Papal College

In this place lived Adriaan Boeyens at the beginning of the sixteenth century, the dean of the chapter church of Saint Peter. Adriaan was also responsible for the upbringing of the young Charles V. In 1515, he went to Spain to pave the way for his kingship. Adriaan would never return to Leuven, for he was unexpectedly elected pope.
Adriaan was a devout man with an ascetic lifestyle. In Rome, he was shocked by the decadent lifestyle of his predecessors. He was horrified by the 'immoral nudity' that Michelangelo had painted in the Sistine Chapel. He had the doors of the Belvedere, where scandalous Roman statues were found, sealed up. To the relief of many, Pope Adrian died quickly.
In his house in Leuven, Adriaan had a self-designed swivel chair on wheels, which he had transferred to Rome. This ingenious invention was, of course, nothing compared to the designs of his contemporary Leonardo da Vinci. Adriaan died in 1523. By his will, he established a college in his house in Leuven. Nothing of the original building remains.
Next to this, at the site of the current Maria-Theresa College, stood the Hof van Chièvres. There lived Guillaume de Croy, the powerful chamberlain of Charles V. During Charles's joyful entry into Leuven, an evening party was held at the Hof van Chièvres. Charles also stayed there, perhaps because it was then the most luxurious house in the city. For the occasion, it was beautified at the city's expense. Nothing has survived from the Hof van Chièvres.

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