24 JUL 2019: The springtime return to our floating home in Antwerp meant one thing – it would soon be time to set sail again. There were still a few attractions on our wish list – parks now in their spring splendour and a famous museum – together with more mundane things to be done such as checking boat systems and re-stocking the fridge. And, of course, we had a few friends to bid ‘farewell’ to, including a couple of favourite bar owners and the charming maitre’d of our favourite restaurant who, seemingly with great sincerity, clasped our hands with tears in his eyes and expressed the wish that we would return soon. One day we hope we will.
The museum which we had passed often and said “must go” turned out to deserve a column of its own. The ancient house sits sideways onto a square in the old town and from outside did not appear to be very large. Little did we realize it occupied almost a whole city block. Our first visit, although for a few hours, left so much more to see that we ended up going twice!
The Museum Plantin Moretus, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of Antwerp. This magnificent and well-preserved building was home to a printing business. Of limited interest, do you think? Not at all. Not only a printing business, but a treasure-filled home of what eventually became a large family and a large family business. And what a family! Waiting to be discovered by visitors, this is the story of leading writers and scientists of the time whose works, published here, helped shape Western thinking. From European history to the fascinating story of the invention of different type fonts the museum cannot fail to interest.
Let’s imagine the Plantin family first. Christophe Plantin, who became one of the most famous printers of all times, was born in France but came to Belgium at the age of 30. His family grew (and some died) and so did his business, which soon boasted branches in Frankfurt, Leiden and Paris and remained in business for three hundred years, combining the name of Moretus, one of Christophe’s sons-in-law.
As the family’s prosperity grew so did the wonderful things in their home. The family quarters include a combined harpsichord and virginal (one of only four in the world) with a scene on the inside of the lid ‘after Rubens’ as well as intricate writing cabinets, a portrait of Plantin by the real Rubens, together with other paintings by the famous master. Then there are celestial globes, ancient Antwerp city maps, beautiful Brussels tapestries and much more.
Of special interest in these days of (we hope) rising equality are the stories of the women of the family through the generations. Daughters were home-schooled and taught to read and later proof-read many of the documents printed in the house. Not as easy as one might imagine, for the company printed works in Hebrew, Greek, Old Syrian, Samaritan and Arabic as well as Latinate languages. Women were also often responsible for bookkeeping as well as running a household (granted with servants) that welcomed the wealthy, the aristocratic and even royalty.
After the impressive family rooms comes the business section itself. Here are, of course, books, books and more books, maps, pamphlets, music, ancient texts, beautiful botanical drawings and watercolours and many drawings by Rubens. Here is the first collection of all the known maps of the world in one book: the first atlas, which was published in seven languages over forty editions. There’s a gallery devoted to type fonts and then, in the heart of the building, lies the great printing press room itself. And if all this erudition overwhelms you, you can step into the pretty courtyard garden where so many must have paused from their labours in centuries past.
We were amazed that this fine museum had been left so late in our Antwerp stay and, as mentioned, we found it so fascinating that we returned for a second visit. So be warned, leave enough time.
“We must leave,” said the captain! “Our dock reservation has expired and there are plenty of places we wish to visit still on our itinerary.” So early one morning we sadly left our place in Antwerp, passed the stunning glass Port Authority Building (Zaha Hadid Architects), negotiated a couple of locks and soon were heading north through some beautiful residential areas where many ultra-modern homes border the canals.
We proceeded on through the canals of northern Belgium, pausing in quiet and quaint towns such as Schoten, Brecht and Westmalle, the last famous for its brewery to which we made a cycle trip. Our tour of Belgium ended in the bustling town of Turnhout where we secured a pleasant dock in front of the town’s main promenade. And here we were in for another museum treat.
Devoting a museum to the long history of printing and its attendant history is a far cry from printing playing cards. But Turnhout is home not only to a National Playing Card Museum but also to Cartamundi (‘cards for the world’), the largest playing card manufacturer in the world. For security reasons visitors are not allowed in the Cartamundi factory, but the Museum is well worth a visit … again surprisingly fascinating.
There are facts to hear … the manufacturing company produces millions of personalized packs of cards per day destined for casinos, cruise ships and many other locations. Packs worldwide differ by language, where the ace, king, queen, jack and even the joker are rendered differently. The museum traces the history of card playing with printing presses and collections, all described by a most charming English-speaking guide. There’s even a big bin of ‘rejects’ that visitors may take and which I now use as bookmarks, confusing anyone who may see my ‘queen’ bearing the letter V for the Dutch-speaking market! If you are ever near Turnhout don’t miss this gem of an attraction.
The next day we crossed the border and were back in the Netherlands with new destinations ahead of us as we proceeded up the canals in the eastern part of the country.
Some Dutch destinations that are not overrun by tourists will be the subject of my next column but in this column Belgium deserves the last word … we had loved it!