Gildehuis der Vrije Schippers

Description

The "Gildehuis der Vrije Schippers" is one of the best-preserved guild houses on the Graslei in #Gent (Oost-Vlaanderen), Belgium, located on the eastern side of the Leie River. Originally owned by the millers' guild and known as "Windas", it was acquired by the wealthy free skippers' guild in 1530. They restored it in the Brabantine gothic style. The building's façade, designed in 1531 by architect Christoffel van den Berghe, features coats of arms of Emperor Charles V's territories and his motto "Plus oultre". The Leie served as a significant inland harbor for Ghent from the 10th to the 18th century. In the late 17th century, financial difficulties forced the guild to sell the building, which lead to several ownership changes. The Belgian state purchased it in 1897, and its stepped gable, made of Balegem stone, was restored ahead of the 1913 World's Fair in Ghent.