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Ghent
may well be the most beautiful city in Belgium and the SAINT BAVO may be the
most awesome cathedral in the country. It was named after Saint Bavo, a
7th century local nobleman who became a saint after he had given away his
possessions to the poor and entered the monastery. The cathedral with its
mighty uprising tower is perhaps the most visible sign of the pride of the
citizens of Ghent.
The origins
Around 1100 Ghent had become one of the most important and well-known cities
north of the Alps. This was partially due to the Flemish cloth trade. A city
like that needed, of course, a church that reflected the status of wealth
and importance. At the site of the present cathedral a wooden church
founded in 942 and dedicated to Saint John must have stood. This first
church was replaced in 1038 with a church in Romanesque style, about which
little is known. A part of it has been preserved in the early medieval crypt
which is situated under the present gothic choir.
The
construction of the gothic church
The
Romanesque church had become to small and started to deteriorate by the end
of the 13th century. It was then decided to construct a beautiful gothic
construction above the old Saint John's church. First, a gothic choir was
built above the old choir. The new choir was consecrated in 1353. The
chapels around the choir were finished by the beginning of the 15th century.
The
tower was built from 1462 until 1538. The construction of the aisles and the
nave started in 1533. Finally, on June 7th 1569 the construction was
finished and the new gothic cathedral of Saint Bavo was consecrated. In
1540 the old Saint Bavo abbey had been closed by order of emperor Charles V.
Therefore, the canons of this abbey moved to the Saint John's church which
was then renamed Saint Bavo Church. In 1561 the diocese of Ghent had been
founded, which changed the status of the church to the status of cathedral
(seat of the bishop of Gent).
Nothing, however, matches the
beauty of the most important work of art in Belgium that can be seen in the
Saint Bavo cathedral: the famous 'Adoration
of the mystic lamb', a polypthic painted by Jan and Hubert
Van Eyck in 1432 for the chapel of Joost Vijd. T
The
decoration
On the inside the cathedral is very impressive with its 33 meter high roof
constructed with bricks. During the Iconoclasm in 1566 a large part of
the gothic decoration was destroyed a later replaced with renaissance
and baroque art. A lot of rich citizens and bishops contributed to the art
collection with donations and beautifully decorated tombs. Among the most
beautiful and important works of art are : the baroque pulpit
(sculpted in 1745 by Laurent Delvaux), the tombstone of Bishop Triest,
the painting of 'Saint Bavo entering the monastery', painted by Rubens.
The crypt under the choir also harbors a fantastic collection of paintings
and church utensils that belong to the church treasures.
Location : St.Baafsplein
Admission hours and entrance fees :
VisitGent.be
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