Main bridge

When you stand on the Main Bridge, with your back to Gravenkasteel, and you look in the direction of the Grass Bridge, you will see a row of façades on your right side. The fourth façade starting from the bridge will surely catch your eye immediately. It is, after all, the last wooden façade in the entire city. Until well into the 19th century, there were more wooden houses to be found, but when the city government decided to distribute subsidies to anyone who had their façade bricked, many of these façades were turned into firewood. Thus, in fact, only one more has remained standing.

This façade stands out for another reason. It is painted in a popular color for Ghent façades, namely Isabel yellow.

The origin of Isabel yellow has quite an unpleasant origin. Isabella of Castile, the grandmother of Emperor Charles on his mother's side, also known as Isabella the Catholic, was married to Ferdinand of Aragon. Together with her husband, she was responsible for the Reconquista, the recapture of Spain from the Moors. They got stuck in Granada. The siege of Granada began in 1491, and Isabella could see from miles away that it would not be an easy task. While doing so, she figured that it would be best to seek some divine favors for this. So she began to pray to God the Father for assistance. Suddenly she realized that God might expect a quid pro quo in return. Therefore, she decided not to change her undershirt for the greater honor and glory of God until Granada had fallen. After a year of besiegement, Granada was recaptured in 1492. Isabella had kept her word. A year later, she took off her undershirt, and it had roughly the color of the façade you are staring at.

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