{"id":4290,"date":"2018-10-11T10:51:13","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T08:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/?p=4290"},"modified":"2026-03-14T12:23:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T11:23:26","slug":"the-gargoyles-on-the-provincial-palace-in-bruges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/the-gargoyles-on-the-provincial-palace-in-bruges\/","title":{"rendered":"Gargoyles of the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this entry, we return to the city of <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/gargoyles-in-bruges-belgium\/\">Bruges<\/a> (Belgium) to discover a few more of its <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/the-gargoyles\/\">gargoyles<\/a>. Immersed in its atmosphere of magical, fairy-tale architecture, once again we find magnificent gargoyles jutting out from the city&#8217;s splendid buildings.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>The Provincial Palace of Bruges<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among these magnificent buildings is the Provincial Palace, a majestic Neo-Gothic style building dating from between 1887 and 1921 and standing in the Market Square. Its white stone fa\u00e7ade is one of the most attractive features of the buildings in the famous Grote Markt. The Palace stands on what was originally the site of the medieval Water Halls. Today it&#8217;s the seat of the Provincial Government.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-4290 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"831\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyles on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium).\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica.jpg 831w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 831px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-17.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"833\" height=\"625\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-17.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyles on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium).\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-17.jpg 833w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-17-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 833px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Gargoyles of the Building and Their Typologies<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are several different <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/types-of-gargoyles\/\">types of gargoyles<\/a>. One can observe <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/videos-the-gargoyle-and-its-iconography\/video-typologies-in-gargoyles-real-animals\/\">real animals<\/a>, hybrids or <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/animal-monsters-in-gargoyles\/\">animal monsters<\/a>, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/videos-the-gargoyle-and-its-iconography\/video-typologies-in-gargoyles-angels-and-demons\/\">demons<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11580 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargolas-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica.jpg\" alt=\"g\u00e1rgolas\" width=\"570\" height=\"428\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargolas-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica.jpg 570w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargolas-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 570px, 100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gargoyles Representing Real Animals<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We discovered two peculiar and unexpected animals, the owl and the fish. We&#8217;ve already discussed <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/unusual-animals-in-gargoyle-imagery-i\/\">owl <\/a>symbolism in a previous post. However, let&#8217;s remember that the owl was regarded as an attribute of Christ who sacrificed himself to save humanity; on its negative side it&#8217;s identified with Satan for being an animal that hides under cover of darkness and shuns the light.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It&#8217;s not common to see fish depicted as gargoyles. Fish are symbolically identified with Christ. This is because the letters in the Greek word <em>ichthus (<\/em>fish) make up the initials of the words forming the phrase: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. This acrostic spread from Rome out to all Christian groups as a \u201csecret\u201d symbol in times of persecution; only people who were familiar with Christian teachings could understand its meaning. This is why the fish symbol was often used in primitive Christian art and literature.\u00a0 The fish is also used as a symbol of baptism because, just like fish can&#8217;t live out of water, true Christians can&#8217;t live unless they have been washed clean by baptismal water. Tertullian (2nd century) says: \u201cWe, little fishes, after the example of our \u0399\u03a7\u0398\u03a5\u03a3 (Fish) Jesus Christ, are born in water, nor have we safety in any other way than by permanently abiding in water\u201d, in other words, in the faith of baptism. In terms of its negative meaning, hellish fish like Leviathan also exist, because, as with almost all the symbols of Christ, the fish was adopted by Christian symbolism to represent the devil, both in literature and in art. The Book of Job, which gives the name Leviathan to the monstrous king of the sea, was the inspiration for fish-like images of evil, with a head more or less like a dolphin spewing fire out of its mouth and devouring the damned.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-4290 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-13.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-13.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A real animal: an owl.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-13.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-13-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-10.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-10.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A real animal: a fish.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-10.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-10-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Gargoyles Representing Animal Monsters<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hybrids or animal monsters are very peculiar figures both in terms of form and type. We see some with dog-like heads and others that look like lions, with huge claws, canine teeth, long or short wings, and bulky chests or throats giving the appearance of front legs inserted into their bodies, a feature we already saw in some of the gargoyles on the <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/the-gargoyles-of-the-burghers-lodge-in-bruges\/\">Burghers&#8217; Lodge<\/a> in this same city.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-4290 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-9.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-9.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-9.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-9-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-5.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-5.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-5.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-5-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-8.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-8.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-8.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-8-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-4.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-4.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-4.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-4-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-6.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-6.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-6.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-6-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-1.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-1.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-1-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-7.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-7.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-7.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-7-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-16.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-16.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-16.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-16-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-15.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-15.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-15.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-15-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-20.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-20.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A monstrous beast.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-20.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-20-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Gargoyles Representing Demons<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The devils are similar figures to the previous ones \u2015 we could include all of them in the same type \u2015 however we&#8217;ll call devils the ones that possess one of the main features of the <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/the-devil-and-his-portrayal-in-gargoyles-i\/\">demonic type<\/a>, that of <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/superb-and-sinister-gargoyles-with-bat-like-wings-dantes-devil\/\">bats&#8217; wings<\/a>. Remember that wings are an element linked to the devil as they suggest the idea of fallen angel. From the 9th to the 13th century, the devil was portrayed with feathered wings like those of angels, but darker and shorter. And around the 14th century we start to see the devil with bat&#8217;s wings, as described by Dante in his <em>Inferno<\/em>. They also have other features such as goatee beard, claws, protuberances and marked throats like the hybrids.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Generally speaking they are simply carved gargoyles but full of detail like eyes, fur, moustaches, mouths, etc. They are also very <a href=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/expressiveness-in-images-of-gargoyles\/\">expressive<\/a> figures, some with fierce facial expressions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A magnificent set of gargoyles for one of the most beautiful buildings in Bruges.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-4 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-4 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-4 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-4 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-4290 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-12.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-12.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A demonic monster with membranous wings.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-12.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-12-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-3.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A demonic monster with membranous wings.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-3.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-3-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-11.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-11.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A demonic monster with membranous wings.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-11.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-11-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-2.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A demonic monster with membranous wings.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-2.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-2-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-14.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-14.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A demonic monster with membranous wings.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-14.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-14-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-22.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-22.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A demonic monster with membranous wings.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-22.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-22-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-21.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-21.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A demonic monster with membranous wings.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-21.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-21-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-18.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-18.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Gargoyle on the Provincial Palace of Bruges (Belgium). A demonic monster with membranous wings.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-18.jpg 850w, https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gargola-del-Palacio-Provincial-de-Brujas-Belgica-18-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 850px, 100vw\" title=\"\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>This entry was originally published in October 2018 and updated in February 2026<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Bibliography<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">FERGUSON, G., <em>Signs &amp; symbols in Christian Art<\/em>, New York, Oxford University Press, 1961.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">LINK, L., <em>El Diablo. Una m\u00e1scara sin rostro<\/em>, Madrid, Editorial S\u00edntesis, S. A., 2002.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">MALAXECHEVERR\u00cdA, I., <em>Bestiario medieval<\/em>, Madrid, Ediciones Siruela, S. A., 2008.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">MATEO G\u00d3MEZ, I., <em>Temas profanos en la escultura g\u00f3tica espa\u00f1ola. Las siller\u00edas de coro<\/em>, Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas. Instituto Diego Vel\u00e1zquez, 1979.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">REBOLD BENTON, J., <em>Holy Terrors. Gargoyles on medieval buildings<\/em>, New York, Abbeville Press, 1997.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; In this entry, we return to the city of Bruges (Belgium) to discover a few more of its gargoyles. Immersed in its atmosphere of magical, fairy-tale architecture, once again we find magnificent gargoyles jutting out from the city&#8217;s splendid buildings. &nbsp; The Provincial Palace of Bruges Among these magnificent buildings is the Provincial Palace, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[477,482,480],"tags":[850,857,2744,1990,2797,2465,187,72,2059,2795,2403,2796],"class_list":["post-4290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-gargoyles","category-gargoyles-of-angels-and-demons","category-monster-gargoyles","tag-architectural-heritage","tag-architectural-sculpture","tag-belgium","tag-bruges","tag-demon","tag-escultura-arquitectonica","tag-gargolas-en","tag-gargoyles-en","tag-iconography","tag-neo-gothic-gargoyles","tag-tipologias-de-gargolas-en","tag-typologies-of-gargoyles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4290"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19922,"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4290\/revisions\/19922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}