Antwerpen, Belgium

The one before the last is a card from a mini meeting in Antwepen that took place on August 7th, 2015.

The card was sent by dear Valentina, who often surprises me with something in the mailbox :)
The card shows St. James' Church, a former Collegiate church in Antwerp, built on the site of a hostel for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. The present building is the work of the Waghemakere family and Rombout Keldermans, in Brabantine Gothic style. The church contains the grave of Rubens in the eastern chapel.

The guy on the left, Karel van de Woestijne, is from a set of 4 Culture Edition stamps issued in 1978, while King Albert should be from 1998.

Thank you so much for thinking of me Valentina!  ❤

Antwerpen, Belgium

A UNESCO card coming from Belgium


Well, you certainly wont find it under "Antwerpen" if you go to the UNESCO whs list....but you fill find it under the "Belfries of Belgium and France"...and if you click on it, you'll see that it contains 56 different sites in total....and as a group they are one..56....thats A LOT....so, i cant actually count i have the Belfries of France and Belgium until i collect all 56 of them! oh boy.....

Anyway, this is the town hall in Antwerpen....situated on the Grote Markt (main square). Erected between 1561 and 1565, incorporating both Flemish and Italian influences. The richly ornamented center section, which rises above the eaves in diminishing stages, holds female statues representing Justice, Prudence and Virgin Mary and bears the coat of arms of Duchy of Brabant, the Spanish Habsburgs, and the Margraviate of Antwerp.