, native_name_lang = nl , image = ID59447-Kortrijk Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk-PM 21760.jpg , imagesize = 250 , caption = Church of Our Lady , location =

Kortrijk Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Regio ...

, country =

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 ...

, denomination =

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, style = Romanesque , founded date = 1199 , completed date = , height = , length = , width = , heritage designation =

Monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

, designated date = The Church of Our Lady ( nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) in a former

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a ...

located in the centre of

, Belgium. It was built and established by Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders in 1199.

History

Early history

Waterspuwer Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk Kortrijk

The church played a major role in the history of the

County of Flanders The County of Flanders was a historic territory in the Low Countries. From 862 onwards, the counts of Flanders were among the original twelve peers of the Kingdom of France. For centuries, their estates around the cities of Ghent, Bruges and Yp ...

. The original chapel was situated within the domain of the

Counts of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the co ...

which was, except for the part along the river Lys, fully walled. By request of Balduin IX and his wif

Mary of Champagne Marie of Champagne ( – 29 August 1204) was the first Latin Empress of Constantinople by marriage to Emperor Baldwin I. She acted as regent of Flanders during the absence of her spouse from 1202 until 1204. Life Marie was a daughter of Hen ...

, the chapel was extended and became church. Inside a collegiate chapter with twelve canons in honour of our lady was installed by request of the Count. This chapter received papal approbation in 1203 by

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...

.Aken of Jeruzalem?: het ontstaan en de hervorming van de kanonikale instellingen in Vlaanderen tot circa 1155, Volume 1/Leuven University Press, 2000 - pag 596 Th count provided himself the

Prebendaries A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

and gave important relics, that came from

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

with the crusades. The chapter was considered one of the most important of Flanders. After the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, which took place nearby on the Groeningekouter, the Flemish people hung 500 Golden Spurs of killed French knights on the ceiling of the church. Mercenaries took them away, in 1382 after the

Battle of Roosebeke The Battle of Roosebeke (sometimes referred by its contemporary name as Battle of Westrozebeke) took place on 27 November 1382 on the Goudberg between a Flemish army under Philip van Artevelde and a French army under Louis II of Flanders who ha ...

. They were replaced by replicas which can still be seen in the church. In 1370, Count

Louis II of Flanders Louis II ( nl, Lodewijk van Male; french: Louis II de Flandre) (25 October 1330, Male – 30 January 1384, Lille), also known as Louis of Male, a member of the House of Dampierre, was Count of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel from 1346 as well as ...

had the Count's chapel built to be a

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

for himself and in honour of Saint Catherine. The chapel contains

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

s of all the counts and governors 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, ...

, during the Spanish and Austrian periods. During the 15th century, the church was renovated. The castle was not restored and the domain was parcelled out (O.L.V.-straat, Konventstraat, Guido Gezellestraat, Kapittelstraat and Pieter de Cockelaerestraat). Only the church, the

Broeltowers The Broel Towers ( nl, Broeltorens) are a listed monument and a landmark in the Belgian city of Kortrijk (''Courtrai''). The towers are known as one of the most important symbols of the city. History Although they look identical, the towers w ...

and the Artillery tower are the remains of the former medieval castle.

18th and 19th centuries

In 1797, French troops invaded the city. They chased the canons out of their church and together with twelve convents, chapels and churches, the church was sold. The archives of the chapter were brought to the city archives and other possessions were destroyed. Thanks to the concordat between

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

and

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

, the church became the parish church of the parish of Our Lady. The canons never returned.

Guido Gezelle Guido Pieter Theodorus Josephus Gezelle (1 May 1830 – 27 November 1899) was an influential writer and poet and a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium. He is famous for the use of the West Flemish dialect. Life Gezelle was born in Bruges in ...

was the priest of this parish between 1872 and 1889.

Interior

The church is currently still used as a parish church, most of the interior dates from the late Baroque period. The mean organ is sculpted in Rococo style, built by Van Peteghem. The church also contains other important treasures such as the altarpiece of

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh c ...

’s ''Raising of the Cross''. This painting was commanded by the reverend canon Roger Braye, dating 1631. In the choir chapels we can find important graves and memorials. In the south a small door gives access to the gothic "Gravenkapel". After the Second World War some parts needed to be restored.

References

External links

Church of Our Lady Kortrijk
{{Coord, 50, 49, 45, N, 3, 16, 2, E, type:landmark_region:BE_source:nlwiki, display=title Collegiate churches in Belgium Roman Catholic churches in Kortrijk History of Kortrijk