Rue Royale, Brussels

The (French, ; "Royal Street") or (Dutch, ; "King's Street") is a major street in Brussels, Belgium, running through the municipalities of Schaerbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode and the City of Brussels. It is limited to the south by the Place Royale/Koningsplein in the city centre and to the north by the / in Schaerbeek.

Several places of interest lie along the Rue Royale, for instance the BELvue Museum, Brussels Park, the Congress Column, the Hotel Astoria, the Botanical Garden of Brussels, Le Botanique concert hall and Saint Mary's Royal Church. In addition, many companies have offices on the street, for instance Accenture and BNP Paribas Fortis, as well as the French-speaking Community of Belgium.

Two metro stations can be accessed from the Rue Royale: Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5) and Botanique/Kruidtuin (on lines 2 and 6). The street is continued to the north by the / and to the south by the /. It also crosses the Small Ring (Brussels' inner ring road) at the Boulevard du Jardin botanique/Kruidtuinlaan crossroad.

History The Rue Royale was laid out in 1777 between the Place Royale/Koningsplein and the /, which required enormous levelling works. From 1822, the street was extended to the Schaerbeek Gate on the current Small Ring by the engineer Jean-Alexandre Werry and the architect Hendrik Partoes. Shortly afterwards, it was extended even further on the territory of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode to the newly constructed / in Schaerbeek, where Saint Mary's Royal Church, whose groundbreaking took place in 1845, closes the kilometre-long perspective.

In November 1902, King Leopold II was attacked by the Italian anarchist Gennaro Rubino on the Rue Royale and escaped death. However, his Grand Marshall, Count Charles d'Oultremont, was almost killed.Journal De Charleroi, 16 November 1902

Buildings

The Rue Royale developed as the prime address for the Belgian corporate world and especially its financial industry. For example, in 1921, just after its latest renumbering (i.e. with the same street numbers as now), the following companies were headquartered there. On the western side, including the prestige stretch facing Brussels Park: No. 2-4 (): British Bank for Foreign Trade, Brussels branch No. 12-14 (): Errera family of bankers and lawyers, including the founder of the Bank of Brussels No. 36: Société Générale de Belgique (SGB), Belgium's leading financial conglomerate of the era, which actually occupied much of the block including its historical head office downhill at 1–3, /. No. 44: Compagnie Générale de Chemins de Fer et de Tramways en Chine, part of the Empain Group No. 48: Société Belge de Chemins de Fer en Chine, affiliate of the SGB No. 50: Union Minière du Haut-Katanga, also connected with the SGB No. 52: Banque des Colonies, controlled by the colonial entrepreneur Adrien Hallet No. 56: Banque Matthieu and Compagnie de Bruxelles, controlled by the Matthieu family which lived at nearby no. 54, as well as the Brussels office of Lloyds and National Provincial Foreign Bank No. 60: Cercle de l'Union, a prestigious social club whose membership included notable business leaders No. 64: Société Belge de Crédit Industriel et Commercial et de Dépôts, Belgian subsidiary of the Paris-based Crédit Industriel et Commercial No. 66: Bank of Brussels, Belgium's second-leading bank at the time behind the SGB No. 68: Crédit Général Liégeois, Brussels branch No. 70–72 (): Société Française de Banque et de Dépôts, Belgian subsidiary of the Paris-based Société Générale No. 74: Banque de Commerce, Brussels branch No. 78: Crédit Lyonnais, Belgian subsidiary No. 114–116: London County Westminster and Parr's Bank, Brussels office No. 124: Le Soir newspaper Place du Congrès 1: Banque Auxiliaire Franco-Belge Place du Congrès 2: Banque Transatlantique Belge, soon replaced after bankruptcy by the Huileries du Congo Belge with entrance at Rue Royale 150 No. 156: Guaranty Trust Company of New York, Brussels office No. 158: and multiple affiliated ventures No. 194: La Bâloise, Brussels office No. 224: Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation, Brussels office

And on the eastern side, all to the north of the /: No. 11: Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Brussels office No. 29–31: La Nationale de Paris insurance company, Brussels office No. 39: American Foreign Banking Corporation, a joint venture led by the Chase National Bank No. 43–45: Compagnie Industrielle du Levant (est. 1902 in Smyrna), Brussels office No. 67–71: Banque Commerciale de Belgique No. 81: Banque Coloniale de Belgique No. 89: Crédit National de Belgique No. 99: several Belgo-Egyptian ventures including Brasseries d'Egypte, Ciments d'Egypte and Tramways d'Alexandrie No. 103: Hotel Astoria No. 143: Compagnie Centrale de l'Industrie Electrique and overseas electricity utilities in Brăila, Kaunas, Petrograd, Salerno and Sofia

Later on, many of the properties on the most prestigious park-facing stretch were absorbed by the SGB, which redeveloped them as offices for itself and its numerous affiliated companies. Thus, nos. 16–50 were consolidated and reconstructed in the late 1960s into a single building hosting the SGB's head office, and nos. 52–68 were later similarly redeveloped by the SGB's successor, Fortis Group, in 2008–2012 as part of a broader project branded /.

Gallery

Rue Royale, Brussels

Bron en licentie