Palace of the Prince-Bishops

Renaissance palace of the ecclesiastical rulers of Liège, now the Palace of Justice

The Palace of the Prince-Bishops dominates the Place Saint-Lambert, the large square at the heart of Liège. For over a thousand years, from the tenth century until the French Revolution swept away the Prince-Bishopric in 1795, this was the seat of one of the most powerful ecclesiastical rulers in Europe. The bishops of Liège controlled a sovereign state, minted their own coins, raised armies, and built this palace to match their ambitions.

The building that survives today was ordered by Prince-Bishop Everard van der Marck in 1526, and its outer walls are Italian Renaissance while the magnificent inner courtyard uses the massive Gothic columns of the Mosan tradition. The palace now serves as the Palace of Justice, but you can walk into the courtyard during weekday opening hours to see the architecture at close range. The facade facing the square, added in 1737, is among the finest baroque frontages in Wallonia.

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Victor Hugo visited Liège in 1840 and wrote of the palace's courtyard: "Nowhere have I seen a construction so remarkable, serious and grandiose at the same time." The palace was built for Bishop Everard van der Marck in 1526, and its inner courtyard — with its massive fluted columns transitioning from late Gothic to early Renaissance — is the finest expression of the hybrid architectural style that emerged in the Prince-Bishopric. Hugo rarely praised things directly; when he did, they were worth seeing.

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