From the end of the 15th century, Bruges' importance as an international hub declined. After 1531, Antwerp took over Bruges' role as a trading centre. There, the market was dominated by Spaniards and Portuguese. In 1485, the Antwerp wholesalers requested and obtained permission from the city council to erect a ?gemeyne borze? This Oude Beurs was erected in the centre of Antwerp's commercial life at the time. In the 16th century, Antwerp grew into a major metropolis with more than 100,000 inhabitants, 10,000 of whom were foreign merchants. They had access to a new building from 1531, conceived as a rectangular square with covered galleries on four sides, built atop a junction of streets. For half a century, this stock exchange was to be the focal point of European trade and the model for cities with similar ambitions.
Ivo de Bruijn - freelance photographer - living in Rotterdam. I am specialised in urban, architecture and night photography and I create my work all over the world... Read more…