Hôtel Van Den Steen

The Hôtel van den Steen, jewel of Mont Saint-Martin

The Liège audio-guided tour stops you, at numbers 37 and 39 of Mont Saint-Martin, before the Hôtel van den Steen, one of the most remarkable mansions in the city. This building tells more than four centuries of history, between Renaissance architecture, neoclassical alterations and modern conversions.

An illustrious noble line

Built in the early sixteenth century by Gérard Chevalier, it displays the codes of the Liège Renaissance: a harmonious blend of brick, tufa and limestone. Over the generations, the mansion became the home of the van den Steen family, an illustrious noble line settled in Liège from the sixteenth century, who would own it for more than two hundred years. Their coat of arms and motto recalled the honour attached to the house.

What there is to see

The façade mixes materials and eras, testifying to successive reworkings, from the Renaissance to neoclassical interventions. Recently converted, the ensemble illustrates the long life of a Liège mansion. From the street, note the contrast of stone and brick masonry, which on its own tells the evolution of the aristocratic Mont Saint-Martin district.

Practical information

The Hôtel van den Steen is at numbers 37 and 39 of Mont Saint-Martin, in Liège. A private building now converted, it can be seen from the street; its façade can be contemplated freely at all hours, on the route through the Publémont district.

When was the mansion built?

It was built in the early sixteenth century by Gérard Chevalier, in the style of the Liège Renaissance, before becoming the home of the van den Steen family.

How long did the van den Steen family own it?

Settled in Liège from the sixteenth century, the van den Steen family owned the mansion for more than two hundred years, leaving a lasting mark on its history.