The St. Peter in Chains Church (in Dutch: Sint-Pietersbandenkerk) is a church in Neo-Gothic style with a rich Baroque interior located at the Market Square in Beringen, Belgium. It is the parish church of Beringen centre and the decanal church of the deanery of Beringen. The chancel, nave and transept are protected since 1949 and the neo-Gothic parts since 1993. [1]
The church is a cruciform basilica with a western tower. The original church was destroyed in 1467 by Burgundian troops. A new church was built and subsequently devastated by fire in 1584 during the Eighty Years' War. The church was restored in 1592. The church was again destroyed in 1654, this time by Lorraine troops. [2] The church was rebuilt and deacon Adriaen Wuestenraed played a major role in this reconstruction. In 1695 the church and the interior were completed. The interior was executed in Baroque style.
The church tower collapsed in 1838 causing heavy damage to the nave and aisles. The reconstruction was carried out from 1842 to 1844. The aisles were restored in the then popular Neo-Gothic style, and a new west tower with a striking, slender spire was built. [3] A thorough restoration of the building and interior was conducted from 1998. [2]
The transept, the vestries and the choir date from the 16th century. The vestiges of iron sandstone in the present church are from the earlier church that was built in late Demer Gothic style, a local variation of the Brabantine Gothic. The Neo-Gothic parts of the church are in brick and limestone. The choir still has the original pointed arch windows. [2]
The Baroque paneling, altars and at least three of the confessionals were produced by cabinetmaker Tillman Janssens and the sculptor Daniël van Vlierden from Hasselt. Three of the four confessionals can be attributed with certainty to van Vlierden on the basis of stylistic similarities with the confessionals that he made for the Dominican church in Maastricht (now in the Basilica of Saint Servatius). The facial expressions and the arrangement of the figures point in the direction of van Vlierden. One confessional in the northern transept is probably the work of the eminent Antwerp sculptor Artus Quellinus II, given the similarity with the design drawn by Artus Quellinus II himself. The sculpture of the Holy Sepulchre in the northern aisle of the church can also be attributed with certainty to van Vlierden. The main altar displays certain characteristics of van Vlierden’s expressive forms. However, it can not be attributed to him with certainty. The execution of the pulpit is certainly the work of another, less skilled sculptor. [4]
The communion rails and part of the choir stalls were made by Laurens Vandenreyt (or Vandereyt) and date from the late 17th century. Jan Rutten from Sint-Truiden completed the stalls after the death of Laurens Vandenreyt. [3] The Baroque high altar contains a painting representing Christ on the cross attributed to the Antwerp painter Erasmus Quellinus II. [5]
The side altars are portico altars and contain the Baroque paintings Assumption and Coronation of Mary and the Finding of the Cross, both by Anton Goubau. [6]
The rood screen is neogothic. The organ was manufactured in 1853 by Henri Vermeersch from Duffel and is the largest organ built by Vermeersch in Belgium. It was thoroughly restored in 2013. [7] There are various statues of saints from around 1700: St. Peter, Anthony the Abbot, St. Sebastian, St. Anne with Mary, and St. Joseph with Child.
In the choir are tombstones dating from the 17th and 18th century including that of deacon Adriaen Wuestenraed. Furthermore, the church holds a Pietà from the 15th century and 16th century statues of St. Genevieve and St. Rochus, which were transferred from the Smeets Chapel in the Broekhovenstraat. [3]
The 16th-century sacristy contains 17th-century furnishings and holds a Liège chalice from 1528.
The wall paintings of the Stations of the Cross date from 1912 and are by Gustave Meunier. [8] The stained glass windows are late 20th century and depict people and saints related to the history of the Church. [3]
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.
The Basilica of Saint Servatius is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Servatius, in the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands. The architecturally hybrid but mainly Romanesque church is situated next to the Gothic church of Saint John, backing onto the town's main square, Vrijthof.
The Basilica of Saint Nicholas is located in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam, Netherlands, very close to Amsterdam's main railway station. St, Nicholas is the patron saint of both the church and the city of Amsterdam. The basilica is the city's primary Roman Catholic church.
Pieter Verbrugghen I was a Flemish sculptor from the Baroque.
Erasmus Quellinus I or Erasmus Quellinus the Elder was a Flemish sculptor best known for classically inspired ornamentation work and copies after the antique. He was the founder of an important Antwerp dynasty of artists.
Saint Michael's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Ghent, Belgium built in a late Gothic style. It is known for its rich interior decoration.
The Basilica of Our Lady is a Romanesque church in the historic center of Maastricht, Netherlands. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Roermond. The church is often referred to as the Star of the Sea, after the church's main devotion, Our Lady, Star of the Sea.
Saint Bavo's Cathedral, also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Catholic Church in Ghent, Belgium. The 89-meter-tall Gothic building is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent and is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent. It contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece.
Hendrik Frans Verbrugghen or Hendrik Frans Verbruggen was a Flemish sculptor and draftsman, who is best known for his Baroque church furniture in various Belgian churches.
St. Andrew’s Church is a Catholic church in Antwerp built in the 16th century. Its exterior is mainly characterised by a late-Gothic style while its interior is predominantly executed in Baroque style. It is the parish church of the Parish of St. Andrew’s. During the nineteenth century the St. Andrew's Parish was known as the parish of misery as it was by then mainly populated by poor people.
The Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon is a Roman Catholic church located in the Sablon/Zavel district, in the historic centre of Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Sablon.
The St. Paul's Church or Sint-Pauluskerk is a Roman Catholic church located at the Veemarkt in Antwerp. Its exterior is mainly Gothic with a Baroque tower while the interior is characterised by its rich Baroque decoration. It holds paintings by Antwerp's leading artists Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens as well as abundant sculpture and church furniture crafted by leading Antwerp sculptors such as Artus Quellinus the Elder, Pieter Verbrugghen I, Jan Pieter van Baurscheit de Elder, Jan Claudius de Cock and Andries Colyns de Nole. Of particular note is the Calvary outside the Church which is made up of 63 life-size statues and nine reliefs executed in a popular and theatrical style.
The St. Walburga Church is a 17th-century Roman-Catholic church in Bruges built by the Jesuits in a Baroque style. It is now a parish church and contains many valuable art objects.
Artus Quellinus II or Artus Quellinus the Younger was a Flemish sculptor who played an important role in the evolution of Northern-European sculpture from High Baroque to Late Baroque.
Daniël van Vlierden was a Flemish sculptor who is mainly known for his Baroque sculpture in churches in the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. The style of van Vlierden is characterized by a sober realism in both the decorative elements as the figure sculptures.
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.
Lodewijk Willemsens or Ludovicus Willemsens (1630–1702) was a Flemish sculptor from Antwerp. His works comprise mostly sculptured church furniture, and to a lesser extent individual sculptures, both portrait busts as well as statues of saints for churches.
Willem Ignatius Kerricx was a Flemish sculptor, painter, draftsman, architect, engineer, playwright and author active in Antwerp in the first half of the 18th century. His sculptural works comprise mostly sculptured church furniture, individual sculptures, mainly statues of saints for churches and a few funerary monuments. His sculptural style is typical for the late Flemish Baroque while he shows a preference for Classicism in his architectural projects. He took over the large family sculpture workshop in Antwerp. As a painter he created both history paintings for churches and still lifes. He was also employed as an architect and engineer, mainly on reconstruction projects. In his youth, he composed a number of comedies and tragedies for the Antwerp theatre.
Jan Frans Boeckstuyns, Boekstuijns or Boecxstuyns was a Flemish sculptor and architect who spent most of his active career in his native city Mechelen. He was also active as a manufacturer of gilded leather. While he mainly created church furniture and decorations, he also produced a number of small-scale works, including crucifixes and terracotta figures. He further designed architectural elements of buildings. His works show a transition from the high Baroque towards a more realistic and decorative style closer to the Rococo.
The Holy Cross Church is a church in the Belgian sub-municipality of Heusden. The church was built in 1844 on the site of an older church. It is dedicated to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The organ of the church was protected as a monument in 1980. It has a 1873 case designed by Auguste Van Assche.
