Halle (Eurotoday): Geert De Poorter has restored the 19th-century Villa Servais in Halle, Belgium, transforming it into a bed and breakfast and concert hall. Inspired by its history, he is building a garden seating area using blue limestone from the demolished local station, enhancing cultural events while honoring cellist François Servais’s legacy.
The villa of the legendary 19th-century cellist François Servais in Halle, Belgium, has been restored and is now owned by Geert De Poorter. It serves as a bed and breakfast, concert hall, and exhibition space, honoring Servais’s legacy while providing a venue for cultural events. De Poorter is also adding seating in the villa’s garden, creating a new space for outdoor concerts and events during the summer months.
How is Geert De Poorter reviving François Servais’s legacy at Villa Servais?
The idea for the new seating area in the garden of the villa is inspired by its historical significance. When François Servais lived there, the garden overlooked the local station, which was demolished in 1993. Geert De Poorter managed to get about 20 pallets of blue limestone from the original station building. These historic stones are being repurposed to create the seating tribune, preserving a piece of the past while enhancing the cultural atmosphere of the villa’s garden. This project blends history with modern use, creating a unique space where music and heritage come together.
It has been said that building the grandstand costs money, so Geert will sell champagne with a label of the Halle musician Servais and his favorite instrument, the cello. He also asked the community to help restore the villa. Many older people in Halle miss their old station. Now, the stones from that 19th-century building are being reused, making the grandstand special. Geert said the stones were in a waste container for years, then moved to Edingen, and now they are in the villa’s garden.
Comments
One response to “Villa Servais: Geert De Poorter Brings 19th-Century Cellist’s Legacy Back to Life in Halle”
-
Reviving a 19th-century cellist’s legacy with a side of recycled limestone? Talk about a sustainable twist! Next, they’ll be serving tea from the last century and calling it avant-garde. 😏🍵
Last News
Why Commemorating the Roma Holocaust Alone "Is Not Enough"
Some 82 years after the mass murder of Roma and Sinti at Auschwitz-Birkenau, anti-Roma hate persists. Today’s Roma Holocaust Memorial Day is a warning that Europe is still failing to turn the lessons of history into political reality.
This September, Saxony-Anhalt goes to the polls, with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) polling above 40 per cent and within reach of an outright majority. Over 80
Andy Burnham’s 6 Most Shameless Manchester Promos
He danced in a dad-style to New Order’s “True Faith” upon becoming Labour leader and featured a TikTok blind ranking of five bands, with four hailing from Manchester.
Naturally, his official Spotify selection during the Makerfield by-election was filled with tracks by
Dublin Event on World Humanitarian Day to Focus on Practical Helping Skills
KINGNEWSWIRE // PRESS RELEASE
Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin to highlight humanitarian principles through community service
DUBLIN, Ireland, 3 August 2026 — On Saturday, 29 August 2026, a World Humanitarian Day event focusing on practical community service methods will be held at the Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin.
The three-hour event from 2 p.m
Some MEPs Urge EU Parliament to Reconvene for Ceuta Crisis Discussion
Some MEPs have formally requested that the European Parliament be convened on an “exceptional basis” for an urgent debate on the migration crisis in Ceuta.
This, they say, should be with the participation of the Council and the European Commission.
The parliament is currently in recess for the summer and reconvening would be an exceptional step.
The extraordinary surge of arrivals has left at le
EU Ministers Support Spain Amid Ceuta Crisis, Elevating Migration on Agenda
“Everyone is very willing and eager to help, acknowledging this has been very difficult f
UN CRPD Committee Urges Council of Europe Member States to Reject and Withdraw Additional Protocol
France and Guinea Transformed Restitution into a Political Deal
In the reserves of the Musée de l’Armée in Paris sits a manuscript that France and Guinea have both decided, this summer, they want to talk about. It is the personal Quran of Samory Touré, the Malinke cleric and general who fought the French army across West Africa for sixteen years before his capture in 1898. Conakry has filed a formal request to bring it home, along with his sabre, his war tun
| The Times of Europe
A coalition of disability and human rights organizations, mental health service providers, and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) calls on the Council of Europe to abandon the draft Additional Protocol to the Oviedo Convention on mental healthcare, arguing it would entrench coercion and fo
Poland Appeals €1.3B Pfizer Vaccine Ruling
“The court of first instance’s decision does not consider all pertinent factual and legal aspects of
Bible Dictionary – Version 3
Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria, mentioned in the New Testament as an educated and “eloquent” man, familiar with the Scriptures. He preached about Jesus, initially only knowing about John’s baptism. In Ephesus, he learned more about the Christian faith from Aquila and Priscilla. Later, he became a valued member of the Corinthian church and a collaborator of Paul, who r
Leave a Reply