The Church of Our Lady ( nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) is a church in the Belgian municipality of

Temse Temse (; french: Tamise ) is a municipality in East Flanders, Belgium. The name Temse is derived from the Gallo-Roman/Gaul Tamisiacum or Tamasiacum. This is also reflected in the French name for the town, Tamise. The main sights include the Ch ...

. It is dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

and its foundation, which is presumed to date to 770, is attributed to Amalberga of Temse.

History

This three-aisled

hall church A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an archi ...

has a complex building history. Excavations in 1979 discovered a semicircular Romanesque apse. It is thought that other old parts are hidden under the plaster. From the later Romanesque period have been preserved the three-aisled cruciform church with an eight-sided crossing tower and choir with a semicircular apse. Tournai limestone was incorporated in the facades of the southern transept. Philip the Fair granted a special tax in 1496 to pay for the repair and reconstruction of the church after heavy fire damage. The choir is thought to date from the 1496 reconstruction, while the choir on the northern side dates from 1591. In the 17th century the crossing tower was in poor condition. The repair was paid for through a levy of tithes by Saint Peter's Abbey in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...

. It was rebuilt under engineer Anton Wauters, after a design by

Adriaan Nijs Adriaan Nijs (6 June 1683 – 21 April 1771) was a Flemish sculptor active in the Waasland. He was educated in Antwerp, where he was a pupil of Hendrik Frans Verbruggen. At the end of his life he settled in Temse. His oeuvre is known for its pur ...

. The choir on the southern side was added in 1842, and, also in the 19th century, parts of the church were extended and a baptistery, a northern portal, a southern stair tower, and sacristy (south) were also added. In 1979 the church was thoroughly restored, with roofing and drainage renewed. Inside the church there is an 18th-century sculpture by Adriaan Nijs and his son Philips Alexander and a mausoleum from 1517 of Roeland Lefèvre, the first lord of Temse. Silverware and a number of paintings, including one by

Cornelis Schut Cornelis Schut (13 May 1597 – 29 April 1655) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, engraver and tapestry designer who specialized in religious and mythological scenes. Presumed to have trained under Rubens, he treated Counter-Reformation ...

, can also be seen. It was the church of Schut's parents-in-law. Near the church is a statue of priest

Edward Poppe Edward Poppe (18 December 1890 – 10 June 1924) was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest who advocated for the frequent reception of the sacraments and established a children's league dedicated to the Eucharist; he was a strong critic of Marxism and ...

References

{{Catholic Church in Belgium Bell towers in Belgium Flemish art Romanesque architecture in Belgium Gothic architecture in Belgium Roman Catholic churches in Belgium Churches in East Flanders