Halle Gate
| Halle Gate | |
|---|---|
| Porte de Hal/Hallepoort | |
| Part of Second City Walls of Brussels | |
| Brussels, Belgium | |
The gate in 2008
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 Halle Gate
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| Coordinates | 50°49′59″N 4°20′42″E / 50.8330°N 4.3449°E |
| Type | City gate |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Royal Museums of Art and History |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1381 |
| Materials | Stone |
The Halle Gate or Porte de Hal (French) or Hallepoort (Dutch) is a medieval fortified city gate of the second walls of Brussels. It is now a museum, part of the Royal Museums for Art and History.
Built in 1381, Halle Gate is a 14th-century city gate from the second set of defensive walls that enclosed Brussels. The gate was named for the city of Halle (French: Hal) in Flemish Brabant which it faces.
The original gate included a portcullis and drawbridge over a moat. The structures that housed these are still visible.
While the other six gateways and the defensive walls were demolished, the Halle Gate survived as it was used as a prison. It was at other times used as a customs house, for grain storage, and a Lutheran church.
The architect Henri Beyaert restored the building between 1868 and 1870, changing the austere medieval tower with more romantic Neo Gothic embellishments. The outer entrance, now facing Sint-Gillis/Saint-Gilles, is closer to the original appearance. In front of the inner gate, facing the city of Brussels, Beyaert added a circular tower topped by a conical roof, containing a monumental spiral staircase. Beyaert also added turrets and a large roof.
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