Porte+de+Hal

= Porte de Hal / Hallepoort =

Brussels
The Porte de Hal, also known as Halle Gate, is a museum in Brussels. It was originally a medieval city gate, and now represents a piece of the medieval city of Brussels. It is now apart of the Royal Museums for Art and History, incorporating art and history from Brussels. It is known for its large collection of weaponry and armor.

The Porte de Hal was built in 1381 out of stone as a second set of defensive walls to enclose Brussels. It is the only gate that survived out of the six gateways/defensive walls in Brussels, all others were demolished. The gate was named after the city of Halle, Belgium. The original gate had a portcullis and drawbridge that went over a moat, but it does not include this feature today. Before becoming a museum, the gate was also used over the years as a prison, a customs house, grain storage, and a Lutheran church.

Renovations on the Porte de Hal went on from 1868-1870 changing the medieval details to a neo-gothic style. However, the outer entrance is still close to the original. A circular tower with a conical roof was added on as well with a spiral staircase that goes through the whole tower.

The museum was once closed in 1976 until extensive renovation occurred in 2007 which reopened it as a museum. Each floor consists of different collections including: Armour and Armaments, the Gothic Room, the Guilds Room, a temporary exhibition space, a walkway round the battlements with a panoramic view of the city, and roof space for small exhibitions. These exhibitions reveal the defense techniques of Brussels during the medieval ages and compare the present-day metropolitan Brussels with medieval times.