Egmont Palace

Brussels, Belgium, Belgium

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Egmont Palace (French: Palais d’Egmont, Dutch: Egmontpaleis) is a historic palace in central Brussels, Belgium, situated on the edge of the Petit Sablon / Kleine Zavel square in the Sablon/Zavel district, not far from the Grand Place and the Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon.

The site originally hosted a 16th‑century residence built in 1532 for Françoise of Luxembourg, widow of John IV of Egmond, and later became the home of Lamoral, Count of Egmont, a prominent nobleman who was executed in 1568 along with the Count of Hornes on Brussels’ Grand Place. After the Egmont line ended, the palace passed to the Dukes of Arenberg, who in the 18th century rebuilt it in a grand neoclassical style with the help of architects such as Jean‑Nicolas Servandoni, and although it was partially damaged by fire in 1892, it was restored and continued as a prestigious private residence.

In 1962 the Belgian state purchased the building to use as the main reception venue for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and after thorough renovation it became a diplomatic centre where heads of state, government ministers and international delegations are welcomed for bilateral meetings, conferences and ceremonial events; it has hosted significant moments such as the 1972 signing of the treaty admitting the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and Norway to the European Economic Community, and in 2019 more than 700 high‑level visits were held in its salons.