Leuven is very proud of both its past and its heritage, and rightly so. There is so much to see and to do in and around Leuven that one visit is simply not enough.
Although the first references to the town can be traced back as far as the 9th century and in spite of its strategic location on the river Dyle, it was not until around the 11th-12th century that Leuven began to develop as an important trading centre within the Duchy of Brabant. It was at this time that its first town wall, churches, monasteries and abbeys were built.
The town's once flourishing cloth trade had fallen into decline by the 14th century, but a new golden age dawned with the 15th century. The university was founded, various industrial concerns flourished and the main market square with its fine Gothic town hall was laid out.
Its finely sculpted Town Hall and Saint Peter's church with its magnificent interior which is hung with the famous 'Last Supper' by Thierry Bouts, are fine examples of flamboyant Gothic architecture at its best. Dating from the same period are the Cloth Hall, 't Sestich House and many churches, including St Gertrude's with its magnificent choir stalls.
Other architectural styles are not quite so much in evidence, but they can still be found. The Romanesque Gate, the Saint Lambert's church and the remains of the first town walls are still clearly in evidence.
The 13th century beguinage complex has cobbled streets and fascinating 17th century houses.
The Baroque style abounds in Leuven, from St Michael's church and the interior of the St John the Baptist's church to the unrivalled stucco of the Park Abbey. Both the Park Abbey and the Arenberg Castle are exciting mixtures of architectural styles.
The town still owes much of its character to the numerous university college buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, many of which were renovated in the 18th century. The Van Dale College is pure Renaissance style and the College of the Falcon, Pope's College and the Arras College are neo-classical style. Vlierbeek Abbey is a fine example of this trend.
The building of paved roads, the canal in the 18th century and the expansion of the brewery created a great impetus for trade and population growth. Unfortunately, this prosperity came to a sudden end under the reign of Joseph II when the French invaded.
The most significant development for Leuven in the 19th century was the building of the railway station and the construction of Bondgenotenlaan leading to it..
The two World Wars in the 20th century destroyed much of Leuven and a great deal of the reconstruction work lasted well into the nineteen-sixties.
Leuven has developed into a well-equipped, modern town with a thriving service industry economy and with a good balance of old and new buildings combining to offer a well-designed infrastructure to suit the demands of today's modern town with a rich tradition.
On January 1st January 1995, Leuven became the capital of the province Flemish Brabant.
The former province of Brabant was split into Flemish and Walloon Brabant and the metropolitan region of Brussels.
The Saint-Peter's Church is the oldest in Leuven. It was presumably founded in 986. The first church burnt down in 1176. A new Romanesque church was built with a crypt, an extension, at the back of the choir. The Westwork was flanked by two towers as can be seen the old town seal.
The church was severely damaged in both World Wars. In 1914 the roof and nave burnt down and in 1944 the north aisle suffered bomb damage.
Tradition has it that the first Town Hall of Leuven was situated on Old Market Square. The second was located on the Great Market Square of Leuven. It had its place in a row of houses in front of St. Peter's Church, but outside the present building line. The construction of the present Town Hall started in 1439.
There are three floors. Between the windows there are oriels each of them with two niches; three corner-turrets also have niches.
The carved bases of these niches represent biblical subjects. The motif 'sin-punishment' is often repeated. These scenes had a didactic and admonishing function, not only for the common people but for the judges who resided in the building as well.
The 236 statues in the niches were only placed after 1850. The whole set has become the Leuven pantheon! Unlikely to the figures in the bases who wear Burgundian clothes, the persons in the niches wear the clothes of the period in which they lived. The two rows of the ground floor represent artists, scholars and eminent citizens of the Leuven past. The first floor displays figures who symbolise the municipal privileges and the patron saints of the parishes. On the second floor the Counts of Leuven and the Dukes of Brabant can be noticed; the turrets represent biblical figures.
Since the nineteenth century three restorations have taken place. The latest was finished in 1983 and repaired the war damage, suffered when a bomb scraped the façade and did not explode...
The construction of the present Gothic building, much larger than the Romanesque church, started in 1425. Work began at the choir, under the supervision of architect Sulpicius Van Vorst. Several architects succeeded him. Jan Keldermans II and Mathieu de Layens played an important part in this respect. The church was practically completed in 1497. Of the three towers that were planned and of which one should reach a height of 170 meters, only the bases remain. In 1541 when the height of 50 meters was reached, work was stopped. The subsoil was not stable enough to support a higher tower. After some collapses, the tower was lowered to its present level. The successive architects did not change the original plans and this brought about a fine example of pure Brabantine Late Gothic Style.
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