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OUR LADY'S CHURCH is the oldest building in town (13th century). It
was part of the town's fortifications, which were built to defend the castle
of the Counts, now completely disappeared. The front with the two towers
dates back to the second half of the 13th century. The castle and the
chapel, built by Lodewijk van Maele in honour of Saint Catherina about 1370,
were destroyed after the battle of Westrozebeke in 1382. The church was
rebuilt in the style of the 15th century. In 1578, the iconoclasts destroyed
the interior. The church's interior was repaired in baroque style during the
15th century. In the front part on the right is the Chapel of the Counts with mural paintings of
the "Forestiers" and the Counts of Flanders.
Besides an alabaster statue of Saint Catherina, we also find the late
baroque altar and the painting "The Erection of the Cross" by A. Van Dyck.
On the lawn outside the church, is the statue of Guido Gezelle, Flander's greatest poet. He was vicar in Our Lady's Church from 1872 and wrote here among other volumes of poems: "Tijdkrans" and "Rijmsnoer". He also produced a marvellous translation of Longfellow's Hiawatha.
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