The Direction of Monuments and Landscapes, Ministry of the Brussels’ Capital Region#
The mission of the Direction of Monuments and Landscapes of the Ministry of the Brussels’ Capital Region is to identify and study the Region’s heritage by realizing and updating inventories, and to legally protect, restore and manage this heritage, including the archaeological heritage.
The identification of the Region’s heritage
The scientific inventory of the architectural heritage includes more than 10.000 buildings with their descriptive and historical information and more than 20.000 illustrations (pictures, old postcards, reproductions of plans, etc.). This scientific inventory is accessible online, with extensive search possibilities and a rich and interactive architectural glossary.
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by architect Léonard Homez in the Pater Damiaanlaan 66 in St. Pieters-Woluwe (GASPW/Urb. 257 (1937)
In parallel, the scientific inventory of the remarkable trees aims at the preservation and protection of the Region’s tree-heritage. Today, this database includes approx. 5600 trees, standing as well on public property as in private space.
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in the park of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels.
The Atlases of the archaeological underground in the Brussels Capital Region give a GIS-based survey of all known archaeological sites from prehistoric till modern times. They constitute therefore a powerful tool in town planning management and urbanization projects and allow the Region to organize archaeological excavations within a legal framework with third parties.
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The excavations are preventive and will be carried out between the elaboration of the building project and its realisation, so that the archaeologists can finish their fieldwork before the building works start. In such a densely urbanized area as the city of Brussels, the archaeological department also pays particular attention to the building archaeology: numerous old building phases are “fossilized” underneath the actual decorative layers.
The protection, restoration and management of the Region’s heritage
The protection of the Region’s heritage relates to buildings, landscapes, trees and archaeological sites of various historical periods, regardless of style or age. Today, 2300 buildings and sites are protected or safeguarded.
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Special attention is given to 20th century buildings, especially post-war buildings, and to trees, parks and semi-natural environments. As monuments are situated in an urban context, influencing therefore on their sight and perception, a safeguarding zone is also constituted around them.
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In order to transmit our heritage to future generations, it must be restored and preserved using the correct techniques. The Direction of Monuments and Sites collaborates therefore with the Direction of Town Planning and the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites in the follow-up of the permit applications for the restoration of the protected immovable heritage.
As the Region is also legally obliged to guarantee the conservation of the archaeological heritage, it has therefore developed an archaeological restoration laboratory with storage rooms. A multi-usage Archaeological Heritage Information and Management System combines excavation information, laboratory restorations and storage room management. The combined input into one database of elaborate scientific archaeological information for all archaeological excavations within the Region together with laboratory and archival managing tools thus guarantees access for future generations of researchers.
Recent realizations concerning the various aspects of the Brussels’ Region’s heritage and its management can be viewed here.