Snijders&Rockox House
Imperial walk
The Keizerstraat (Emperor Street) has something solemn in its name, and that was also the case in Rockox’s day. The street was then one of the residential areas just outside Antwerp’s city centre. The oldest mentions of this street date from the end of the 13th century. However, it is not clear whether the street would have been named after an emperor ruling at that time. And how the street looked before 1379 – the year in which a big fire destroyed all the houses – we don’t know. What we do know is that the street was a lively place, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Dutch, English, German, French
From 21/04/2021 10:00 pm (UTC) until 31/12/2030 10:59 pm (UTC)
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Select the number of participants per guided tour or the number of individual tickets needed.
Nicolaas Rockox and his family lived in stately patrician houses for more than a century, just like the painter Frans Snijders, the famous teacher Anna Bijns, relatives of the Rubens family and wealthy entrepreneurs. The magnificent Keizerskapel also bears witness to this fascinating past. Not all the houses still have their original appearance but the origin can often be traced back to the 16th century.
The street is a place where economy, enterprise, religion, education and a turbulent history converge. But architecture does not remain an eternal witness to a period and is subject to fashions, to decay and reconstruction. A guide will lead you expertly through the street and reveal the many secrets that the facades do not always reveal.
Practical information:
- This city walk is suitable for groups of adults
- Maximum 20 persons per group
- Duration: 90 minutes
Contact details for visitors
2000 Antwerpen