St. Peter's Church

After a Carolingian central church was built in the 9th century, Count Robert the Frisian founded a chapter in Torhout in 1073. In the 11th-12th centuries, the central building was replaced by a three-aisled Romanesque cruciform church with a monumental west tower. The tower dates from the late 12th century. The church was badly affected by the religious wars of the 16th century. It was completely rebuilt in Gothic style in 1624, except for the Romanesque tower. In 1695 the church was looted by French troops. In 1774 the old carillon was replaced by a new one. In 1782, the interior of the church was given a Baroque style. In 1816 the church had to close due to the danger of collapse. The repairs took place between 1818-1823. Afterwards, the church was extended with two aisles. At the end of the First World War, the tower was dynamited by the German army. The tower was rebuilt in 1923. In 1940, the church burned down completely after being hit by German incendiary bombs. The tower, renovated in 1923, was restored and the rest was replaced by a neo-Romanesque church. The construction works were completed in 1954. Since then, the neo-Romanesque church has not been modified.

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