Sablon, Brussels

{{Short description|Neighbourhood in Brussels, Belgium}} {{Redirect|Zavel|the Russian-born American cantor and composer|Zavel Kwartin}} {{Use British English|date=October 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Sablon | native_name = {{small|{{unbulleted list|{{native name|fr|Sablon}}|{{native name|nl|Zavel}}}}}} | native_name_lang = | settlement_type = Neighbourhood | image_skyline = Brüssel, Kirche Notre-Dame du Sablon.jpg | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = Church of Our Lady of Victories seen from the {{lang|fr|Petit Sablon|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Kleine Zavel|italic=no}}'s garden | etymology = | nickname = | pushpin_map = Belgium Brussels#Belgium | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Brussels | coordinates = {{coord|50|50|24|N|4|21|22|E|type:city_region:BE|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Belgium | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Brussels-Capital Region | subdivision_type2 = Arrondissement | subdivision_name2 = Brussels-Capital | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = City of Brussels | area_total_km2 = | population_density_km2 = | population_as_of = | population_total = | timezone1 = CET | utc_offset = +1 | timezone_DST = CEST | utc_offset_DST = +2 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 1000 | area_code = 02 | area_code_type = Area codes | website = {{Official website|www.sablon-bruxelles.com}} | references = }}

The '''{{lang|fr|Sablon|italic=no}}''' (French, {{IPA|fr|sablɔ̃|pron|LL-Q150 (fra)-Lyokoï-sablon.wav}}) or '''{{lang|nl|Zavel|italic=no}}''' (Dutch, {{IPA|nl|ˈzaːvəl|pron|Nl-zavel.ogg}}) is a neighbourhood and hill in the historic upper town of Brussels, Belgium. At its heart are two adjoining squares: the larger '''{{lang|fr|Grand Sablon|italic=no}}''' (French) or '''{{lang|nl|Grote Zavel|italic=no}}''' (Dutch; "Large Sablon") square in the north-west and the smaller '''{{lang|fr|Petit Sablon|italic=no}}''' (French) or '''{{lang|nl|Kleine Zavel|italic=no}}''' (Dutch; "Small Sablon") square and garden in the south-east, divided by the Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon and the {{lang|fr|Rue de la Régence|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Regentschapstraat|italic=no}}.

The Sablon is a swanky district, where an antiques market is held, and in which antique and art dealers, as well as other luxury shops, have their businesses. This area is served by Brussels-Chapel railway station and Brussels-Central railway station, as well as the tram stop {{lang|fr|Petit Sablon|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Kleine Zavel|italic=no}} (on lines 92 and 93).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Line 92 to FORT-JACO - STIB Mobile |url=https://m.stib.be/line.php?lang=en&line=92&iti=1 |access-date=2022-07-03 |website=m.stib.be |archive-date=8 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108194846/https://m.stib.be/line.php?lang=en&line=92&iti=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Line 93 to STADE - STIB Mobile |url=https://m.stib.be/line.php?lang=en&line=93&iti=2 |access-date=2022-07-03 |website=m.stib.be}}</ref>

==History== [[File:Sallaert-antoon-ommeganck.jpg|thumb|right|Antoon Sallaert's ''The Infante Isabella shoots the jay of the Grand Serment [Crossbowmen's Guild] with a crossbow in the Sablon in Brussels'' depicts an Ommegang in 1615.]]

===Early history=== The Sablon lies near the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg neighbourhood, and lay not far outside the first walls of Brussels. It was originally an unused open space, with areas of wetlands, grassland and sand, where a hermit made his home. The words {{lang|fr|sablon}} in French and {{lang|nl|zavel}} in Dutch both mean a fine-grained sand, halfway between silt and sand.<ref name=CoB>{{cite web|title=Le Sablon|url=http://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm/5630|publisher=City of Brussels|accessdate=April 20, 2014|language=fr|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421082319/http://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm/5630|archivedate=April 21, 2014}}</ref> St. John's Hospital ({{langx|fr|Hôpital Saint-Jean|link=no}}, {{langx|nl|Sint-Jansgasthuis|link=no}}) used the area as a cemetery in the 13th century, having run out of space in its own cemetery.<ref name=VdAedH/>

In 1304, the Guild of the brothers and sisters of St. John's Hospital ceded the land to the Crossbowmen's Guild. They built a modest chapel dedicated to Our Lady on the site, completed in 1318, setting off the transformation of the area.<ref name=VdAedH>{{in lang|fr}} ''Le Sablon. Le quartier et l'église'', Ville d'Art et d'Histoire. n° 9, Editions Solibel & Brussels-Capital Region, 1995, p. 3</ref> Legend has is that the chapel became famous after a local devout woman named Beatrijs Soetkens had a vision in which the Virgin Mary instructed her to steal the miraculous statue of ''Onze-Lieve-Vrouw op 't Stocxken'' ("Our Lady on the Little Stick") in Antwerp, bring it to Brussels, and place it in the chapel of the Crossbowmen's Guild. The woman stole the statue, and through a series of miraculous events, was able to transport it to Brussels by boat in 1348. It was then solemnly placed in the chapel and venerated as the guild's patron. The guild also promised to hold an annual procession, carrying the image throughout Brussels. This developed into the Ommegang, an important religious and civil event in Brussels' calendar, held on the Sunday before Pentecost.<ref name=CoB/>

===15th to 18th centuries=== [[File:Palais d'Egmont Egmontpaleis Brussels 2012-08 i02.JPG|thumb|left|The Egmont Palace, now part of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the {{lang|fr|Sablon|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Zavel|italic=no}}]]

In the 15th century, the neighbourhood began to enlarge substantially. The chapel was rebuilt as the larger and more elegant Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon, still standing today. In 1470, Duke Charles the Bold charged a body  with the creation of a street running from his nearby Coudenberg Palace to the church. The church became the site of the baptisms of princes; Archduchess Mary of Austria's baptismal cortège went to Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon instead of the Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula (now Brussels' cathedral), which had previously held the honour. Governor Margaret of Austria made it the site of her religious devotions as well. In 1530, it saw the greatest July procession in its history. These symbols of royal favour would ensure the lasting prosperity of the Sablon area. The ''Wolweide'' ("Wool meadow") area, corresponding loosely to the current {{lang|fr|Rue aux Laines|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Wolstraat|italic=no}}, was an extension of the Sablon, stretching to the slopes of the ''Galgenberg'' hill ({{langx|fr|Mont aux potences|link=no}}; "Gallows Mount"), where the current Palace of Justice stands.<ref name=registry>{{cite web|title=Palais de Justice|url=http://www.buildingsagency.be/realisatieberichten_fr.cfm?key=39|publisher=Belgian federal building registry|date=September 29, 2009|access-date=August 12, 2009|language=fr|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224042139/http://www.buildingsagency.be/realisatieberichten_fr.cfm?key=39|archive-date=February 24, 2011}}</ref>

In the 16th century, Brussels' most prominent noblemen established themselves on the upper Sablon and on the Rue aux Laines. The Egmonts, the Culemborgs, the Brederodes and the Mansfelds were the first, and the De Lannoys, the De Lalaings, the Thurn und Taxis, and the Solres joined them. The result was that, by the 17th century, the Sablon had grown to become the most aristocratic and prosperous neighbourhood in the city. The Egmont Palace on the Petit Sablon still exists, and gives the best indication of what the area was like at the height of its splendour; the grandiose houses of the Lannoys and the Mérode-Westerloo family still stand on the Rue aux Laines. In 1566, the Culemborg Mansion on the {{lang|fr|Rue des Petits Carmes|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Karmelietenstraat|italic=no}} was the site of the drafting of the Compromise of Nobles, which ultimately led to the Dutch Revolt.<ref name=Stensland>{{cite book|title=Habsburg Communication in the Dutch Revolt|author=Monica Stensland|publisher=Amsterdam University Press|year=2012|isbn=9789089644138|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=01r4vv9o8-cC&pg=RA1-PA28}}</ref> To eliminate any trace of this seditious act against the king, the Duke of Alba razed the mansion to the ground in 1568.<ref name=Stensland/>

The proximity of the cemetery was already an irritation to its aristocratic neighbours in 1554, but it would be another century and a half before the government of Brussels recognised that the situation had become unbearable. They reported that corpses "were often neglected and left in only half-covered graves, from which dogs had several times pulled parts off and run around in broad daylight with arms and legs in their mouths".<ref>{{in lang|fr}} « ''...estoient souvent négligés et mis dans les fosses à moitié couverts, dont les chiens avoient plusieurs fois tiré des pièces et couru en plein jour avec les bras et les jambes...'' » Alexandre Henne and Alphonse Wauters, ''Histoire de la ville de Bruxelles'', Éditions Libro-Sciences, 1968, Tome 3, p. 401</ref> It was therefore decided in 1704 to move the cemetery to the Marolles/Marollen district.<ref name=CoB/>

===19th century to present=== thumb|right|The {{lang|fr|Square du Grand Sablon|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Grote Zavelsquare|italic=no}} and its market, {{circa|1900}}

The Sablon neighbourhood was remodelled in the 19th century as the {{lang|fr|Rue de la Régence|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Regentschapstraat|italic=no}} was driven through the area, creating a ''Haussmann-esque'' style artery between the Royal Palace in the Royal Quarter and the new Palace of Justice in the Marolles. The new street skirted the church, and all buildings immediately adjacent to it were demolished starting in 1872, opening up new views of the church. On that occasion, buildings not directly adjacent to the church were renovated and improved.{{sfn|Mardaga|1994|p=274}}

[[File:Wittamer 2201004767 a0c61082a3.jpg|thumb|left|Wittamer & Co chocolatier on the Grand Sablon. After losing its prestige, the area is chic once again.]]

From the 19th to early 20th centuries, the Grand Sablon became a renowned site for a sport called ''{{ill|balle pelote|fr|balle pelote}}'' or {{lang|fr|jeu de balle}}, a ball game similar to modern handball. Though the sport is no longer played much today, it was particularly popular at the time. The Belgian monarchs would frequently be seen among the spectators of a match; Leopold II explained that he would frequently come watch the games, as he lived in the area.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} Jacques Dubreucq, ''Bruxelles 1000. Une histoire capitale'', Edited by the author, 1996, Volume 1, p. 258</ref>

The social composition of the neighbourhood changed over the course of time. In the 19th century, it was incrementally abandoned by the aristocracy in favour of newer, more chic neighbourhoods, such as the Leopold Quarter. In the 20th century, the {{lang|fr|Square du Grand Sablon|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Grote Zavelsquare|italic=no}} was occupied by a more modest populace, characterised by small workshops and warehouses. At the end of the 1960s, the neighbourhood's character began to change yet again. Multiple antique stores moved in, following demolitions in the nearby Mont des Arts area.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} ''Itinéraire de la rénovation des quartiers anciens à Bruxelles : 8 km à pied à travers le Pentagone et Molenbeek'' (in French), Collection Hommes et Paysages, Société Royale Belge de Géographie, 2001, p. 63</ref> Gradually, the Sablon became a desirable place once again, giving rise to the neologism "sablonisation", a local version of gentrification. Recently, a number of chocolatiers and confectioners have come to the area,<ref name=CoB/> which is once again the heart of the Brussels upper class.<ref>{{cite news| date = 23 August 2014| title = De week van tvbrussel vanuit het Museum van de Stad Brussel| url = http://www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/video/tvbrussel/de-week-van-tvbrussel-vanuit-het-museum-van-de-stad-brussel| language = Dutch| publisher = TV Brussel| accessdate = 18 September 2014}}</ref>

==Grand Sablon== thumb|upright|{{Interlanguage link multi|Fountain of Minerva|fr|3=Fontaine de Minerve (Bruxelles)}} on the Square du Grand Sablon

===History=== The {{lang|fr|Square du Grand Sablon|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Grote Zavelsquare|italic=no}} lies to the north-west of the church. It is in the shape of a long triangle, around {{convert|50|m|abbr=on}} wide in the south-east, terminating in a point around {{convert|130|m|abbr=on}} to the north-west. When Brussels' residents mention the "Sablon" without qualification, they are usually referring to the Grand Sablon.{{sfn|D'Osta|1986|p=293}} The Grand Sablon was linked to the Petit Sablon by the {{lang|fr|Rue Bodenbroek|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Bodenbroekstraat|italic=no}} and the {{lang|fr|Rue des Sablons|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Zavelstraat|italic=no}}, though the division between the two Sablons was accentuated by the {{lang|fr|Rue de la Régence|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Regentschapstraat|italic=no}} cutting through the area.<ref name=CoB/>

In the 16th century, the Grand Sablon was known as the {{lang|dum|Peerdemerct}} (Middle Dutch for "Horse market", {{langx|la|Forum Equorum}}), due to the horse market that was held there from 1320 to 1754. The place was also known as the ''Zavelpoel'' ("Sandy pond"){{sfn|Jacobs|1994|p=78}} due to a pond in the centre, which would last until 1615. After the pond was filled in, a fountain was erected in its place in 1661. Water was brought to the fountain by a new conduit from ''Obbrussel'' (now Saint-Gilles). This fountain was replaced in 1751 by the present {{ill|Fountain of Minerva|fr|Fontaine de Minerve (Bruxelles)}}, which was a posthumous gift from the exiled British nobleman Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury, who wished to thank the people of Brussels for their hospitality. The fountain was renovated in 1999.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [http://archives.lesoir.be/la-fontaine-de-minerve-coule-a-nouveau_t-19991204-Z0HKU7.html La fontaine de Minerve coule à nouveau], Le Soir, 4 December 1999</ref>

The Grand Sablon was often the stage for festivals and competitions, but also for tragic events. On 1 June 1568, it was the site of a mass execution, as 18 signatories of the Compromise of Nobles were decapitated.{{sfn|Verniers|1965|p=227}}

[[File:St V 2016 003.jpg|thumb|left|Saint Verhaegen festivities start at the Grand Sablon.]]

===Present day=== The Grand Sablon is nowadays a genuine neighbourhood with residents and small businesses, while at the same time being a popular place to stroll and a tourist attraction. Surrounding the square are numerous antique stores, fashionable boutiques, hotels, restaurants, an auction house, as well as numerous pastry shops and well-known Belgian chocolatiers, including Neuhaus, Pierre Marcolini and Godiva. On Saturdays and Sundays, the Grand Sablon hosts the Sablon Antiques and Books Market.<ref name=CoB/>

As is the case with many other public squares in Brussels, the Grand Sablon has been partially transformed into a car park. {{As of|2025}}, a plan to refurbish the space is being investigated.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-12 |title=Bruxelles : le réaménagement du Sablon n’épargnera pas son parking |url=https://www.lesoir.be/716618/article/2025-12-12/bruxelles-le-reamenagement-du-sablon-nepargnera-pas-son-parking |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=Le Soir |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Triest |first=Stephanie |title=Moins de voitures au Grand Sablon, les commerçants inquiets - RTBF Actus |url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/moins-de-voitures-au-grand-sablon-les-commercants-inquiets-11669704 |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=RTBF |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marneffe |first=Adrien de |date=2026-03-30 |title="On veut faire du Sablon la place la plus chic de Belgique" |url=https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/mobilite/2026/03/23/on-veut-faire-du-sablon-la-place-la-plus-chic-de-belgique-ZHBXGGA63JECTGMP75VYVK4FGU/ |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=La Libre.be |language=fr}}</ref>

Each year, the Sablon is the starting point for the Ommegang procession. On 20 November, it hosts the beginning of the Saint Verhaegen student parade (often shortened to ''St V''), which celebrates the founding of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).<ref>{{cite web|title=Saint-Verhaegen calme et fraîche: moins d'interventions qu'en 2012|url=http://www.rtbf.be/info/regions/detail_bruxelles-les-photos-du-cortege-de-la-saint-v?id=8139850|author=|publisher=RTBF|date=November 20, 2013|accessdate=April 24, 2013|language=fr}}</ref>

==Petit Sablon== [[File:Petit Sablon.JPG|thumb|right|Fountain of the Counts of Egmont and Horn in the Petit Sablon's garden]]

To the south-east of the church, and slightly uphill, lies the {{lang|fr|Square du Petit Sablon|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Kleine Zavelsquare|italic=no}}. It is a roughly rectangular garden, featuring trees, hedges, flowers and most notably, statues.

In the Middle Ages, the Zavelbeek ("Sablon Brook") had its source in the Petit Sablon. It flowed in nearly a straight line into the Senne river, joining it roughly at the current Place Fontainas/Fontainasplein. Its course is still followed by the streets in the area to this day.{{sfn|Jacobs|1994|p=70}} The Petit Sablon was the site of St. John Hospital's cemetery, mentioned above, until it was moved.<ref name=CoB/>

The present-day garden was created by the architect Henri Beyaert, and was inaugurated in 1890. It is surrounded by an ornate wrought iron fence inspired by one that once decorated the Coudenberg Palace. The fence is punctuated by tall stone pillars; atop each pillar is a statue of one or more historical professions, with 48 statues in total. To ensure that the statues were stylistically coherent, Beyaert asked the painter Xavier Mellery to design all of them, though they were executed by different sculptors. Each pillar has a unique design, as does each section of fence.<ref>{{cite web|title=Le Petit Sablon : Les 48 statuettes des Corporations Professionnelles - Bruxelles Pentagone|url=http://www.ebru.be/monuments/statue-bruxelles-1000-petit-sablon-corporations-professionnelles.html|publisher=eBru|accessdate=April 24, 2014|language=fr|archive-date=26 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126164151/http://www.ebru.be/monuments/statue-bruxelles-1000-petit-sablon-corporations-professionnelles.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the centre of the garden stands a fountain-sculpture by Charles-Auguste Fraikin of the Counts of Egmont and Horn, who were symbols of resistance against the Spanish tyranny that sparked the Dutch Revolt. This monument was initially in front of the King's House on the Grand-Place/Grote Markt (Brussels' main square), the site of their execution. It is surrounded by a semicircle of ten statues of 16th-century political figures, intellectuals and artists.{{sfn|Mardaga|1993|p=123}}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180" caption="Petit Sablon's sculptures"> File:0 Bruxelles - Petit Sablon - Couvreur en tuiles.JPG|''The Slater'' by Albert Desenfans File:0 Bruxelles - Petit Sablon - Horloger-Serrurier.JPG|''The Clockmaker'' by {{ill|Jean Cuypers|fr|Jean Cuypers}} File:0 Bruxelles - Petit Sablon - Etainier-Plombier.JPG|''The Plumber'' by Cuypers File:0 Bruxelles - Petit Sablon - Chaudronnier.JPG|''The Boilermaker'' by Jef Lambeaux File:0 Bruxelles - Petit Sablon - Blanchisseur.JPG|''The Bleacher (Launderer)'' by Lambeaux </gallery>

==References==

===Citations=== {{Reflist}}

===Bibliography=== * {{cite book|last=D'Osta|first=Jean|title=Dictionnaire historique et anecdotique des rues de Bruxelles|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=éd. Paul Legrain|year=1986|isbn=}} * {{cite book|last=Jacobs|first=Roel|title=Bruxelles. L'histoire dans la ville.|location=Bruges|language=fr|publisher=Marc van de Wiele|year=1994|isbn=978-90-6966-098-1}} * {{cite book|last=Verniers|first=Louis|title=Un millénaire d'histoire de Bruxelles. Des origines à 1830.|location=Brussels|language=fr|publisher=A. De Boeck|year=1965|isbn=}} * {{cite book|ref={{harvid|Mardaga|1993}}|title=Le Patrimoine monumental de la Belgique: Bruxelles|volume=1B: Pentagone E-M|location=Liège|language=fr|publisher=Pierre Mardaga|year=1993|url=https://monument.heritage.brussels/files/cities/1000/documents/02-vol-b-fr-def_k.pdf}} * {{cite book|ref={{harvid|Mardaga|1994}}|title=Le Patrimoine monumental de la Belgique: Bruxelles|volume=1C: Pentagone N-Z|location=Liège|language=fr|publisher=Pierre Mardaga|year=1994|url=https://monument.heritage.brussels/files/cities/1000/documents/03-vol-c-fr-def_k.pdf}}

==External links== * {{Commons category-inline|Sablon/Zavel}} * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070127033456/http://www.sablon-bruxelles.com/fr/accueil.html Official website]}} at "Sablon, Quartier des arts et du commerce". * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140421082319/http://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm/5630 Le Sablon] at Ville De Bruxelles

Category:Neighbourhoods in Brussels Category:Squares in Brussels Category:Gardens in Brussels Category:City of Brussels