Place Jourdan

We’ve arrived at place Jourdan, on the edge of the European Quarter and the Leopold Park, an emblematic Brussels park with a rich history. In the Middle Ages it was known as the ‘Eggevoort estate’, of which one tower remains in the park. In 1819 the park was bought by the Dubois family, known as the de Biancos, and later, in 1851, it was taken over by the Société royale de Zoologie, d’Horticulture et d’Agrément (Royal Zoological and Horticultural Society) with the aim of turning it into a zoological and horticultural park, as well as a recreational area for the bourgeoisie that was increasingly moving to the district. Following the bankruptcy of the Royal Zoological and Horticultural Society, the city took possession of the site and renamed it ‘Leopold Park’ to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of Belgium. It became a simple leisure park hosting the Natural History Museum. Its destiny changed at the turn of the century when Ernest Solvay and Paul Héger proposed to create a ‘science city’ in the park. Five buildings with a scientific vocation were built between 1892 and 1914. Today, those buildings are still there but they are used for different purposes. The European Parliament, another more recent addition to Leopold Park, overlooks the site and is one of the city’s most iconic European symbols.  

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