Saint-Bavon cathedral of Ghent

The Cathédrale of Ghent is devoted to Saint Bavon . This last, initially known under the name of Allowyn, would have become holy Bavon after its conversion by holy Amand.

History

The oldest mention of the one of the most spectacular places of prayer of Flanders goes back to the tenth century. Transmarius, bishop of Turned and of Noyon, made set up at this place a vault which then bore the name of church of Midsummer's Day. At the thirteenth century, the church was renovated and increased; one added to it a higher church and the radiating chapels. The chorus was supplemented of a vault out of wooden and one added a western tower to the Gothic building. In 1543, one capped the church of an arrow. The Saint-Bavon cathedral bears this name only since 1540. At that time, Charles Quint, born with Ghent, took series of measure repressive against the city which had rebelled against the tax of war raised by the emperor. Among these measurements was envisaged the construction of a citadel in order to supervise the city.

It chooses the site of the Saint-Bavon abbey, which it shaved mainly, in spite of vain supplications of the monks. Their chapter was then moved with the Midsummer's Day church, which was renamed Saint-Bavon church.

It was only in 1559 that the Saint-Bavon church was chosen by the pope like episcopal church of Ghent and became a cathedral.

In 1566, iconoclasts destroyed the stained glasses offered by Charles Quint, Marie of Hungary and Philippe II.

Two successive fires destroyed the arrow as well as part of the building in 1628 and 1640.

Structure

Inside the cathedral, one discovers a space impressing with three naves of inspiration brabançonne, gone back to approximately 1550 and formed of the chorus, the transept and the radiating chapels and side. On each side a vault is, of which the vault of the the Holy Sepulchre.

The chorus, partially opened with the public, which one reaches by a staircase of ten steps, was built out of blue stone of Turned. It contains the mausoleums of several Gantese bishops buried in the crypt, that a great number of masterpieces, of which statues of holy Pierre and holy Paul by Karel van Poucke. The central vault was placed in the cathedral only in 1628, but its existence had been envisaged right from the start.

The stained glasses date from the 19th century. The church known as low (the transept and three naves) was set up out of bricks and white stones between 1533 and 1559

The famous polyptyque one there is also found: worship of the mystical lamb of the brothers Van Eyck, completed in 1432.

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