The statue of Godfrey of Bouillon is located at Place Royale or in English at Royal Square right in front of the Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg church. Born around 1060 in Baisy-Thy, province of Brabant in what is part of modern-day Belgium he was the first King of Jerusalem. He followed Pope Urban II’s call for the liberation of Jerusalem and led the first Crusade from 1096 to 1099 to recapture the Holy Land. He died shortly after in Jerusalem on the 17 of July 1100.
Frontal shot with the Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg church in the back
3 comments
Actually, he refused the title of King of Jerusalem, contending that such a title belonged to God alone.
There is speculation that he was a direct descendant of Jesus. Does anyone else know anything concerning this?
He was a direct descendant of Charlemagne, and brother of Baldwin of Boulogne (the future Baldwin I of Jerusalem).