Monumental gateway to world civilizations
The Musée Art & Histoire, previously known as the Cinquantenaire Museum, is one of the largest museums in Europe. It houses an astonishingly broad collection, which has origins tracing back to the dukes of Brabant and archdukes of Habsburg, that includes Belgian national archaeological artefacts from prehistory to the Merovingian dynasty; works from antiquity, including Egyptian sarcophagi and Greek vases; non-European objects from Iran, China, Central and Southeast Asia, the Islamic world, America and Oceania; as well as European decorative art from the middle ages through the art deco period. Other noteworthy highlights include a colossal statue from Easter Island and more than 500 artworks with heart symbolism, dating from the 16th to 20th century, compiled and donated by cardiologist Noubar Boyadjian. Built for the 1880 “National Exhibition,” the Musée Art & Histoire’s neoclassical building, with its distinct arcade-like facade, is located within Brussel’s iconic Parc du Cinquantenaire.