Saint Nicholas of Tolentine

First request to establish an auxiliary church in the hamlet of De Pinte in 1791. Purchase of a piece of land by the chapter of Tournai, the tithe lifters of the district, in 1792 and the start of construction that was stopped at a height of one m during the French occupation. In 1838 new plan of architect Louis Minard approved and new church consecrated in 1839. It was a pseudo-basilical church with west tower, completed in 1840 but destroyed by lightning in 1851 and replaced by a wooden turret. Enlargement plans from 1900 to a design by architect Jules Goethals with the construction of a new choir and transept in a first phase while retaining the old nave. In 1909, new plans by architect Jules Goethals for the "execution of the church" with new nave, extended by two bays to the west with built-in west tower and extended north baptistery, completed in 1912. Damage during shelling in 1918 and repair to a design by architect Amandus Robert Janssens. Recent restoration works designed by architect D. Claeys. Rather imposing neo-Gothic brick cruciform basilica with square west tower under constricted needle spire; covering slate gable roofs. Plan with three-aisled nave of six bays, protruding transept of two bays and choir of three bays with five-sided closure; Five-sided baptistery on north tower travee, round stair turret on south side. West façade with bounding heavy buttresses with cuts, central pointed arch door and skylights with neo-Gothic tracery. Above the roof protruding square tower articulation with gallows holes and clocks. Side facades rhythmed by buttresses between which two and three lights. Transept and choir with high lancet windows, the latter with colorful stained glass, donated by Mr. Verhoost in 1919, including representations of the Old and New Testaments. Interior. Monochrome painting (original polychromy disappeared circa 1967). Pointed-arched arches resting on bluestone columns with high capital. Overhang with brick cross rib vaults with natural stone ribs and girdle arches on fine services with ditto capital. Mobilair. Paintings: Saint Nicholas of Tolentijn blesses bread, signed and dated J. Cauwer Ronse, 1840; three canvases of the Flemish School, probably donated by M. Parijs, rector of the priory of Galilee in Ghent, dated 1709. Confessional with two sculpted cherubim in the shape of hermen, dated 1642 and 1654. Baptismal font in neo-Renaissance style, mid-19th century. Organ by L. Lovaert, from the second quarter of the 19th century, with modifications by F. Joris, early 20th century.

Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen