The Basilica of Our Lady (french: Basilique de Notre-Dame de Tongre nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Basiliek) also called Old Cathedral of Tongeren It is the main place of Catholic worship in the city of
Tongeren
Tongeren (; french: Tongres ; german: Tongern ; li, Tóngere ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the onl ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and the former cathedral of the suppressed diocese of Tongeren.
History
Archaeological excavations found some of the richest archaeological finds of
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
, including wooden houses from the 1st century. The excavations have also shown the presence of a construction area already present in the fourth century and a A Merovingian church predating a
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
house of prayer from the ninth century.
[
The construction of the present church choir began in 1240.][ The basilica was built in the ]Gothic style
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
, according to the local interpretation of the Gothic Brabant, in the thirteenth century. The nave, transept and side chapels were added between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.
The original Romanesque bell tower was replaced by the current Gothic tower, measuring 64 meters high, built between 1442 and 1541.["Basilica of our Lady", Tongeren Toerisme]
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In 1999, the belfry of the basilica was inscribed on the UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage List
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...
as a part of the Belfries of Belgium and France
The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of emerging civic indep ...
site, as testimony to its importance in civic (rather than religious) functions (like its role as a watch-tower) and its Gothic architecture.
See also
*Roman Catholicism in Belgium
The Catholic Church in Belgium, part of the global Catholic Church in Belgium, is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome and the Episcopal Conference of Bishops.
Dioceses
There are eight dioceses, including one archdioces ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Our Lady Cathedral, Church
Roman Catholic cathedrals in Belgium
Buildings and structures in Tongeren
Basilica churches in Belgium