The crossbowmen of Sablon

New opportunity to enjoy the crossbowmen on June 26th and 28th in Brussels

This is one of the activities included in the program of the Ommegang festival, which as every year is held at the end of June in Brussels. And seeing the Crossbowmen de Sablon live is one of those things that, at least, have to be seen once in a lifetime.

On June 26th and 28th, you will have the opportunity to enjoy watching the Ballesteros of Notre Dame de Sablon in action, and the crossbowmen of the Grand Serment Royal and St. George. A guild that has been recorded since the beginning of the thirteenth century, when Duke Henry III granted the «Oath of the Ballesteros» the category of guild, along with the privilege of using a sector outside Brussels (the current district of Sablon) for its practices.

The schedule that you can enjoy both days is as follows:

· 19:20: disposition of the two guilds of crossbowmen, who go up to the esplanade of the church of Sablon.

· 19:30: shooting contest with crossbow, with delivery of the Golden Arrow in front of the esplanade.

By the way, and as a curiosity, the church where the exhibition is held, that of Notre Dame de Sablon, was financed by the Guild of Ballesteros in the style of late Gothic around 1304. And if you wonder why the name of the neighborhood where it sits -Sablon-, which you know refers to the sandy wetland that existed there until the land was populated in the seventeenth century.

And so you can get an idea of ​​that recreation, here is this video:

More information: https://www.ommegang.be/festivities/?lang=en