That the KU Leuven University Library on Ladeuseplein was built in large part by the drive and incentive of industrialist Herbert Hoover (before he was elected President of the USA). The bell tower has a clock on each of its four sides with the hours marked by a star. In total, these 48 stars represent the 48 United States at that time. (Alaska and Hawaii did not become US states until 1959).
is so named NOT because Caesar supposedly stationed troops there, but because Emperor Charles V (Kaiser-Caesar) was a frequent visitor to this former Dukes’ of Brabant castle that used to overlook Leuven from this mount. Holy Roman Emperor and Hapsburg monarch, Joseph II (eldest son of Maria Theresa) had the castle torn down, and its stones used to shore up the hillside.Today, Keizerberg is known for its Benedictine Abbey which sits on the site of the former castle.
Is the beautiful building that frames the Grote Markt of Leuven, along with St Peter’s Church and the Stadhuis. Built between 1480-1487 originally as three houses in a late gothic style with meeting rooms for some guilds and rhetoricians sleep rooms. The master builder was M. de Layens. The build was demolished in 1818 and replaced by a neo classic building that burned down in 1914. After World War I the Tafelrond was rebuilt to its original style.
The Congregation of the Black Sisters were an Augustinian order, also called Cell Sisters, Celzusters, Black Sisters or Alexianen Sisters; a beguine order that originated in the Southern Netherlands (Belgium). In the fourteenth century their dependent communities were included among other religious congregations. The Black Sisters Monastery (also called Monastery of Nazareth) is from 1438 and was founded for health care. In 1680 there was reconstruction of the monastic buildings; 1686, chapel building in baroque style and in the 19th century, construction of the wing on Schapenstraat. Care for mentally handicapped continued until 1969. Now it is a university building and residence for students from Loyola of Chicago.
You may have noticed roosters on top of many church spires facing the East. The reason for this ancient Christian symbol is that just as the rooster announces the rising sun at the break of day, so he will also announce the “New Day” that will rise at the final coming of the Lord in all his glory in Jerusalem (East).
Just as a devout Muslim faces Mecca when praying, in medieval Catholic churches the priest would say Mass standing at the altar and facing the East (the Holy Land, Jerusalem) as a way of doing homage to this holy place.
That the crooked, wobbly looking roofs on many of Leuven's older houses is due to the fact that "green" lumber was used when they were built, and as it cured the green wood warped leaving the crooked, rolling roofs lines that are seen today.
That the light purple and light green leaded windows seen on older homes was a way of approximating and imitating the stained glass windows of churches, thus avoiding a "window tax" levied on all windows except those colored windows of churches.
A native American (American Indian) Head carving can be found on the corner of the American College building at Naamsestraat and Karmelietenberg. The native head was included into the American college building to represent the history of the college, since the first seminarians who were instructed there were sent to the New World to minister to the Native American population. |