Maison du Pigeon - De Duif, Baroque retail building in Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium.
Maison du Pigeon is a baroque retail building on Grand Place in Brussels featuring a three-bay facade decorated with grotesque masks and pilasters topped with Ionic capitals. The symmetrical arrangement of arch-shaped openings spans multiple stories, displaying the careful craftsmanship typical of baroque architecture.
Built in 1697 following the French bombardment, it was originally owned by the painters' guild before passing to stonemason and architect Pierre Simon. The guild connection suggests such houses functioned as corporate headquarters where crafts and commerce coexisted.
At street level, a chocolate shop and lace store occupy the ground floor, reflecting two traditional Belgian crafts that visitors can still see active in the daily life of this historic square.
The building occupies numbers 26-27 between La Chaloupe d'Or and Le Marchand d'Or on Grand Place, making it easy to locate within the square. Its central position provides good visibility and straightforward access during typical visiting hours for the area.
French writer Victor Hugo composed his political pamphlet 'Napoleon le Petit' while living in an apartment above a tobacco shop in this building during his 1852 exile. This brief residency created an unexpected literary connection to one of Europe's most celebrated authors.
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