Gent in Oost-Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium — Northwestern Europe
Sint-Niklaaskerk / L’église Saint-Nicolas / St. Nicholas’ Church
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 13, 2023
1. Sint-Niklaaskerk / L’église Saint-Nicolas / St. Nicholas’ Church Marker
Al in de 11de-12de eeuw werd op deze plaats een eerste romaanse kerk gebouwd. In het begin van de 13 de eeuw kwam er een nieuwe bidplaats. De bouw nam enkele tientallen jaren in beslag. Het resultaat was een prachtige driebeukige kerk in Scheldegotiek, opgetrokken in Doornikse blauwe steen. Uniek is de zogenaamde vieringtoren die niet boven de ingang, maar boven de kruising van hoofd- en zijbeuken staat. De toren fungeert als een soort natuurlijke lantaarn, omdat het licht via de toren de dwarsbeuk binnenvalt.
Het interieur van de gotische kerk werd in de 16de eeuw vernield door de calvinisten. In de 18de eeuw werden tegen de buitenmuren huisjes en winkeltjes gebouwd, die twee eeuwen later opnieuw werden verwijderd.
Une première église romane fut construite au 11e et 12e siècle. Au début du 13e siècle, elle fut remplacée par un nouvel oratoire. L'église Saint-Nicolas, construite en pierre bleue de Tournai, est un des plus beaux exemples du gothique du bassin de l'Escaut. Sa tour, construite à la croisée de la nef et du transept (et pas au-dessus de l'entrée), est tout à fait exceptionnelle.
this page online
Au 16e siècle, l'église fut ravagée par des iconoclastes. Au 18e siècle furent accolés aux façades extérieures de l'église un tas de maisonnettes et de petits magasins, qu'on a enlevés deux siècles plus tard.
A first Romanesque church was built here back in the 11th-12th century. It was replaced by a new chapel early in the 13th century. The construction of this three-aisle church took several decades and the result was a church building erected in bluestone from Tournai and one of the finest examples of Scheldt Gothic. A unique feature is the so-called crossing tower, which doesn't stand above the entrance, but above the junction of the main and side aisles. The tower acts as a sort of natural lantern because the light enters the transept via the tower.
In the 16th century, the church suffered heavily as a result of the iconoclastic outbreak. Various houses and shops that were built against the exterior walls in the 18th century were removed two centuries later.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion.
Location. 51° 3.251′ N, 3° 43.342′ E. Marker is in Gent, Vlaams Gewest (Flanders), in Oost-Vlaanderen. Marker is at the intersection of Korenmarkt and Cataloniëstraat
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 13, 2023
2. St. Nicholas’ Church Marker - wide view
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Adolphe Quetelet (within shouting distance of this marker); Albrecht Dürer (within shouting distance of this marker); Het belfort van Gent / Le beffroi de Gand / The Ghent Belfrey / Der Belfried von Ghent (about 180 meters away, measured in a direct line); Stadhuis (15de-19de eeuw) / City Hall (15th-19th Century) (about 210 meters away); Verdras van Gent / Treaty of Ghent (about 240 meters away); Sint-Baafskathedraal / La cathédrale Saint-Bavon / St Bavo’s Cathedral (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); José Rizal (1861 - 1896) (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Gabriël Verschraegen (approx. 0.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gent.
Also see . . . Saint Nicholas Church, Ghent (Wikipedia).
Overview: St. Nicholas Church (Dutch: Sint-Niklaaskerk) is one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium. Begun in the early 13th century as a replacement for an earlier Romanesque church, construction continued through the rest of the century in the local Scheldt Gothic style (named after the nearby river). Typical of this style is the use of blue-gray stone from the Tournai area, the single large tower above the crossing, and the slender turrets at the building's corners.(Submitted on February 17, 2024.)
Built in the old trade center of Ghent nextto the bustling Korenmarkt (Wheat Market), St. Nicholas Church was popular with the guilds whose members carried out their business nearby. The guilds had their own chapels which were added to the sides of the church in the 14th and 15th centuries.Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 13, 20233. Sint-Niklaaskerk / L’église Saint-Nicolas / St. Nicholas’ Church
The central tower, which was funded in part by the city, served as an observation post and carried the town bells until the neighboring belfry of Ghent was built. These two towers, along with the Saint Bavo Cathedral, still define the famous medieval skyline of the city center. One of the treasures of the church is its organ, produced by the famous French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
Cundall and Fleming (courtesy of the Getty Museum Collection), 1866
4. Church of Saint Nicholas and Beffroi, Ghent
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 13, 2023
5. Sint-Niklaaskerk / L’église Saint-Nicolas / St. Nicholas’ Church
Photographed By Ern. Thill (NELS), Bruxelles, circa 1910
6. Ghent panorama - St. Nicholas’ Church, the Belfry, and St. Bavo’s Cathedral
Credits. This page was last revised on March 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 52 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 17, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
