Les Marolles, or Marollen in Dutch, is indeed colorful... it's been said that this district has "welcomed many socially fragile inhabitants" beginning with lepers that were exiled there in the Middle Ages. Later it was situated between two city walls where the working class, mostly weavers and craftsmen, resided. The wall and steep drop between the wealthier Sablon district and Les Marolles didn't stop Ladies of the Night from greeting upper echelon "gentlemen" in the alleys between the two districts. Much of the area was gutted when the Palais de Justice was built in the 19th century. Residents were satisfied when the hated architect of the project, Joseph Poelaert, died in a mental institution in 1879, some say as a result of a curse from a Marolles witch. I recently went on a walking tour of this vibrant area and was struck by the expressive wall and door art, bustling flea market, antique/junk shops on every block, art galleries galore, and multicultural restaurants as well as over 30 city-run cafes where the homeless can have a warm place to eat a good meal.
Gorgeous! Love all of the colors! From your posts and photos one would never ever think that Brussels is gray!
ReplyDelete~ Rachel
Hi you are doing a great job. i was looking for this information. i found it on your page its really amazing. I like that information. I am sure that these are your own views. They are really awesome. You are really fantastic. Thanks Why didn’t I think about this? I hear exactly what you’re saying and I’m so happy that I came across your blog. You really know what you’re talking about, and you made me feel like I should learn more about this. Thanks for this; I’m officially a huge fan of your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words! I started this blog to fill my free time and to show my family and friends back home a little about my life here. But I'm constantly learning new things and finding interesting sites to photograph. I'm glad you're enjoying it :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rachel, for your support since day one :-)