nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Kapellekerk , native_name_lang = , image = Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Kapellekerk Brussel 30-4-2017 08-20-19.JPG , imagesize = , imagealt = , caption = Chapel Church , coordinates = , 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 ...

, osgridref = , osgraw = , location = /
B-1000

City of Brussels The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical City centre, centre of the Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, as well a ...

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 ...

, previous denomination = , churchmanship = , membership = , attendance = , website = , former name = , bull date = , founded date = , founder = , dedication = Our Lady of the Chapel , dedicated date = , consecrated date = , cult = , relics = , events = , past bishop = , people = , status = , functional status = Active , heritage designation = Protected , designated date = 05/03/1936 , architect = , 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 * Chris ...

, style = , years built = 12th–13th centuries , groundbreaking = , completed date = , 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 = , tower quantity = 1 , tower height = , 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 bor ...

(

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 huma ...

of Belgium) , bishop = , abbot = , prior = , subprior = , vicar = , exarch = , provost-rector = , provost = , viceprovost = , rector = , dean = , subdean = , archpriest = , precentor = , succentor = , chancellor = , canonchancellor = , canon = , canonpastor = , canonmissioner = , canontreasurer = , prebendary = , priestincharge = , priest = , asstpriest = , honpriest = , curate = , asstcurate = , minister = , assistant = , seniorpastor = , pastor = , chaplain = , archdeacon = , deacon = , reader = , student intern = , organistdom = , director = , organist = , organscholar = , chapterclerk = , laychapter = , warden = , verger = , businessmgr = , liturgycoord = , reledu = , rcia = , youthmin = , flowerguild = , musicgroup = , parishadmin = , serversguild = , logo = , logosize = , logolink = , logoalt = , embedded = , imagelink = , landscape = , deaconness = , elder = The Church of Our Lady of the Chapel (french: Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Chapelle, nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Kapellekerk), or the Chapel Church (french: link=no, Église de la Chapelle, nl, link=no, Kapellekerk), is a

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 ...

church located in the Marolles/Marollen district, in the historic centre 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 Our Lady of the Chapel. The church, in a Romanesque-

Gothic 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 ...

transitional style, was built between the 12th and 13th centuries above an earlier

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

. Following a fire in 1405, its

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 ...

was rebuilt in the

Brabantine Gothic Brabantine Gothic, occasionally called Brabantian Gothic, is a significant variant of Gothic architecture that is typical for the Low Countries. It surfaced in the first half of the 14th century at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in the City of Mechele ...

style and enlarged with side chapels. Its

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...

dates from the 18th century. 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, hist ...

in 1936. The church is located on the /, between the / and the /. This site is served by

Brussels-Chapel railway station Brussels-Chapel railway station (french: Gare de Bruxelles-Chapelle, nl, Station Brussel-Kapellekerk), officially Brussels-Chapel (french: Bruxelles-Chapelle, link=no, nl, Brussel-Kapellekerk, link=no), is a railway station on the North–Sou ...

History

Early history

The presence of a

in this place is testified by a

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

dated 1134 and signed by Count Godfrey I of Louvain, in which he donated a chapel erected ("outside the fortified centre of Brussels") to the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monks of Abbey of the Holy Sepulcher of

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, regio ...

, who immediately founded a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...

there. The monks' privileges were extended in 1195 by Duke Henri I of Brabant, who designated the chapel as ("chapel of the blessed Mary outside the walls of Brussels"). These mentions of ''outside the walls'' are part of the elements that have led certain historians to consider the construction of Brussels' first city walls as having preceded the generally accepted period at the beginning of the 13th century. Cantagallina veduta in Brusel

Nothing remains of the original chapel, which was probably under the

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 ...

of the current church, whose construction began around 1210 with a Romanesque

. In parallel with the development of the neighbourhood outside the walls, it was enlarged and acquired the status of

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, ...

(the second such church in the city), despite the opposition of the chapter of St. Gudula, very keen to keep the income granted to it as a mother church. The creation of this second parish indicates that, already at that time, a large population had settled along the old Roman road, which would become the /, beyond the ramparts and the Steenpoort. The southern part of the

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 withi ...

and the Chapel of the Holy Cross were built around 1215–1225 in a Romanesque-

transitional style. They were followed by the northern part of the transept and its two chapels around 1250. The choir (1250–1275), perhaps the finest achievement of 13th-century architecture in Brussels, reflects a transitional style of French influence. The building was surmounted by a tower at the crossing of the transept and the nave. The work was completed in the course of the 13th century.

Damage and restoration

Dedicated to Our Lady, the church enjoyed significant success and a hesitant destiny. In 1405, a fire destroyed the non-

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

ed parts, in particular the central nave, which was covered with a flat ceiling. The nave was rebuilt in the

style and enlarged with side chapels. In 1574, the church was ransacked by

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

s who destroyed its furnishings. Reformed in 1579, it returned to Catholic worship in 1585. In 1695, part of the structure was damaged during the

bombardment of Brussels The bombardment of Brussels by troops of Louis XIV of France on August 13, 14 and 15, 1695, and the resulting fire were together the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. Brussels was mostly untouched by most other confli ...

by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

army as part of the

War of the Grand Alliance The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...

. It was restored from 1699 to 1708. On that occasion, the spire of the west tower was replaced by the current

, designed by the Brussels architect . In 1751, a

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

was built to the south of the choir. The church closed in 1797, under the French regime, and reopened in 1803. The church has been restored several times; starting in 1866, continuing in the 1930s, and again in 1989, during which time an archaeological reconstruction aimed at restoring the original state of the different building phases. It was designated a

on 5 March 1936. Nowadays, it is the parish church of the Polish Catholic community in Brussels. In a side chapel is venerated an

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

Our Lady of Częstochowa Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulat ...

Description

The Chapel Church has had a turbulent history made up of successive phases of partial destruction, fire, looting, shelling and rebuilding, alterations and restorations, making it a milestone in the transition from the Romanesque style to the

(and more particularly to the

). It is traditionally listed, alongside the

Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula nl, Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele , native_name_lang = , image = Saints-Michel-et-Gudule Luc Viatour.jpg , imagesize = 200px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape ...

and the

Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Zavelkerk , native_name_lang = , image = Brussels, église Notre Dame du Sablon oeg2043-00070 foto7 2015-06-07 13.28.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption ...

, as one of the three Gothic churches still standing in central Brussels. The church is built of stone from the Gobertange

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envi ...

, which is located in present-day

Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant (french: Brabant wallon ; nl, Waals-Brabant ; wa, Roman Payis) is a province located in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the province of Flemish Brabant (Flemish Region) and ...

, approximately south-east of the church's site.

Exterior

From the first construction phase, at the beginning of the 13th century, the Romanesque

and the

are still preserved. The

, from the second half of the 13th century, testifies to the first phase of

. The

dates back to the 16th-century reconstruction, and is in the

flamboyant Gothic Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...

style. On the sides, the slender

pinnacle A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...

s of the

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (s ...

es alternate with the series of triangular

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 pedimen ...

s. On the outside of 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''. In ...

there are also

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

s. File:Bruxelles Notre-Dame de la Chapelle.jpg, The

and

portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

File:Bruxelles Notre-Dame de la Chapelle clocher.jpg, Closeup of the bell tower File: Notre Dame de la Chapelle (2).JPG, Statue of

Christ 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 of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

, above the portal File:N.D. de la Chapelle 910.jpg,

Gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

Interior

The interior is striking for the contrast between the low, dark

and

, and the wide, airy

. It contains sculptures by, among others,

Jerôme Duquesnoy (II) Jerôme Duquesnoy (II) or Hieronymus Duquesnoy (II) or the Younger (baptized 8 May 1602 – 28 September 1654) was a Flemish architect and sculptor who was particularly accomplished in portraits. He played an important role in the introduction o ...

and

Lucas Faydherbe Lucas Faydherbe (also spelled Lucas Faijdherbe; he signed as Lucas Fayd'herbe) (Mechelen, 19 January 1617 – Mechelen, 31 December 1697)pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

Pierre-Denis Plumier Pierre-Denis Plumier (4 March 1688 – 24 February 1721) was a Flemish sculptor. Biography Plumier was born in Antwerp in 1688, the son of Franciscus Puymier and Anna Schobbens. In 1699 he was apprenticed to the sculptor Louis Willemsen in Antw ...

. A modest funerary monument commemorates

Pieter Brueghel the Elder Pieter Bruegel (also Brueghel or Breughel) the Elder (, ; ; – 9 September 1569) was the most significant artist of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, a painter and printmaker, known for his landscapes and peasant scenes (so-called genre ...

, who was buried there in 1569. In the church hangs a copy of the painting ''Christ handing over the keys to Saint Peter'' (also known as ''The giving of the keys'') by

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

. File:Interior of the Church of Our Lady of the Chapel (DSCF3874).jpg, Central

File:Pulpit - Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Chapelle - Brussels, Belgium - DSC07731.jpg,

Pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

File:N.D. de la Chapelle 812.jpg, Detail of the pulpit File:Jan van Delen - Confessional in the Church of Our Lady of the Chapel (Brussels).jpg,

Confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but sim ...

Burials

Throughout its history, the church has hosted the burials of great families and illustrious people, among which, in 1569, that of

Pieter Bruegel the Elder Pieter Bruegel (also Brueghel or Breughel) the Elder (, ; ; – 9 September 1569) was the most significant artist of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, a painter and printmaker, known for his landscapes and peasant scenes (so-called genr ...

, whose house is still on the Rue Haute. The funeral monument erected by his sons in his honour is still in place. Part of the relics of Saint

Boniface of Brussels Boniface of Brussels (1183 – 19 February 1260) was a Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Lausanne from circa 1231 until 1239 when he resigned after agents of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II assaulted him. His relics are housed at the ...

Bishop of Lausanne The Bishop of Lausanne (French: ''Évêque de Lausanne'') was a Prince-Bishop of the Holy Roman Empire (since 1011) and the Ordinary of the diocese of Lausanne, Switzerland (Latin: ''Dioecesis Lausannensis''). Bern secularized the bishopric in ...

, are also buried in the church. Other notables buried in there include

Louis Verreycken Lodewijk Verreycken (in French language sources referred to as Louis Verreycken) (1552 - 23 October 1621), Lord of Impden, Sart, Ruart, Hamme was secretary of the Council of State of the Habsburg Netherlands and audiencier of the Privy Council of ...

and

Charles de Hovyne Charles de Hovyne (1596–1671), lord of Gouvernies, Granbray, Winckel, Steenkercke, etc., was president of the Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1653 to 1671, and a key participant in and commentator upon the government of the Habsb ...

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{Catholic Church in Belgium Roman Catholic churches in Brussels City of Brussels Protected heritage sites in Brussels Gothic architecture in Belgium 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Belgium 13th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Belgium