Matheus de Layens (d. Leuven, 3 December 1483) was a Brabantine architect from the 15th century.
He was employed in Leuven from 1433, first under the architect Sulpitius van Vorst (d. 1439), and afterwards under Jan Keldermans II, whom he succeeded in 1445 as master mason. In that capacity he developed the town fortifications and led the construction of Leuven Town Hall (1448–1469), as well as the transept of Saint Peter's Church. The sacrament tower of Saint Peter's church, built in 1451, is also attributed to him.
Around 1450, de Layens worked on St. Leonard's Church in Zoutleeuw, "Our Lady of the Pool" (Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ten-Poel) church at Tienen, and the St. Sulpitius Church at Diest. From 1457 he took over, from architect Jan Spijkens, the construction of Saint Waltrude Collegiate Church at Mons, and restored the town hall there in 1479.
His last work (1480–1487) was the monumental Round Table building (het Tafelrond) on the east side of Leuven's Grote Markt square. The building was torn down and replaced in about 1818, but was reconstructed in its original style and location in 1921.
Mons is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
Leuven or Louvain is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about 25 kilometres east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic city and the sub-municipalities of Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, Wilsele, Wijgmaal and a part of Korbeek-Lo. It is the eighth largest city in Belgium, with more than 100,244 inhabitants.
The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, usually shortened to the Cathedral of St. Gudula or St. Gudula by locals, is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral in central Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, the patron saints of the City of Brussels, and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Brabantine Gothic architecture.
SulpitiusII. the Pious was a 7th-century bishop of Bourges and saint.
A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in some cases museums while retaining their original names.
Jan van Ruysbroeck was a Flemish architect of the early 15th century. He served as official architect to the Duke of Brabant. His best known work was the tower of Brussels' Town Hall. The Gothic building, which stands in the city's Grand-Place, is widely regarded as a masterpiece of medieval European secular architecture. It was designed by Jacob van Thienen some time around 1402 and van Ruysbroek's tower was added between 1444 and 1463.
Peter Parler was a German-Bohemian architect and sculptor from the Parler family of master builders. Along with his father, Heinrich Parler, he is one of the most prominent and influential craftsmen of the Middle Ages. Born and apprenticed in the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd, Peter worked at several important late Medieval building sites, including Strasbourg, Cologne, and Nuremberg. After 1356 he lived in Prague, capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and seat of the Holy Roman Empire, where he created his most famous works: St. Vitus Cathedral and the Charles Bridge.
Affligem Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in the municipality of Affligem, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, 19 km (12 mi) to the north-west of Brussels. Dedicated in 1086, it was the most important monastery in the Duchy of Brabant and therefore often called Primaria Brabantiae.
The Town Hall of Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, is a landmark building on that city's Grote Markt, across from the monumental St. Peter's Church. Built in a Brabantine late-Gothic style between 1439 and 1469, it is famous for its ornate architecture, crafted in lace-like detail.
Saint Peter's Church in Leuven, Belgium, is a Roman Catholic church built in the 15th century in the Brabantine Gothic style. The church has a cruciform floor plan and a low bell tower that has never been completed. It is 93 metres (305 ft) long. It is located on the city's Grote Markt, opposite the Town Hall. In 1999, the belfry and bell tower of the church was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, in recognition of the civil importance and architecture of the belfries in the region.
Lucas Faydherbe was a Flemish sculptor and architect who played a major role in the development of the High Baroque in the Southern Netherlands.
Vanden Gheyn, Van den Gheyn or Van den Ghein was a family of bellfounders and carillon makers. The bell foundry was established in 1506 in Mechelen and active until the 20th century. They have been called "the most famous family of bellfounders [Belgium] has had".
Friedrich von Schmidt was an architect who worked in late 19th century Vienna.
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 Mechelen.
Neoclassical architecture appeared in Belgium during the period of Austrian occupation in the mid-18th century and enjoyed considerable longevity in the country, surviving through periods of French and Dutch occupation, and the birth of Independent Belgium, surviving well into the 20th century.
Altarpiece of the Holy Sacrament or Triptych of the Last Supper is a 1464–1468 dated folding triptych with at least five panel paintings attributed to Dieric Bouts, now reassembled and held at its location of origin in the eastern choir chapel of St. Peter's Church, Leuven, Belgium.
Saint Waltrude Collegiate Church is a Catholic parish church in Belgium, named in honour of Saint Waltrude of Mons. The church is a notable example of Gothic architecture, and is protected by the heritage register of Wallonia.
The Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido is a Roman Catholic collegiate church located in the centre of Anderlecht, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Guy, the patron saint of the Anderlecht.
The Saint Quentin's Church or Sint-Kwintenskerk is a Roman Catholic church located at the Naamsestraat in Leuven, Belgium. Its exterior is mainly Gothic with a Baroque entrance portal. The interior contains Baroque choir stalls and altars. The church is named after the Saint Quentin, who is regarded in the Catholic faith as a protector against a wide range of contagious diseases.
The triumphal cross in the Saint Peter's church in Leuven was made between 1490 and 1500 by, presumably, the workshop of the Brussels sculptor Jan Borman. It is even suspected that the figures of Christ, John and Mary were made by the master himself. The chapel in which the triumphal cross is located is the oldest preserved in Leuven, with various but unconfirmed attributions concerning authorship, including Matthijs de Layens, Jan II Borreman, Jan de Messemaker, Hendrik van Evergem.