The Golden Boat, Protected gildhouse in Pentagon, Belgium
The Golden Boat is a guild house on the Grand Place featuring baroque architecture with an ornately decorated facade and sculptural elements throughout. The building now operates as a brewery and cafe across two floors.
Built in 1697 by architect Guillaume de Bruyn, this structure became the tailors' meeting place following the bombardment of Brussels. Its construction marked part of the Grand Place's rebuilding after that destruction.
A statue of Saint Boniface crowns the building, honoring the patron saint of the tailors who met here. The ornate decorations on the facade reflect the pride and craft tradition of the guild members.
This building sits at numbers 24-25 on the Grand Place in the city center and is easy to locate. The interior spaces are generally accessible during summer months, so checking ahead for specific opening times is wise.
The facade contains a chronogram with elegiac verses by neo-Latin poet Petrus Vander Borcht, marking the 1697 reconstruction date. This poetic inscription is easy to miss at first glance but represents a clever way to preserve the building's origin in verse.
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