Remains of Brussels' First City Wall (Pléban Tower + Wall)

En un regard

Le château en bref

In the heart of old Brussels, between the Rue du Bois Sauvage and the Treurenberg, stands one of the most evocative sections of the first urban enceinte: the so-called Pléban Tower, together with its access turret and a stretch of curtain wall. The structure belongs to the rampart begun under Duke Henry I of Brabant, at a time when the city was enclosed by a circuit of about 4 km protecting nearly 80 hectares. Like the other towers of this first rampart, it has a horseshoe plan, open towards the city, and projected outside the wall. The wall itself rested on arcades concealed by earth embankments, an economical method that saved on materials. Once it became redundant after the completion of the second enceinte in the 14th century, the rampart was gradually absorbed into the urban fabric. The tower owes its name to the pléban, the curate of the neighbouring St Gudula's collegiate church: in 1452, the pléban Alexandre de Beringhen acquired the property, and the structure has since been located in the garden of the dean's house. The Brussels-Capital Region listed the tower, its turret and the curtain wall as a monument in 1991, then extended the protection to the whole ensemble "Tour du Pléban + mur" in 1994. The site is not open to free visits and can only be seen on request.