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Antwerp by foot, its insolent and secret treasures Introducing the walk Keyserley-Leysstraat-Meir Meir shopping, slowly loitering to Rubens house Rubens, his life and his house Bird market-Bourla theatre - more shopping Shopping streets to Groenplaats Hoogstraat and Grote Pieter Potstraat Printers museum Plantin-Moretus Museum Mayer van den Bergh-Maagdenhuis Strolling to the Carolus Borromeus church Rockox house - Tomb of Rubens at St.Jacobschurch |
From the Carolus Borromeus church to the Rockox house isa five minutes walk. Walk along the left side of the church out of Conscienceplein and go unto the stoplights. Turn left (Minderbroedersrui) and the first left again in the Keizersstraat. You will not believe the number beautiful aristocratic 16 and 17th maisons de maitre with splendid facades which are gathered here. Some art galleries or romantic hotels of which the luxurious, furnished and decorated with an immense taste "Witte Lelie" (some of my British friends lodges there to their great satisfaction). At no. 21-23 the gothic chapel Sainte-Anne (Keizerskapel) that belonged to the white fathers '(witte vaders) and founded in the 16th century by the weavers corporation. It's one of the most beautiful gothic chapels of town.
But the real reason of coming to this street is a visit to the "ROCKOXHUIS", the hotel particulier of an ancient Antwerp mayor (Nicolas Rockox (1560-1640), "friend and patron " of Rubens. He was a convinced art amateur, humanist and almost professional old coins collector (numismatist). He had many famous friends like Ortelius, Moretus but Rubens was his best friend. As well as Anthony van Dijck who made several portraits of Rockox. The house remained mainly like it was in the 17th century.
Numerous paintings of Flemish master, sculptures and cult objects it is also the ultimate resting place of a lot of Antwerp notables and contains the funerary chapel of Rubens. It's located behind the master altar. The chapel is devoted to Virgin Mary and a Rubens painting "Virgin surrounded by Saints" ornate the tomb. Helena Fourment, Rubens second wife is supposed to have built this chapel, two years after his death. Where he rests since 1645, together with 42 members of his family. |
Mother love and devotion are expressed here in their highest level of purity. But the most charming of the house is undeniably the interior garden, like a caprice of past times in a Flemish 17th century interior. The house is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10.00-17.00. 