St. Peter's Square, stairs to St. Amand's Street

Marcel van Maele, 'now there are two stones idling'

The monumental staircase with baroque spectator terrace between Sint-Pietersplein and Sint-Amandstraat was part of the urbanization of the 'Plaine St. Pierre' into a military parade ground in 1846. The staircase is part of the recognized urban view of Sint-Pietersplein - Sint-Amandsplein - corner complex Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 115 and corner house Abt Florbertusstraat 8. The Sint-Pietersabdij (7th century) gained significant power in the favor of the counts of Flanders and possessed many assets outside of Ghent. The blending of various styles is dominated by the imposing abbey church in pure Baroque (1629). Periods of great flourishing and prosperity alternated with financial and spiritual decline. It fell after the iconoclasm (1566) and was abolished by the French administration in 1796. From 1810, it was owned by the city of Ghent: used as a military barracks until 1948, now Kunsthal and school museum Huis van Kina. At Sint-Pietersplein, there is the 'Memorial Stone of Extreme Poverty'.

Marcel van Maele (1931), Flemish nonconformist author of poetry, prose, and theater. Was a UN volunteer in Korea, editor of the avant-garde magazine Labris, debuted as a rebellious poet with Soetja (1956). His hectic and mesmerizing poetry is akin to that of the American beat generation. His social criticism and dissatisfaction with the lack of individual freedom led to crossover projects such as the "Bottled Poems" and "Expertly Hermetic" (poetry in perspex blocks). Winner of the Ark Prize for Free Speech and the August Beernaert Prize. The poem is designed by the nearly blind poet himself.

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