Originally called rue d'Angleterre to commemorate the visit of King Edward III of England to his brother-in-law Duke John I n 1298, this street derived its name from the Arca Dei hospice built here by the Clutinc family in 1228. In 1385, an adjoining chapel was built and both buildings survived until 1819. A riding school on the site was destroyed by Dutch shelling during the Belgian Revolution.
The name also designated the district that included adjacent streets. The street and district were demolished, beginning in 1910, to make way for the Gare Centrale.
Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Paul F. State.