The Groenplaats (Green Square) is a large square in the center of the Belgian city of

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, situated south of the

Antwerp cathedral The Cathedral of Our Lady () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Today's seat of the Diocese of Antwerp started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never been 'completed'. It was construct ...

. There are various trees with benches on the square, which is a 'resting place'. A statue of Rubens, designed in 1840 and erected in 1843 by Willem Geefs, is in the center of the square. Adjacent lie many

cafes A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargile ...

as well as a Hilton hotel, located in the old Grand Bazar building. An underground parking garage and the Groenplaats metro station are situated underneath the square.

History

At least since the 13th century, the south side of the Cathedral of Our Lady served as an Antwerp cemetery, for the poorer residents who could not afford to be buried in the church itself. The cemetery was a part of the

allodial Allodial title constitutes ownership of real property (land, buildings, and fixtures) that is independent of any superior landlord. Allodial title is related to the concept of land held "in allodium", or land ownership by occupancy and defense ...

land owned by the

Cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

without any feudal obligations. In 1784, Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...

forbade the burial of deceased within the city walls In 1795, the grounds of the cathedral, were claimed by the French. A few years later, in 1799, the walls around it were demolished. Construction of the Place de l’égalité (Equality Square) began in 1803. The houses located in the area were demolished and three rows of lime trees were planted. In 1805 it was solemnly inaugurated as Place Bonaparte (Bonaparte Square) in honor of Napoleon, and retained that name until 1815. It was the intention of the French revolutionaries to place a memorial in the center of the square in honor of Freedom. In 1797, during the disputes between the church and the municipal administration about the expropriation of the cemetery, the municipal officer François Roché was murdered in the cathedral. Between 1819 and 1877 the Court of First Instance resided in the south of the Cathedral grounds, a site currently situated by the Post Office. In 1885, in the building in which the current Hilton hotel is located, Frenchman Adolphe Kileman started a department store, named the Grand Bazar du Bon Marché.

Public transport

Underneath the square lies the Groenplaats premetro station, which was opened in 1975. It is also serviced by above ground tram routes and functions as a bus terminal for a number of southbound lines. A turning loop for trams runs around the square.

Sports

The Groenplaats has hosted the official 2022

FIBA 3x3 World Cup The FIBA 3x3 World Cup is a 3x3 (basketball), 3x3 basketball tournament for national teams organized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The debut of the tournament originally named as the FIBA 3x3 World Championship was held in Au ...

.Antwerp to host FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2022

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...

, 18 January 2021. Accessed 30 April 2021.

References

* * {{cite web, url=https://historiek.net/antwerpen-de-groenplaats-en-het-standbeeld-van-rubens/10451/ , title=Antwerpen, de Groenplaats en het standbeeld van Rubens , language=nl , website=historiek.net , date=18 March 2016 , access-date=2019-12-22 Buildings and structures in Antwerp