The name of the renovated city museum comes from the humanist Hieronymus van Busleyden, chamberlain and tutor of Philip the Handsome, who took up residence there in the early sixteenth century. The clergyman and jurist was appointed to the Great Council in Mechelen, the first international court and the highest in the Burgundian Netherlands, comparable with today’s Court in Strasbourg. At his residence in Mechelen he received famous friends such as Thomas More and Erasmus. They cherished exotic objects and art collections, exchanged thoughts and philosophised about the new era which later came to be known as the Renaissance.

Five hundred years later, the magnificent Burgundian city palace is about to become a meeting place once again, a breeding ground for ideas and a place where art is collected. During World War I the large building was almost completely destroyed, leaving only the walls. The reconstruction went in phases, resulting in an eclectic style. During the restoration, in dialogue with the monument conservation department, a decision was made not to attempt a return to the original architecture. The patchwork of styles is part of the building’s history. The Museum Hof van Busleyden first opened its doors to the public in 1938. Precisely eighty years on, it opens once again, now fully renovated. The authentic façade had to be the highlight, so the museum has been extended underground with a gigantic gallery space fulfilling the strictest standards for exhibiting artistic masterpieces. In addition to the city of Mechelen, the government of Flanders also invested some four million euros, recognising the project as a lever for Toerisme Vlaanderen

https://www.the-low-countries.com/article/museum-hof-van-busleyden-brings-burgundian-era-to-life