St-Martin's Church (''Sint-Maartenskerk'' in
Dutch) is the main church and one of the principal
Gothic monuments of
Kortrijk (Courtrai),
Flanders,
Belgium. The church is dedicated to Saint
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...
.
History
The first gothic Saint Martin's church, was burned down after the battle of Rozenbeke. This church was located at the place where a Roman church once stood (built in 650). The second church was built between 1390 and 1466, some remnants of which were incorporated in the present day church and remain visible. In 1585, the famous Sacramental tower was constructed in the choir. The current belltower dates from the 19th century, a rebuilding after a fire in 1862 ruined the choir and major parts of the roof and tower.
Amongst the artworks, old works of
Gaspar de Crayer
Gaspar de Crayer or Jasper de CrayerName variations: Caspar de Crayer and Gaspard de Crayer (18 November 1584 – 27 January 1669) was a Flemish painter known for his many Counter-Reformation altarpieces and portraits. He was a court paint ...
can be seen. The organ, dating to 1888, is a major work of
Pierre Schyven.
Gallery
Image:Sint-MaartenKortrijk.jpg, Central Square (Grote Markt) of Kortrijk with the Saint-Martin's church (2004)
Image:Sacramentstoren.jpg, The 'Sacrament' tower inside the Saint Martin's Church
PM 137407 B Kortrijk.jpg, Triptych by Bernard de Rijckere
Courtrai st martin nef.JPG, Interior
PM 136607 B Kortrijk.jpg, Altarpiece (detail)
PM 113580 B Kortrijk.jpg, ''Adoration of the Magi'' by Gaspar de Crayer
See also
*
List of tallest structures built before the 20th century
References
External links
site parish Saint-Martin's Kortrijk
{{coord, 50, 49, 39.5, N, 3, 16, 6, E, type:landmark_region:BE_source:nlwiki, display=title
Roman Catholic churches in Kortrijk
History of Kortrijk
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1466
15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Belgium