Antwerp 16th Century Guild Houses

The grand market in Antwerp still has a series of beautiful original 16th century guild houses.

The houses were burnt down during the Spanish Fury of 1576. The Spanish troops who were stationed in the fortress adjacent to the city, pillaged the city because they had not been paid.  The guild houses were set on fire, but then rebuilt in the contemporary 16th century style.

It is strange to see that when the Antwerp city hall was built in 1565 on the grand market itself, a new street was formed at the back side called the "Gildekamerstraat", which translates into Guild House Street.  These houses always had had a direct view on the grand market and were now degraded into looking at the back side of the new city hall.  The houses are still beautiful, but difficult to photograph.

My entire set photographs of the guild house can be seen on here.