Saint Walburga Church

The collegiate St. Walburga Church with its majestic tower dominates the city.
Of the early Gothic church, whose construction began in the first half of the 12th century, only the choir in Tournai limestone remains.
In the 15th century it was decided to rebuild the church in Brabant Gothic, but only the tower and the lower church were completed. In 1534 the works were stopped.
The result is a beautiful play of Tournai and Brabant Gothic.

The interior really suffered from the iconoclasm in 1566. The current interior upholstery is mainly in baroque and late baroque style. The church is particularly rich in sculptures, polychrome sculptures, paintings and tapestries and also houses the Oudenaardse carillon.

According to official historiography, the first hand-played carillon was placed in Oudenaarde. In 1510, a certain Jan van Spiere was commissioned by the city council to deliver 'a clavier in torrekin om beyaerdene'. In 2010, the city celebrated the 500th anniversary of the carillon.

Originally the carillon was housed in the belfry tower but moved to the tower of the St. Walburga church in 1894. Today the stick keyboard is played by city carillonneur Lode Schynkel. Four historic Van den Gheyn bells from 1759 were given a suitable place on the grass square next to the Sint-Walburga church.

Rik Gabriëls