nl, Sint-Jacob-op-Koudenbergkerk , native_name_lang = , image = Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg during civil twilight (DSCF7448).jpg , imagesize = 250px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption = , pushpin map = , pushpin label position = , pushpin map alt = , pushpin mapsize = , map caption = , latd = , latm = , lats = , latNS = , longd = , longm = , longs = , longEW = , coordinates = , osgraw = , osgridref = , location = Place Royale / Koningsplein
B-1000 City of Brussels,

Brussels-Capital Region Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, 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 let ...

, previous denomination = , churchmanship = , membership = , attendance = , website = , former name = , bull date = , founded date = , founder = , dedication = Saint James , dedicated date = , consecrated date = , cult = , relics = , events = , past bishop = , people = , status = , functional status = Active , heritage designation = Protected , designated date = 02/12/1959 , architect =

Gilles-Barnabé Guimard Gilles-Barnabé Guimard (also Gilles Barnabé Guymard de Larabe or Barnabé Guimard) (1734–1805) was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands (present-day Belgium) where he led important architectural and ...

, architectural type =

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

, style = Neoclassical , groundbreaking = 1776 , completed date = 1849 , construction cost = , closed date = , demolished date = , capacity = , length = , width = , width nave = , height = , diameter = , other dimensions = , floor count = , floor area = , dome quantity = , dome height outer = , dome height inner = , dome dia outer = , dome dia inner = , spire quantity = , spire height = , materials = , bells = , bells hung = , bell weight = , parish = , deanery = , archdeaconry = , episcopalarea = , archdiocese = Mechelen–Brussels , metropolis = , diocese = , province = , presbytery = , synod = , circuit = , district = , division = , subdivision = , archbishop =

Jozef De Kesel Jozef De Kesel (born 17 June 1947) is a Belgian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a cardinal since 2016 and Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels since 2015. He served as Bishop of Bruges from 2010 to 2015. Early life De Kesel was b ...

(

Primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter including ...

of Belgium) , bishop = , dean = , provost = , provost-rector = , viceprovost = , subdean = , precentor = , chancellor = , canonchancellor = , canon = , canonmissioner = , canonpastor = , canontreasurer = , succentor = , archdeacon = , prebendary = , rector = , vicar = , curate = , priestincharge = , priest = , asstpriest = , minister = , assistant = , honpriest = , deacon = , deaconness = , seniorpastor = , pastor = , abbot = , chaplain = , reader = , student intern = , organistdom = , director = , organist = , organscholar = , chapterclerk = , laychapter = , warden = , verger = , businessmgr = , liturgycoord = , reledu = , rcia = , youthmin = , flowerguild = , musicgroup = , parishadmin = , serversguild = , logo = , logosize = , logolink = , logoalt = The Church of St. James on Coudenberg (french: Église Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg, nl, Sint-Jacob-op-Koudenbergkerk) is a

church located on the historic Place Royale/Koningsplein, in the Royal Quarter of

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, Belgium. It is dedicated to Saint James, one of the

Twelve Apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

. The neoclassical church was designed by the architects

and

Louis Montoyer Louis Montoyer (1747, Mariemont, Austrian Netherlands, now Belgium – 5 June 1811, Vienna) was an 18th-century Belgian-Austrian architect, principally active in Brussels and Vienna. Life He worked in Brussels as an architect and building co ...

and built from 1776 to 1787, replacing two neighbouring places of worship. In the 19th century, a dome and bell tower, as well as a coloured fresco, were added to it. The complex was designated a

historic 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 ...

in 1959. Nowadays, it ranks as royal

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

, and since 1986, as cathedral of the

Military Ordinariate of Belgium french: Diocèse aux Forces armées belges , image = Barré & Guimard - Eglise Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg 1.JPG , image_size = frameless , image_alt = , caption = Cathédrale Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg ...

. This site is served by Brussels Central Station, as well as by the

metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...

stations Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5) and Trône/Troon (on lines 2 and 6).

History

Early history

The Church of St. James on Coudenberg succeeds two neighbouring places of worship; the chapel of the

Palace of Coudenberg The Palace of Coudenberg (french: Palais du Coudenberg, nl, Coudenbergpaleis) was a royal residence situated on the Coudenberg or Koudenberg (; Dutch for "Cold Hill"), a small hill in what is today the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. F ...

and the Coudenberg's abbey church, both demolished by command of

Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine Prince Charles Alexander Emanuel of Lorraine (french: Charles Alexandre Emanuel, Prince de Lorraine; german: Karl Alexander von Lothringen und Bar; 12 December 1712 in Lunéville – 4 July 1780 in Tervuren) was a Lorraine-born Austrian general ...

, Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, during his expansive urban planning projects, despite having escaped the great fire of 1731 that destroyed the palace. Koudenbergklooster

The new church was built in line with the / on its present location on the Place Royale/Koningsplein. Construction of the facade was started by the French architect

after the designs of

Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré Jean Benoît Vincent Barré ( Seine-Port, Seine-et-Marne, 22 January 1735 - Seine-Port, 27 January 1824) was a French architect. He was one of the most important architects of the 18th century and one of the creators of the 'Louis XVI style' ...

(1775). The first stone was solemnly laid by Charles Alexander of Lorraine on 12 February 1776, and the portico was finished in 1780. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building wi ...

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

and sacristy were built under supervision of the Belgian-Austrian architect

in 1785–86. 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

Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands The governor ( nl, landvoogd) or governor-general () of the Habsburg Netherlands was a representative appointed by the Holy Roman emperor (1504-1556), the king of Spain (1556-1598, 1621-1706), and the archduke of Austria (1716-1794), to administer ...

. The present building was designed to serve as the Church of the Abbey of St. James on Coudenberg and therefore has a deep extended choir with place for

choir stalls A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the sanctuary, which houses the altar and Church tab ...

for the monks.

Later development

During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, the abbey was suspended and the church was made into a Temple of Reason, and then later into a Temple of Law. The church was returned to

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

control in 1802. On 21 July 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha took the oath that made him H.M. Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, on the front steps of the church. The building lost somewhat of its typical neoclassical temple-like appearance by the addition, in the 19th century, of a dome and bell tower (after the design of the architect

Tilman-François Suys Tilman-François Suys (in French) or Tieleman Frans Suys (in Dutch) (1 July 1783 – 22 July 1864) was a Belgian architect who also worked in the Netherlands. Biography Suys completed his architectural education in Paris, where he studied un ...

), as well as a coloured fresco by the painter Jean Portaels on the

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

. 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). The church's interior and facade were

protected Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...

through a

royal decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

issued on 2 December 1959.

Description

Exterior

The church's facade and portico, with its triangular

and its

peristyle In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (; from Greek ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. Tetrastoön ( grc, τετράστῳον or τετράστοον, lit=f ...

of six

Corinthian Corinthian or Corinthians may refer to: *Several Pauline epistles, books of the New Testament of the Bible: **First Epistle to the Corinthians **Second Epistle to the Corinthians **Third Epistle to the Corinthians (Orthodox) *A demonym relating to ...

columns, evoke the appearance of a Greco-Roman temple. The primitive

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

of the pediment representing ''The Sacrifice of the Mass'' by Adrien Joseph Anrion, destroyed in 1797, was replaced in 1815 by ''The Eye of Conscience''. It was once again replaced in 1851 by the current coloured fresco by Jean Portaels depicting, on a gold background, ''The Consoling Virgin of the Afflicted''. 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 ) and '' Moses'' (by the sculptor ). 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 Patmos ( el, Πάτμος, ) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. It is famous as the location where John of Patmos received the visions found in the Book of Revelation of the New Testament, and where the book was written. One of the northern ...

'' and ''

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupat ...

and Saint John healing a lame man''. 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 . They were formerly accompanied by two white stone statues of

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

and Saint John Nepomucene by Pierre Puyenbroeck, currently missing. 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 Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

dome and a scrolled lantern bearing the cross (1849–1851). File:Brussels - 2018-04-27 - Église Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg.jpg, Main facade and portico File:Brüssel Koudenbergkirche Hauptfassade Giebelfeld 201508.jpg, Tympanum of the

File:Église Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg - Clocher 1.JPG, Bell tower

Interior

The interior, designed by

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). The

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

(in Roman style), in the

, is made of white marble. The

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

comes from the Cistercian Cambron Abbey (Hainaut) and was placed in the church in 1789. High above the altar, in the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

, are

s in stucco or painted blue stone depicting ''The Nativity'', ''The Last Supper'' and ''The Entombment''. To the left of the altar is a white statue representing ''The Old Testament'', and to the right ''The New Testament''. These works were all designed by the sculptor

Gilles-Lambert Godecharle Gilles-Lambert Godecharle (2 December 1750 in Brussels − 24 February 1835 in Brussels) was a Belgian sculptor, a pupil of Laurent Delvaux, "the only sculptor of international repute in Delvaux's retinue", who became one of two outstanding repr ...

. At the division between the side altar and the main altar, on the left, is another white marble statue by Adrien Joseph Anrion, representing ''Saint Peter'', and on the right is a statue by the same sculptor depicting ''Religion''. In the central

is a remarkable

nomenclature Nomenclature (, ) is a system of names or terms, or the rules for forming these terms in a particular field of arts or sciences. The principles of naming vary from the relatively informal conventions of everyday speech to the internationally ag ...

of the parishioners who lost their lives for the fatherland during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Opposite is the pulpit built by Jozef Van Meeuwen (1793). Close to this masterpiece is a sculpture of '' Saint Joseph and Child'', sculpted in 1746 by Laurent Delvaux. Above it hang memorial plaques of

Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders nl, Filips Eugeen Ferdinand Marie Clemens Boudewijn Leopold Joris , image = Philippe comte de Flandre (1880).jpg , caption = , spouse = , issue = , house = Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , father ...

and his wife,

Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Princess Marie Luise Karoline Alexandra of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (17 November 1845 – 26 November 1912), later Countess of Flanders, was a princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern. She married Prince Philippe, Count ...

, the parents of the late King Albert I. Also in the central nave is a

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery or sculpture in multiple colors. Ancient Egypt Colossal statu ...

wooden statue by Ch. Vlaminck (1888) representing ''Saint James''. At both ends of the

are two large paintings by

Jean-François Portaels Jean-François Portaels or Jan Portaels (3 April 1818 – 8 February 1895) was a Belgian painter of genre scenes, biblical stories, landscapes, portraits and orientalist subjects. He was also a teacher and director of the Academy of Fine Arts ...

: ''The Crucifixion'' and ''The Cross'', while the

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

''The Stations of the Cross'', hung in the side

aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, par ...

s, is the work of the sculptor . The church also has a gallery pipe organ, dating from 1844, the work of the renowned organ-builder . Some parts of the case come from an older work of art, designed by Koenraad van Eyck in the 18th century. File:Goetghebuer - 1827 - Choix des monuments - 009 Plan Eglise Saint Jacques Bruxelles.jpg, Floor plan of the church, from Pierre-Jacques Goetghebuer's ''Choix des monuments'' (1827) File:Sint-Jacobskerk-op-Koudenberg - Middenbeuk & Koor.JPG, Interior of the

and

File:Sint-Jacobskerk-op-Koudenberg - Middenbeuk & orgel.JPG, Built-in

columns, nave and organ

References

Notes

Bibliography

* 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. * * {{Catholic Church in Belgium Roman Catholic churches in Brussels City of Brussels Protected heritage sites in Brussels Neoclassical church buildings in Belgium 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Belgium Roman Catholic churches completed in 1787 1787 establishments in the Habsburg monarchy 1787 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Establishments in the Austrian Netherlands Cathedrals of military ordinariates Leopold I of Belgium