Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, Glazed shopping arcades in Îlot Sacré, Brussels, Belgium
The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries are a 213-metre glazed arcade in central Brussels, designed by Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar and opened in 1847. The complex comprises the King's, Queen's and Princes' Galleries, with Italianate façades of arched shopfronts between pilasters, two upper floors, and a cast-iron-framed glass roof. A peristyle marks the crossing with the Rue des Bouchers.
Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar conceived the galleries in 1836; the Brussels council approved them on 22 February 1845, and construction ran from 6 May 1846 for thirteen months. King Leopold I and his two sons inaugurated the 213-metre passage on 20 June 1847. The complex was listed as a historic monument in 1986.
The name Saint-Hubert comes from a 1685 tavern of that name on the old 2-metre-wide Rue Saint-Hubert, once called Orchard Street and Mirror Lane. The three sections were named on 4 December 1846 for the royal family: King's, Queen's and Princes' Galleries. The motto Omnibus omnia, "Everything for everybody", is carved on the palace-like façade's pediment.
The passages are best explored on foot with level walkways throughout all three sections, making navigation straightforward. Starting at Rue des Bouchers helps you locate the central colonnade and orient yourself before branching into the side galleries.
In March 1896, the passages hosted Belgium's first public motion picture screening, when the Lumière brothers showed their films within these covered halls. This event made the galleries a pioneering venue where technology and entertainment first converged.
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