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The New Buildings. 
(Facade looking on to the Park). 
HISTORICAL NOTICE. 
About 1406 Anthony of Burgundy founded the « Arsenal » of Brussels in which were , 
housed the trophies and jewels of the house of our ancient sovereigns. Towards the end 
of the XVIII Century, these treasures were placed in the Arsenal of the Court, an^d in 
1773, after the suppression of the Jesuit Order, the collections were transferred to the 
library of their former college. Later on, in 1785, they were placed in the Heraldic Chamber. 
On August 8, 1835, a royal decree instituted the « Museum of Ancient Arms, Armour, Art 
Treasures and Numismatics ». In 1837, was added to them the Collection of Artillery from 
the War Office, and all the collections were placed in the Palace of Industry, in a room on 
the ground-floor. 
On March 25, 1847, a royal decree created the « Museum of Armour, Antiquities and Artil¬ 
lery », the seat of which was established at the Porte de Hal. Later on, owing to the deve- 
1 <pmerit of the collections, two buildings opposite were rented and the treasures of the Museum 
were housed in them. In 1889, it w r as decided to transfer to the Palace of the Cinquantenaire, 
which already contained the plaster casts of the Commission of International Exchanges, 
every thing belonging to what it had been agreed to call « Antiquities ». These pieces were to 
form part of an ensemble to which was to be given the title of « Royal Museum of Decorative 
and Industrial Arts ». 
In 1905, the collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman Antiquities were separated from 
the rest and housed in the second wing of the Cinquantenaire Palace, henceforward known as the 
« Pavilion of Antiquities ». During the war all the treasures were transported thither, and 
a few r years after the Armistice, in 1921, the Department of Art Industries and that of Ancient 
Belgium took possession of the premises which had been erected in the Avenue des Nerviens. 
In virtue of a royal decree of January 25, 1929, the Museum is officially entitled « The 
Royal Museum of Art and History ». 
The New Buildiogs. 
(Facade looking on to the Avenue des Nerviens). 
