Its ‘Flowertime’ in Brussels this August

Brussels and gardens, a long and beautiful love story. The best evidence of this is the great number of parks and spaces that fit perfectly into urban geography and offer inhabitants havens of tranquillity and relaxation. In parallel with the biannual Flower Carpet, that needs no introduction, VisitBrussels presents Flowertime 2015. Building on the success of the first edition of this new floral art event in Brussels, it has now decided to organise a second biannual event, that takes up residence during the summer at the very heart of European capital!  This year, the summer floral collection will be a master stroke. From 13 to 16 August 2015, the city centre will truly dazzle with plants: from the moment you arrive on the Grand-Place, the Italian garden will offer itself to you so you can walk through it with wide-eyed awe. After that, dive into the universe of the City Hall, lit up all along your walk, so you can admire the talents in action, the beauty of the arrangements and their integration into this 15^th Century building.

Baroque:  where history transcends time

In order to better set the scene for 2015, here is something about the origins of the word “Baroque”.

Its roots are Portuguese: “barrocco” means “big, irregular-shaped rock”. The Italian language adopted this idiom and made it known throughout the world! The current meaning of this strange word is “extravagant”, “unexpected “, and therefore “Irregular”! The Baroque movement thus represents a diversion from classic forms and the freedom of creation, resulting in opulence, fantasy and decoration loaded with whorls, spirals and the use of polychrome marble.

To retrace the origins of Baroque, let’s travel back to the 2^nd half of 16^th Century Italy. This new movement was to spread its influence all over Europe.  The architecture of castles, churches, and urban developments were all to undergo its irresistible influence. Vienna, Prague, Nancy, the Pays de Loire, Germany, England, Denmark and even Russia were in turn enticed by the Baroque style.

Thanks to this movement, curves became generous, the roofs of European church towers gradually took on a graceful roundness, sculptures of chubby-cheeked angels filled the churches and ceilings incorporated the sky, an important part of trompe l’œil frescoes. Light changed, chiaroscuro became fashionable and artists allowed themselves to paint the first special effects in history.

At the same time, this freedom of forms inspired a new art of creating and embellishing gardens. Little by little, they became more creative compositions and botanical theatres. Landscape gardeners created country house spaces, terraces decorated with plants, balconies and mirrors of water in which sculpted fountains were reflected. Geometry incorporated whorls, topiary art and flowers brought colour to the whole space to please the senses.

Gardens became living spaces in their own right…  And this is what visitors will discover on the Grand-Place from 13 August. For 4 days, visitors will have the opportunity to walk through the garden of the Grand-Place and will have the unique chance to wander through the magnificent rooms of the City Hall to discover the floral arrangements.

Flowertime is a biannual initiative, whose creators are…

• the City of Brussels,
• the asbl (non-profit organisation) Tapis de fleurs de Bruxelles, organiser of the renowned Brussels Flower Carpet,
• the Floralies Gantoises, who have been pioneers in the world of floral and botanical art in Belgium for centuries,
• the renowned florists of our 3 regions who do us the honour of taking part in this incredible challenge and whose listing you will find at the end of this file.

Flowertime takes place every two years, alternating with an event that is well known by all amateurs of aesthetics: the Brussels Flower Carpet. Brussels is a priceless treasure trove of parks, gardens, forest, and squares – all exceptional green spaces which add to its “green melody”.