home of Nicolaas Rockox lies off the beaten track in a quiet corner of Antwerp. Not many people know about this house, yet it is a fascinating relic of baroque Antwerp.
Elected burgomaster eight times, Rockox was an important figure in Antwerp. His friends included Rubens, Ortelius and Lipsius. And the house where he lived with his wife and 13 children has been lovingly restored.
You can wander through the renaissance rooms, admire the paintings Rockox collected and step outside into his baroque garden. The house next door, once owned by the artist Frans Snijders, was recently merged with the museum to display some of Snijders’ paintings of animals and food markets.
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.
