Hotel of Liberties

The Hotel of Liberties – Jodoigne
Grand Place 1 – 1370 Jodoigne
The former "town hall," now renamed "Hotel of Liberties," was rebuilt starting in 1733, at the initiative of the Count of Romrée who became the holder of the land of Jodoigne following a fire that destroyed a large part of the square. The new building, larger in size, was constructed according to the plans of the architect Verreucken, who was simultaneously responsible for the restoration of the Comté Castle. To finance the construction of this new building, a loan was taken out, but the city of Jodoigne was also authorized to use the proceeds of a tax on the sale of beer barrels!
The old town hall was mainly built of brick, Gobertange stone, and blue stone, and featured a large hall that hosted the trade of meat and then wheat on the ground floor. If you ascend the few steps of the porch, you will discover the exact year of construction inscribed in studs on the door: 1734. The building housed for nearly 250 years some of the main municipal services before they were transferred to the Comté Castle (Château Pastur).
In front of the building, a lime tree ("the tree of Liberty") was planted in 1830 to celebrate the country's independence; unfortunately, the tree succumbed to a storm on July 15, 2010. The current "Hotel of Liberties" houses the offices of the Hesbaye brabançonne Tourism House, the Cultural Center, and several other associations working to promote the cultural and identity of Jodoigne and eastern Brabant wallon. This building has been classified since 1973 and will undergo extensive restoration starting in 2012.

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