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The Trilingual College was founded by Hiëronymus van Busleyden (ca. 1470-1517),
councillor in the Great Council of Mechelen and good friend of the humanist Erasmus. Van Busleyden founded the college in his will and it opened three years after
his death. The three Biblical languages, Hebrew, Greek and Latin, were studied
and taught at the Trilingual College. Erasmus compiled the syllabus and organised the practical educational elements. Guy Morillon (see number 7), secretary
to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, became the Greek professor. Their innovative,
critical Bible research quickly led to conflicts with the university that was organised more along medieval lines. The stone spiral staircase in the corner of the
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During the tumultuous but fascinating 16th century of Reformation and CounterReformation, Michiel Coxcie resolutely supported the Catholic side. He painted
religious scenes commissioned by and to serve as propaganda for the Catholic
church. One can identify numerous traces of this turbulent period in Leuven’s city
centre. During this walk, you will explore some remarkable buildings into which
the new visual language of the Italian Renaissance reluctantly found its way. You
discover the original locations of Coxcie’s works, which are now exhibited in
M-Museum Leuven. You will also become acquainted with several of the painter’s
intellectual and cultural contemporaries. In the 16th century, the university city
represented the ultimate meeting place for the intellectual avant-garde: Erasmus
(1466-1536), Juan Luis Vives (ca. 1492-1540), Mercator (1512-1594), Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) and many other notable figures.
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Michiel Coxcie (1499 - 1592) was one of the most influential Renaissance
painters in the Low Countries. After living and working in Italy for several
years, he introduced the pure Renaissance style here. He was dubbed “the
Flemish Raphael”. In his time, he was already considered to be Raphael’s
Flemish equal.
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The Rotterdam-born humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) resided in
Leuven for several years. The sculptor
René Rosseel presents the author of
“The Praise of Folly” (Lof der Zotheid)
with a critical look and a meaningful smile. During his initial stay in
Leuven, from 1502 to 1506, Erasmus
was offered a chair at the university,
as a result of the theologian Adrian
Boeyens’ mediation, but he refused.
Boeyens was later appointed Pope
Adrian VI (see number 8). Following
a journey through Italy and England,
Erasmus once again settled in Leuven.
It was during this stay, from 1517 to
1521, that he put his stamp on the collegium Trilingue, or Trilingual College
(see number 3).
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The Flemish Raphael
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The text for Philip II of Spain’s “Royal Entry” was read aloud here on
the Grote Markt. With his hand on the Bible, he promised to respect the
rights and privileges of Brabant. The Low Countries, led by William I,
Prince of Orange, later rebelled against Philip, arguing that the ruler had
broken his promise.
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The Tafelrond basically formed the
square’s backdrop. The current building
is a fairly faithful 20th century copy of
the original from ca. 1480. It housed the
chambers of rhetoric (dramatic societies)
that enhanced the city’s festivities with
theatrical performances and odes. The
Grote Markt served as an auditorium. The
Tafelrond is now converted into a hotel
and restaurant.
MICHIEL COXCIE - GOSSAERT & COXCIE
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ALSO WORTH A STROLL
Leuven’s Grote Markt was conceived as
an open-air reception area where the city
could showcase its power and wealth.
This was where every new duke conducted his “Blijde Intrede” (Royal Entry). In
1549, it was the turn of Philip II of Spain,
son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor,
and heir to the throne. Leuven had
constructed an impressive stage for the
occasion with fanciful Renaissance
decoration, the work of the city’s masterpainter Jan van Rillaer. Michiel Coxcie
was called on to produce the decorations
for Philip’s “Royal Entry” into Brussels a
few days after that in Leuven.
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SINT-GEERTRUI 04
ABDIJ EN KERK
PAUSCOLLEGE
(ST GERTRUDE’S ABBEY AND CHURCH)
HOGESCHOOLPLEIN 3
08
HALFMAARTSTRAAT
The St. Gertrude’s Abbey was one of
the most prestigious abbeys in former
Brabant. The choir stalls from 1540-1544
at the church abbey are regarded as
the showpiece. Commissioned by Abbot Philippe de Hosden, Michiel Coxcie
painted the main altar’s Passion triptych,
which can now be found in M-Museum
Leuven. This same Abbot also commissioned the building of the Sacrement
Chapel, which is a rare example of religious architecture in Renaissance style.
DE TIEN GEBODEN 05
(THE TEN COMMANDMENTS)
MECHELSESTRAAT NR. 110-128
These properties were built by the St. Gertrude’s Abbey as a safe investment
and rented to private individuals. The houses consist of two series of five virtually identical homes and are a fine illustration of the transition from Gothic to the
Renaissance style. The name Ten Commandments was only given to the row of
houses after they had been constructed. The Sixth to the Tenth, still built in the
late Gothic style, were built at the behest of Abbot Pieter Was. His successor,
Philippe de Hosden nevertheless, resolutely chose the new Renaissance style for
the construction of the First to the Fifth. The First, Second and Third were destroyed as the result of an explosion during a fire in 1967. The current new
buildings respect their silhouette.
TIPS
(POPE’S COLLEGE)
At the beginning of the 16th century, this was the home of Adrian
Boeyens, deacon of the collegiate
church of Saint Peter. He was
partly responsible for educating
the young Charles V, Holy Roman
Emperor. In 1515, he went to Spain
to pave the way for the latter’s
kingship. He was never to return
to Leuven as he was elected Pope
quite unexpectedly.
He was a pious man who led an
ascetic lifestyle. Therefore, he was shocked at his predecessors’ decadent lifestyle
in Rome. He abhorred the “immoral nude” that Michelangelo had painted in the
Sistine Chapel and he forbade access to the Belvedere, which in his view housed
offensive Roman statues. Adrian died in 1523. In his will, he founded the Pope’s
college at his home in Leuven. Nothing remains of the original building.
The Dutch Cardinal Willem van Enckevoirt, whom Adrian still knew from
his days in Leuven, was also staying in Rome at the time. Van Enckevoirt
appreciated Renaissance art and commissioned Michiel Coxcie to paint
frescoes during the latter’s stay in Rome.
MERCATOR 06
VAN DALE COLLEGE 09
MERCATORPAD
NAAMSESTRAAT 80
The statue of the scholar and cartographer Mercator (1512-1594) befittingly
adorns the neighbourhood in which he studied and worked. The statue by Raoul
Biront was a gift from the Leuven Merchants Association to commemorate its
55th anniversary. Mercator, one of Coxcie’s contemporaries, obtained the basic
qualification “magister in de artes” at the university in Leuven and then taught
himself cartography. He subsequently settled in Leuven for some time and concentrated on practising cartography and producing scientific instruments. This
appeared to be of great use for expanding the Spanish Empire under Charles V,
Holy Roman Emperor.
NAAMSESTRAAT
On the way back from the Van Dale College to the Grote Markt.
The Baroque Saint Michael’s Church from
the mid-17th century is a typical church
from the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic response to the Reformers. One can
observe how the Jesuits interpreted the
new instructions from the Council of Trent
(1545-1563) in the highly theatrical interior.
To a certain extent, Coxcie’s life played out
in parallel to the expansion of the Reformation in the Low Countries. Discontentment with the Catholic Church grew in the
first quarter of the 16th century, culminating in the infamous Iconoclastic Fury
in 1566. When the situation also ignited
in Mechelen, Coxcie had had enough. As
a sprightly sixty-year-old, he waged war,
“with a sword on my body, against anyone
who wants to participate in the Iconoclastic Fury”. In his later work, Coxcie adopted
an unmistakably Catholic visual language
and became the first painter of the premature Counter-Reformation. This evolution
can be clearly observed in the “Michiel
Coxcie, The Flemish Raphael” exhibition in
M-Museum Leuven.
KASTEELPARK ARENBERG 1, 3001 HEVERLEE
Not on the walk, but definitely worth a detour (by bicycle or bus, Line 2).
William of Croy (mentor to the man who would later become Charles V, Holy
Roman Emperor) and his wife Maria van Hamal built this Renaissance chateau
on the remains of a much older medieval castle. It provided the backdrop for
resplendent parties often attended by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and his
court. Duke Charles II later made the chateau a focal point for Renaissance culture.
ONZE-LIEVE-VROUWSTRAAT 18 - PREDIKHERENSTRAAT
THE MORILLON TRIPTYCH - COXCIE
(SAINT-MICHAEL’S CHURCH)
(ARENBERG CASTLE)
(MARTIN’S KLOOSTER/HOUSE MORILLON)
“The Morillon triptych”, painted by
Michiel Coxcie, depicts the Morillon
family in full regalia. In 1556, Michiel
Coxcie was commissioned by Maximilian Morillon to create the “The
Triumph of Christ” triptych for the
family cenotaph in Leuven’s Saint
Peter’s Church. The work is now
part of the M-Museum
Leuven collection.
10
KASTEEL ARENBERG 11
MARTIN’S KLOOSTER/HUIS MORILLON 07
This 16th century building was the residence of Guy Morillon, secretary to
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. In this position, Morillon played an important role
in the organisation of the Habsburg Empire. Morillon’s son, Maximilian, was also an
influential figure and became Bishop of Tournai. Morillon’s other son Antoine, and
his grandson Hiëronymus van Winghe in particular, were renowned humanists.
The name Martin’s Klooster refers to the Augustinian sisters that lived here in
the 20th century.
SINT-MICHIELSKERK
The Van Dale College is the only preserved pure Renaissance building in Leuven.
The palazzo with its cortile is vaguely inspired by Maria of Hungary’s palace in
Binche. Maria was the sister of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and governess of
the Low Countries from 1530. The building is currently used by the KU Leuven.
The Renaissance architecture harkens back to Roman times. The humanists had
rediscovered the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius. Renaissance architecture is therefore based on theories and does not copy the remains of Roman
buildings. In the Low Countries, the construction principles were distributed in
a translation of “Quarto Libro” by the Italian Serlio, published by Pieter Coecke
van Aelst in 1542. Architectural drawings by Hans Vredeman de Vries also exerted
considerable influence.
Maria of Hungary had seen the painting “The Descent from the Cross”
by Van der Weyden in the chapel of the Leuven guild of archers and desperately wanted to possess it. She proposed a deal: a perfect copy by
her court painter Michiel Coxcie along with a new organ for the chapel,
in exchange for the original. She would later offer the painting as a gift
to Philip II of Spain, who commissioned Michiel Coxcie to produce
additional copies.
Thanks to Ann Smets and Luc Philippe
coxcie_wandelpakketten_engels_05.indd 2
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