Monument "Pro Patria"

St.Michielsplein in Brussels, later renamed Martelarenplein in 1838, was designed by the Leuven architect Claude Fisco (1736-1825).
It is especially reminiscent of the Belgian Revolution. In 1830 the Belgians revolted against the Dutch king William I. This led to the independence of Belgium.
Many people were killed during this battle. The revolutionaries did not know where to bury their fallen comrades.
In 1831, the Provisional Government - a group of Brussels notables who took over the government after the Belgian Revolt - decided to establish a national cemetery on Martelarenplein for the victims of the revolution.
The architect was Louis Roelandt. Willem Geefs, the court sculptor of King Leopold I, was called in in 1838 to create a monument with a statue and crypt.
He designed the national monument "Pro Patria" in white marble that expressed the sorrow of Belgium.

At the top, a woman who represents Freedom writes the September Days in her book. At her feet the Belgian lion rests on the broken chains of slavery.
Against the pedestal, four mourning angels symbolize the Battle, the Victory, the Martyrdom and the Hope.
Even lower are four bas-reliefs with scenes from the September Days: the oath of the patriots on the Grote Markt, the attack on the Warande Park ordered by Juan Van Halen, the blessing of the counts by the dean of Saint Gudula and the coronation of the heroes by Belgium.
The crypt is a tribute to the victims who fell during the struggle for Belgian independence in 1830. The whole is conceived as a square, covered gallery with round arch arcades that open onto a courtyard where the national monument is located.
The underground crypt contains 27 black marble plaques bearing the names of 467 fallen heroes.

Around the monument on Martelarenplein are a number of classicist buildings where various Flemish ministers now hold office.

Source : Wikipedia
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Source

• Text: Marie-Christine Vinck
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck