Dès pîres di dintèle lî font l’ coûr pus bèle
Stones as lace Make her courtyard more beautiful
You are about to enter the prince’s residence, where he welcomed his subjects and distinguished guests. In Walloon, the word for ‘house’ is ‘mohone’, and as the saying goes, ‘Pôvre ome èst roy è s’ mohone’ (The poor man is king in his house). Among the many freedoms obtained, the inviolability of the home was a right that gave rise to this saying and was used by the bourgeoisie against the authoritarian excesses of certain princes.
There is no trace of poverty here; the opulence is clearly visible in the stonework that adorns the columns and façades. The palace’s columns, which were rebuilt by Prince-Bishop Érard de la Marck from 1526 onwards, continue to intrigue. They feature grimaces, which symbolise madness and humanism, as well as exotic fruits and depictions of Indians, which refer to the discovery of the New World. After being severely damaged by fire in 1734, the main façade was rebuilt in the Neoclassical style. Originally, the top of the building was adorned with an eagle representing the Holy Roman Empire. During the French Revolution, however, the eagle was replaced by a carillon, which has set the rhythm of the day ever since.
Finally, in the mid-19th century, a neo-Gothic wing perpendicular to the main façade was added to house the provincial palace. The façades are adorned with numerous bas-reliefs and statues depicting the history of the city and the principality.