Groeninge Monument

The Groeninge Monument is a

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 the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

city of

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 ...

. The gilded statue was inaugurated to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Battle of the Golden Spurs. The statue is situated in the Groeningepark, where during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

the Groeninge battlefield was situated. In this park one can also find the Groeningegate, a

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cro ...

, which gives access to the park. The Groeninge Monument was designed by sculptor Godfried Devreese. It was planned to be inaugurated in 1902, but was not ready until 1906, when it was unveiled on 5 August. The gilded statue represents the Virgin 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, ...

, who holds aloft a spear whilst holding in the other the Flemish Lion. {{coord, 50.8287, 3.2758, type:landmark_region:BE, display=title Buildings and structures in Kortrijk History of Kortrijk Gates in Belgium Monuments and memorials in Belgium Tourist attractions in West Flanders