As part of a public procurement opened by the Ministry of the Brussels Capital Region, the house located at 180 rue de Flandre in Brussels was the subject of an archaeological study of the building, prior to a renovation and restoration project led by the architectural firm Verstraete GCV. The investigation was conducted from April to September 2011 by the ULB Archaeology and Heritage Research Centre. This house is part of a complex of buildings located on rue de Flandre 176, 178 and 180, including the impasse du Roulier, classified for their historical and aesthetic interest.
The study made it possible to trace the evolution of a traditional dwelling from the Middle Ages to the present day. The detailed analysis of construction materials and their implementation has identified many construction campaigns. Thus, behind a street façade stylistically dated from the 17th century, the drip walls date back to the 14th century - early 15th century.
The investigations also revealed the existence, on the parcel boundary between nos 180 and 182, of the eastern drip wall of neighbouring house no 182, dating from the 15th century, as well as in the annex to the 180th century, of a wall belonging to a construction established behind the 182nd. The latter was dated from the 16th century and thus attests to the development inside the islet.
In addition, AMS-14C analyses on carbonized elements from mortars or lime plasters, as well as a dendrochronological analysis campaign on trusses, have made it possible to set up an absolute chronology of the building.
Publication
BYL S., CHARRUADAS P., DEVILLERS C., SOSNOWSKA Ph., 2012, Étude archéologique du bâti d’une habitation sise rue de Flandre 180 à 1000 Bruxelles. Évolution d’une maison du Moyen Âge à nos jours (XIVe – XXIe siècle), Archaeologia Mediaevalis 35, p. 60-64.
Fig. 1. Facade at 180 rue de Flandre.
Fig. 2. Front house under analysis.