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Place du Vieux Marché
“Why don’t we start with the Vieux Marché? Tintin told us he was going there this morning: maybe we’ll meet him.”
Thomson to his colleague Thompson
A model ship, a treasure and an adventure in the meanders of the past of the knight of Hadoque, such is the heart of Secret of the Unicornthe eleventh adventure of Tintin imagined by Hergé. This story begins on a famous square in a district of Brussels, the Place du jeu de la balle.
The place du Vieux Marché and its famous flea market
For several days, the Brussels police have been on the alert. Pickpocketing is on the rise. The Thompson and Thompson’s mission is to try to discover the authors of these misdeeds. They then go to the place du Vieux Marché where they know that Tintin has his habits.
The young reporter finds a model of a ship that he plans to give to Captain Haddock. But before they can pay the seller, two men – Ivan Sakharin and Barnabas – also want to buy it. The old sea wolf immediately recognized the replica of the Unicorn, the boat of his ancestor the Knight of Hadoque.
The place of the ball game in the heart of Marolles
The first plates of the Secret of the Unicorn have become part of the collective memory through the famous album of Hergé but also through the animated film The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn directed by Steven Spielberg.
Both the album and the film open their plot on the place du Vieux Marché, today’s ball game square. In the heart of the Marolles district of the Belgian capital, this place hosts a daily flea market. Hergé used to go to this place. From 6 am to 2 pm on weekdays and from 6 am to 3 pm on weekends, merchants, antique dealers and second-hand dealers unpack their objects but not only around Tintin.
Tintin, a real manneken of Brussels
The place du jeu de balle smells of the special atmosphere of Brussels. It is lined with stalls, bars and stores, more than 500 in the area.
The reporter lives not far from where he buys the model. His apartment is located at number 26 Newfoundland Street, ten minutes walk northeast of the ball park.
In 2019, The Adventures of Tintin reached 270 million albums sold worldwide. They are translated into more than 110 languages and dialects.
Place du Jeu de Balle
The place du jeu de balle is located in the heart of the popular district of Marolles in Brussels.
Famous thanks to Tintin and his album Le secret de la licorne, the place du jeu de balle smells good the atmosphere of the Belgian capital.
In 1853, it was laid out on the site of a former locomotive factory. At that time, the inhabitants played ball pelota, a very popular sport in the 20th century.
Twenty years later, the town council decided to install the old market there, hence its former name: the Old Market Square.
From 6 am to 2 pm on weekdays and from 6 am to 3 pm on weekends, the merchants unpack their goods.
This district has 500 stores, boutiques and stalls. Walkers or tourists can also enjoy the parish church of Notre-Dame-Immacumée dating from 1862 and the old fire station of Brussels dating from 1860.
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Tintin Volume 13 - The Seven Crystal Balls
Resume: The world’s most famous travelling reporter is faced with an ancient Inca curse, which is causing its victims to fall into a life-threatening coma. The tomb of Rascar Capac has been unearthed! Would the mummy of Rascar Capac be at the origin of a curse?
Go with Tintin and Captain Haddock in search of Professor Calculus in this volume 13 of the adventures of the famous reporter.
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By Damien Canteau
Passionné par l'Histoire, les animés, les Arts et la bande dessinée en particulier, Damien est le rédacteur en chef du site spécialisé dans le 9e art, Comixtrip.