St. Donatian's Cathedral (Dutch : Sint-Donaaskathedraal) was a Roman Catholic cathedral in Bruges, Belgium. Located on the Burg, one of the main squares in the city, [1] [2] [3] it was the largest church in Bruges.
The cathedral was destroyed in 1799 [1] in the wake of the dissolution of the Diocese of Bruges during the aftermath of the French Revolution.
St. Donatian's Church (Dutch: Sint-Donaaskerk) was built by Arnulf I, Count of Flanders, c. 950 AD, [4] in order to house the relics of Saint Donatian that had been brought to Bruges in c. 870 AD by monks from Torhout. [2] On 2 March 1127, [5] Charles the Good, Count of Flanders was assassinated in St. Donatian's. [2] [4]
The church was built in the Romanesque architectural style. [3] There was an octagonal main building, with a tower and a sixteen-sided ambulatory. [1] The building stood on the Burg square, across from the Stadhuis (city hall). St. Donatian's Church became a cathedral following the installation of the first Bishop of Bruges in 1562. [4] [note 1]
St. Donatian's was destroyed in 1799 by occupying forces of the French First Republic. [1] The former site of St. Donatian's is now occupied by the Crowne Plaza Brugge Hotel; [1] the foundations of the cathedral were uncovered in 1955 [1] and are visible in the hotel's cellars. [4]
