Three original geological maps from our Institute, by different generations of Belgian geologists, are part of the summer exposition Cartographiae at the Royal Palace. Get to know the fascinating world of cartography with items from the federal scientific institutions of Belgium!
- From 22/07/2016 To 04/09/2016
- Royal Palace - place des Palais - 1000 Brussels
- From Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.30am to 4.30pm (last entrance : 03.45pm).
- Free admission
As each year, the Royal Palace in Brussels opens its doors to the public in summer: from 22 July to 4 September 2016. The public will be able to discover the exposition Cartographiae showing maps and cartography throughout the centuries.
In order to bring the intriguing and little-known world of cartography closer to the public, the 10 federal scientific institutions of Belgium (including our Institute) have selected a number of representative items from their collections to show the various aspects of this particular field of science: precious cartographic material, thematic maps, cartographic measurement instruments, works of art related to the topic, and much more.
The exposition also has three original maps from the collections of the RBINS on display:
- a geological map of Belgium and the bordering regions (1854) by André Hubert Dumont,
- a geological map of Louveigné-Spa (1903) by Gustave Dewalque,
- a handwritten geological map of Spa (2016) by Jean-Marc Marion.
Windows to the world
For centuries maps have helped us find our way, on the road, at sea, in the sky and even in the universe...
As true scientific precision tools for particular fields, maps are often precious cultural and social documents, reflecting world views of societies at a given moment. Maps were often used for political and commercial purposes in order to have better control of a given territory. They have become more diversified and have been introduced in new fields.
Modern cartography is of very high precision, thanks to satellite imaging, which allows us to study the dynamics of various phenomena, meteorology and atmospheric sciences, geology, the environment, the history of society, works of art, etc.
Whatever their nature may be, maps allow us to adventure into the different spaces that surround us and to comprehend them. Some maps help us find our way, others help us to measure, calculate, anticipate, etc. And still others just make us marvel and wonder in the face of their beauty or because they fuel our thirst for exploring new spaces and the world.
The exposition Cartographiae was initiated by the Federal Science Policy Office and its ten federal scientific institutions (the State Archives, the Royal Library, the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, the Royal Meteorological Institute, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, the Royal Museum for Central Africa, the Royal Museums of Art and History, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the Royal Observatory and the Planetarium), and the National Geographic Institute.
In practice
Security checks are carried out at the entrance. It is highly recommended not to bring any bags (any types of bags and luggage).
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