Our Lady Church

The Church of Our Lady is a church in the historic city center of the Belgian city of Kortrijk. It is located at Deken Zegerplein. The church, which used to be part of the county domain, is now one of the oldest buildings in the city and is a protected monument.

History
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The construction of the Church of Our Lady in Kortrijk was initiated in 1199 by Count Baldwin IX of Constantinople. In December 1203, the first service was held in the choir of the new chapter church. The church played an important role in the history of the County of Flanders. It was located within the count's domain of Kortrijk, which, except for the part that lay alongside the Lys River, was completely walled and fortified. It was part of a fortress covering an area of about 1 hectare. Baldwin IX, who left on a crusade in 1202 and disappeared without a trace in April 1205, never saw the church completed. Nevertheless, it was his intention to house the relic of the Holy Hair here, which his granduncle Philip of Alsace had brought from the Holy Land during the Third Crusade. In 1205, the chapter had 12 canons and a dean. The French built a fortress here in 1300 and 1301 on top of the count's fortress. It was provided with a defensive moat (see photo). The three-nave ship of the church and the transept are still in their original condition. After the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, which took place nearby at Groeningeveld, the Flemish hung 500 golden spurs of slain French knights in the choir as a thank you to Our Lady of Groeninge. Breton mercenaries took them, along with other treasures from the church, in 1382 after the Battle of Westrozebeke. They were later replaced by copies that are still present in the church. The soldiers also destroyed the count's fortress. In 1404, the funeral procession of Philip the Bold stopped here on its way from Halle to Dijon. Throughout the 15th century, the church was restored and remodeled. The fortress was not restored but was transferred by John the Fearless to the chapter to settle his debts. The castle was completely demolished and the land subdivided (the current O.L.V. street, Konvent street, Guido Gezelle street, Kapittel street, and Pieter de Cockelaere street). All that remained of the domain was the church, the southern Broeltower, and the artillery tower. On July 27, 1578, the church was thoroughly looted and destroyed by the Geuzen. The repairs were made at the expense of the city. In 1794, first three valuable paintings, including the Crucifixion by Antoon Van Dyck, were confiscated by the French, and in 1797 the entire church. 12 monasteries, chapels, and churches were put up for sale as public property. The use of the church as a storage space for grain and beer saved it from demolition. Canon Robette managed to secretly purchase the church. With the signing of the concordat between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, church life could resume, and the church became the parish church of the newly established Our Lady's Parish. In 1817, Van Dyck's painting was recovered. The Germans removed the 6100 kg heavy Maria bell from the tower on March 2, 1944, during which the stone vault of the tower was broken open. In July 1944, the church was severely damaged by two air raids when 1500 tons of bombs were dropped on Kortrijk. In October 1945, the destroyed bell was found in Germany. The debris was quickly collected to cast a new one of exactly the same size and weight (Michiels in Tournai). It is the fifth largest in the country, after Mechelen, Tournai, Maredsous, and Ghent. The final restoration of the church building, driven by pastor Jan De Cuyper, only began in 1961. The subjects of the 47 stained glass windows accentuate the countly character of the church (counts of Flanders, armored knights during the Battle of the Golden Spurs...).

Interior
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Canon Roger Braye commissioned a painting from Antoon van Dyck to decorate the altar in honor of Saint Blaise. It was to depict the crucifixion of Jesus. On May 9, 1631, the painting was transported from Antwerp to Kortrijk. In 1770, a new organ was commissioned from the internationally renowned Flemish organ builder Van Peteghem. The Counts' Chapel contains painted portraits of the counts of Flanders.

Trivia
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Guido Gezelle was an assistant pastor of the parish between 1872 and 1889. During restoration work at the beginning of the twentieth century, the gravestone from 1220 of Dean Aegidius, the first dean of the chapter, was rediscovered. The gravestone forms the foundation for the left pillar of the old choir section, and his coffin cannot therefore be exhumed.

CMachiels