Palais des Académies/Paleis der Academiën

(Rue Ducale)

   Located in a garden at the east end of the place des Palais, the Palais des Académies was begun in 1823 following a design by Charles Vander Straeten and built under the direction of Tilman-François Suys, under whom it was completed in 1826. The neoclassical building was luxuriously furnished to serve as the residence of Crown Prince Frederick, who departed after the Belgian Revolution. Afterward, he regained ownership from the Belgian government but returned the property in 1842. It stood empty for a period and was offered to future king Leopold II in 1853 following his marriage, but he never resided here. In 1860, it was used for concerts, official ceremonies, and to house the Musée d' Art moderne. After 1876, the building served as the seat of the Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique and later the Académie royale de Médicine de Belgique. In the 20th century, they were joined by the Koninklijke Académie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België, the Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde, and the Académie royale de Langue et de Littérature française. The building has been restored and modernized.