Here we are at the famous tree of 't Groot Verdriet (or 'big sorrow'),
a 200 year old Japanese honey tree.
In the 20th century, the Atrecht College was a girls-only dormitory.
Legend has it that many of their boyfriends stood here in sorrow
due to the 7:00 PM curfew that the college had.
The college was founded in the 16th century, by the bishop of the French city of Arras,
who was also the chancellor of KU Leuven at that time.
It was built to accommodate about 20 students,
who were mainly theologists.
As you can see the college was quite rich,
but for the students who lived here, life was very sober.
They did have a private tennis court though.
If you are a foreign student or a visiting scholar,
then you'll definitely find yourself here
since this is where the International Office of KU Leuven is.
Now let's go to the courtyard and check on a spectacular object.
This celestial sphere was designed by astronomer Ferdinand Verbiest.
It is an exact copy of the globe that Verbiest built
in the 18th century for the emperor of China in Beijing.
This scientific instrument was used to demonstrate the movements of the heavenly bodies.
The brass structure weighs nearly four tons
and depicts over a thousand astronomical objects.
Let's head back to the street. Follow me!