Beguinage

Like most Flemish cities, Oudenaarde also has a beguinage.

The place is a welcome relief for many people and an oasis of peace, especially during the summer months. The small landscaped gardens, with a rich variety of flowers and plants, color beautifully against the white facades.

Originally, the Oudenaardse beguines stayed behind the Sint-Walburga church. In 1449 they were given a new home on the present site.
Beguines were not nuns. They did not take eternal monastic vows. However, they had to be unmarried, take a vow of chastity and be able to dispose of their own property. The last beguine died in 1960.

The red-painted gatehouse with baroque gate bears in the pediment the effigy of the plague saint, Saint Roch. Some whitewashed houses date from the 17th century, but most of the houses were later rebuilt. The atmospheric neo-Gothic chapel is definitely worth a visit.

Rik Gabriëls