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My friend Ilona lives in the flemish part of Brussels near Halle which is a Flemish city and municipality in the district (arrondissement) of the Flemish Brabant.
It is one of the three regions of Belgium . ... The Halle-Vilvoorde Arrondissement has Brussels in its middle, which is often part of the language quarrels between flemish and french speaking extremists.
The little city if full of charm. We went there on saturday afternoon
around the city hall are a lot of Restaurants, cafés and brasseries
as the weather was warm and sunny, people sat mostly outside
little narrow streets
and in front of the cathedral a shop where you can only buy Madonnas in all sizes and outfits, with or without little Jesus !
The cathedral inside is very beautiful. It is famous for its black Madonna
This is quite unique to have a black Madonna, she is carved out of ebony wood and the cothes are painted in blue with golden ornaments and of course a golden crown with precious stones.
In one of the side aisles was this beautiful golden shrine
the windows too were real artwork
the cathedral had been under canon fire during different wars and in one corner the canon balls were exposed.
What an breathtaking cathedral, Gattina. I have heard of the Black Madonna, and now I've seen her, thanks to your photographs. I really enjoyed that, great post.
ReplyDeleteLa cathédrale est adorable effectivement! Et il faut montrer ces photos a ceux qui disent que Bruxelles est une capitale ennuyante. C'est au contraire pleine de vie! :-)
ReplyDeleteBonne journée,
That is indeed a breathtaking cathedral, Gattina! And I, too, have heard of the Black Madonna, but had never seen until now. Thank you so much for the marvelous tour! Such a lovely place, I found myself wishing I could sit at one of the outdoor cafes and soak up the ambiance! Have a lovely week!
ReplyDeleteVraiment Bruxelles semble être une très très belle ville! La vierge noire est une curiosité. J'ai entendu parler d'une autre vierge noire en Camargue dans le sud. Le vitrail est sublime. Si tu passes sur mon blog j'ai mis un diaporama des photos de Mélissa à Nice!
ReplyDeleteWow...what a great tour and thanks for sharing this. I loved the black Madonna...beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteThe Black Madonna must be such an interesting statue to see in the flesh. The light in the catherdral is so spooky. Loved those outside scenes of the hustle and bustle of street life and a relaxing cafe.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful town and cathedral. The black Madonna is a wonder. Thank you for the trip around your world.
ReplyDeleteTerrific photo share once again dear Gattina.
ReplyDeleteI'm here through the Fun Monday comments this morning...Mariposa left a comment in HERS that you are the hostess????
Hi Gatinna, what a beautiful city and catherdral! I've never heard of the black Madonna, I love it. Thanks for the tour. Jo (South Africa)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful Cathedral with breathtaking stained glass windows!
ReplyDeleteIs it JUST Madonna you can buy in the Cathedral shop, or do they stock Michael Jackson and Prince..?
ReplyDelete... sorry! I really couldn't resist
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Beautiful snaps. I loved the snaps of cathedral. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteWonderful architecture matched only by your great photos of it!
ReplyDeletei absolutely adore church windows. these photos are fantastic. hugs to you bettina.
ReplyDeleteI just loved the pictures. What a great Cathedral. What marvelous windows. You take wonderful pictures.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour.
Very interesting post. The cathedral is fabulous, and the black Madonna beautiful. But the many restaurants are what intrigue me the most. Very charming place indeed!
ReplyDeleteA lovely post of a beautiful old town. The cathedral is a true showcase with lovely windows , a pity I could not get to see the Black Madonna. I loved the caged cannon balls!
ReplyDeletebeautiful pictures thank you for sharing it with us :) i love stained glass windows..
ReplyDeleteReally beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteWhat charm! What beauty! Oh how I would LOVE to visit this place! Is she the ONLY Black Madonna? I have heard of a Black Madonna - but I thought it was somewhere else... I could be wrong though.
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