Church of St. James on Coudenberg
Church of St. James on Coudenberg | ||
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| ||
Groundbreaking | 1776 | |
Completed | 1849 | |
Administration | ||
Archdiocese | Mechelen–Brussels | |
Clergy | ||
Archbishop | Luc Terlinden (Primate of Belgium) |
The Church of St. James on Coudenberg (
The
This site is served by
).History
Early history
The Church of St. James on Coudenberg succeeds two neighbouring places of worship, the chapel of the Palace of Coudenberg and the Coudenberg's abbey church, both demolished by command of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, during his expansive urban planning projects, despite having escaped the great fire of 1731 that destroyed the palace.[2]
The new church was built in line with the Rue Montagne de la Cour/Hofberg on its present location on the
After the building's consecration, it was used as an abbey and parish church at the same time. Moreover, it was the official church of the court of the
Later development
During the
The building lost somewhat of its typical
During the 20th century, maintenance and restoration work was carried out on various occasions both inside and outside: among others in 1903–04; in 1924–25 (construction of the current steps); in 1935–36 (architect A. Delpy); in 1960–1970 (architect J. Rombaux) and in 1987 (restoration of the bell tower).
Description
Exterior
The church's facade and
Two colossal statues from the end of the 18th century, on a high cylindrical base, frame the portico between the doors: King David (by the sculptor François-Joseph Janssens ) and Moses (by the sculptor Jean Philippe Augustin Ollivier ). At the top of the portico's three walls are five bas-reliefs by Ollivier of Marseilles, illustrating, from left to right, Christ driving out the merchants of the Temple, Saint John Nepomucene, The martyrdom of Saint James, Saint John at Patmos and Saint Peter and Saint John healing a lame man.[7]
The three blue stone statues of the pediment—Saint James (in the centre) with Saint Andrew (to his right) and Saint John (to his left)—dating from 1861, are the work of the sculptor Égide Mélot . They were formerly accompanied by two white stone statues of Saint Augustine and Saint John Nepomucene by Pierre Puyenbroeck, currently missing.[7]
The building's upper part comprises a chamfered attic with lateral slopes surmounted by a rectangular balustrade and an octagonal wooden bell tower. This bell tower, painted in two shades of gray and enhanced with gold in 1987, is capped by a copper dome and a scrolled lantern bearing the cross (1849–1851).[7]
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Main facade and portico
Interior
The interior, designed by Louis Montoyer in neoclassical style, is plain, sober and solemn, giving the place a very spacious and light impression. Particularly striking are the built-in Corinthian columns (1785–1787).[8]
The
In the central
The church also has a gallery pipe organ, dating from 1844, the work of the renowned organ-builder Pierre Schyven .[9][10] Some parts of the case come from an older work of art, designed by Koenraad van Eyck in the 18th century.
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Floor plan of the church, from Pierre-Jacques Goetghebuer's Choix des monuments (1827)
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Built-in Corinthian columns, nave and organ
See also
- List of churches in Brussels
- Roman Catholicism in Belgium
- Neoclassical architecture in Belgium
- History of Brussels
- Culture of Belgium
- Belgium in the long nineteenth century
References
Citations
- ^ a b c "Bruxelles Pentagone - Eglise Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg - Place Royale 6a - GUIMARD Barnabé". www.irismonument.be. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
- ^ Wasseige 1995, p. 6–7.
- ^ a b c Mardaga 1994, p. 226.
- ^ Wasseige 1995, p. 19.
- ^ Mardaga 1994, p. 225.
- ^ Wasseige 1995, p. 19–20.
- ^ a b c Mardaga 1994, p. 226–227.
- ^ Mardaga 1994, p. 229–230.
- ^ a b c Mardaga 1994, p. 230.
- ^ "Orgues en Région de Bruxelles-Capitale". www.orgues.irisnet.be. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
Bibliography
- (in Dutch) Braeken, Jo, Lydie Mondelaers a.o., Bouwen door de eeuwen heen in Brussel. Inventaris van het cultuurbezit in België. Architectuur. Deel Brussel 1B. Stad Brussel. Binnenstad. H-O, Liège, Pierre Mardaga Éditeur, 1993.
- Demey, Thierry (2013). Bruxelles, des remparts aux boulevards (in French). Brussels: Badeaux. ISBN 978-2-930609-02-7.
- Wasseige, Manoëlle (1995). Le Quartier Royal. Bruxelles, ville d'Art et d'Histoire (in French). Vol. 15. Brussels: Éditions de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale.
- Le Patrimoine monumental de la Belgique: Bruxelles (PDF) (in French). Vol. 1C: Pentagone N-Z. Liège: Pierre Mardaga. 1994.
External links
- Media related to Church of Saint James on Coudenberg at Wikimedia Commons