Saint Michael's Church () is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

, Belgium, built in a late

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

style. It is known for its rich interior decoration.

History

Documents from 1105 testify to the existence on the site of a chapel dedicated to Saint

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

, which was subordinate to another

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

. The building was twice destroyed by fire early in the 12th century and rebuilt.De Sint-Michielskerk
on the site of the city of Ghent From 1147, it was recognized as an independent

parochial 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, ...

. Construction of the current late Gothic church was probably commenced in 1440, and took place in two phases, separated by a long interval. During the first phase, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the western part of the building was built, including the tower, the three-aisled nave and transept. This was completed in 1528. The construction of the western tower continued, and by 1566, two levels of the tower were completed. Then, due to religious conflicts, not only did construction stop, but looting and destruction took place. Part of the church was destroyed in 1578 by

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

s and in 1579 the old choir was demolished. Reconstruction of the church only started in 1623. The early Gothic choir was replaced by a choir in

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. Local architect

Lieven Cruyl Lievin Cruyl or Lieven Cruyl (name variations: Levin Cruijl, Lievin Cruijl, Levin Cruyl, Livinus Cruylius, Cruylius Livinus) (5 September 1634 – before 1720) was a Flemish priest and a draughtsman and etcher of landscapes, seascapes, and archi ...

made a design for the unfinished western tower in 1662. The design provided for a 134-metre-high spire in Brabantine Gothic style, but was never realised. As a result of these delays and cost concerns, the tower was in the end never completed. Only in 1828 was a flat roof built over the unfinished tower. The sacristy in the north-east was constructed in

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style in 1650–51.De Inventaris van het Bouwkundig Erfgoed Parochiekerk Sint-Michielskerk (ID: 25841)

Description

The exterior of the sober late Gothic church is entirely constructed with sandstone from Brussels and Ledian sandstone. The church has a rich

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

interior, including an altar and a pulpit in that style. There are various 18th-century statues, including a Saint

Livinus Saint Livinus (''c''. 580 – 12 November 657), also Livinus of Ghent, was an apostle in Flanders and Brabant, venerated as a saint and martyr in the Catholic tradition and more especially at the Saint Bavo Chapel, Ghent. His feast day is 12 N ...

Laurent Delvaux Laurent Delvaux (1696, in Ghent – 24 February 1778, in Nivelles) was a Flemish sculptor. After a successful international career that brought him to London and Rome, he returned to the Austrian Netherlands where he was a sculptor to the cou ...

, a wooden Saint

Sebastian Sebastian may refer to: People and fictional characters * Sebastian (name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Saint Sebastian, a Christian saint martyred in the 3rd century * Sebastian of Portugal (1554–1578 ...

by J. Franciscus Allaert, eight marble statues of saints and a copy of

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

Madonna of Bruges The ''Madonna of Bruges'' is a marble sculpture by Michelangelo of the Virgin and Child. Michelangelo's depiction of the ''Madonna and Child'' differs significantly from earlier representations of the same subject, which tended to feature a pio ...

by Rombaut Pauwels. The church contains many Baroque paintings, including ''Christ Dying on the Cross'' by

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (; ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy. The seventh child of ...

, the ''Resurrection of Lazarus'' by Otto Venius and paintings by

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 painter ...

Philippe de Champaigne Philippe de Champaigne (; 26 May 1602 – 12 August 1674) was a Duchy of Brabant, Brabant-born French people, French Baroque era painter, a major exponent of the French art, French school. He was a founding member of the Académie royale de pein ...

Karel van Mander Karel van Mander (I) or Carel van Mander IKarel van Mander
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History ...

Jan Boeckhorst Jan Boeckhorst or Johann Bockhorst (Münster, c. 1604 – Antwerp, 21 April 1668) was a Germany, German-born Flemish Baroque painter and draughtsman who worked most of his career in Antwerp. He was a versatile artist who produced history pain ...

, Antoon van den Heuvel,

Theodoor van Thulden Theodoor van Thulden (1606–12 July 1669) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and engraver born in 's-Hertogenbosch in the duchy of Brabant. He is mainly known for his altarpieces, mythological subjects, allegorical works and portraits. He was ...

and others. There are confessionals from various style periods including an early 17th-century Baroque confessional by François Cruyt with statues sculpted by Michiel van der Voort the Elder. File:Orgel - Van Peteghem - De Volder - Sint-Michielskerk Gent - 0000 (2).jpg, Organ File:Jan Boeckhorst - The repentance of David.jpg, ''The Repentance of David'' by

File:Christus aan het kruis of Christus met de spons, Anthony van Dyck, Sint-Michielskerk.jpg, ''Christ on the Cross'' by Anthony Van Dyck File:Aartsengel Michaël vertrapt de draak - Sint-Michielskerk Gent - 0000.jpg, Archangel Michael tramples the dragon File:O.-L.-Vrouw met kind - Rombaut Pauwels - Sint-Michielskerk Gent - 0000 (4).jpg, ''Our Lady with Child'' by Rombaut Pauwels File:Hoofdaltaar - Jan Van Arendock - Sint-Michielskerk Gent - 0000 (2).jpg, Main altar by Jan Van Arendock File:Preekstoel - Jean François Franck - Sint-Michielskerk Gent - 0000 (2).jpg, Pulpit by Jean François Franck File:Wapenschilden - Sint-Michielskerk Gent - 0000 (1).jpg, Coats of arms

Organ

The organ dates back to an instrument that was built in 1817 by the organ builder De Volder. The style of the front is fully made in

style. In 1951, the instrument was remodeled and expanded by the organ builder Anneessens. The organ has 47 stops on three manuals and a pedal.Gent, St. Michielskerk
on orgelsite.nl

Church treasure

There are numerous silver and gold artifacts in the silver collection. An important item is the relic of Saint Dorothea, in silver. Very famous is the relic of the sacred "

Doorn Doorn is a town in the municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug in the central Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. The town is famous for being the final residence of Wilhelm II. History In a document from 885 to 896 the settlement is called ...

" brought to the church by

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

, and a relic of the

true Cross According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the real instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified. It is related by numerous historical accounts and Christian mythology, legends ...

a gift of the Archduke Albrecht and

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpo ...

in 1619.

References

External links

* {{coord, 51, 03, 13, N, 3, 43, 09, E, source:nlwiki_region:BE_type:landmark, display=title Roman Catholic churches in Ghent Churches in East Flanders