Museum Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen, Mechelen, Belgium

I was delighted to be invited to the press event prior to the opening of the new Museum Hof Van Busleyden in Mechelen. Actually I felt very privileged. The press tour for Dutch speakers was in the morning, and according to Press Coordinator Sara Verhaert it attracted around 35 people. I had registered for the English-language press tour - and was the only one attending! So Curator Samuel Mareel gave me a very personal museum tour, which was great!

He was a talented doctor of law from Arlon in the south of present-day Belgium. He lived from 1470 to 1517, and moved to Mechelen in the early 16th century. Here he was appointed head of the Great Parliament, the highest court in the Netherlands. He turned his brand new residence (the site of this museum) into a luxurious palace which he filled with beautiful art and books. He also received the great humanists of the day, Erasmus and Sir Thomas More. Van Busleyden’s palace became well-known for its thought-provoking discussions among the key thinkers of the time.

It was the capital of the Hapsburg Netherlands under Margaret of Austria. Margaret was a powerful woman who loved the arts. Like van Busleyden, she collected paintings and books, as well as insects and plants, and surrounded herself with Renaissance artists. Under her rule, the City of Mechelen thrived: the early 16th century was its golden age. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).