St. Peter's Church of Kwerps

The Sint-Petrus Kwerps was originally a court church connected to the castle of Quarebbe or Kwerps. Around 1500, the church consisted of a central tower of square shape from the 12th century, a sacristy on the north flank of the tower, a choir with semicircular apse and one nave. The tower at that time was higher than the current one and had a reverberation hole with a Romanesque round arch on four sides. It was a Schelderoman church, which was in line with the traditions of the diocese of Cambrai. In 1572 the church of Kwerps was badly destroyed during the Wars of Religion. It was rebuilt in 1586. In 1644, the small choir was replaced by a five-sided choir flanked by buttresses of the Gothic type. The year 1644 on the stone in the choir closure pointed to this renovation. In the 17th century, a north aisle was added to the church. The new brick sacristy was built against the tower on the south side in the second half of the 18th century. The church was in a precarious state in 1853. Architect Van Arenberg then made a report of this. Many works were carried out in 1854-1855. The tower was then adapted to the neo-Gothic fashion. At that time, neo-Gothic reverberation holes were also introduced. By 1895 the church had become too small. Kwerps had 650 inhabitants and the church could only hold 300 worshippers. Architect F. Van Roelen made plans for the extension of St. Peter's Church. This year can be found above the entrance gate. The church was given a new main nave and two new aisles in brick in neo-Gothic style. St. Peter's Church has several works of art: the bluestone baptismal font dated 1590; an old organ bought by Father Delvaux in 1791 from the church of Diegem and listed; two side panels depicting St. Peter and St. Paul from a triptych from the 16th century; a pulpit from 1904 by sculptor Roemaat. Behind the choir we find several old tombstones, including those of architect Claude Fisco (+1825). On the outside of the choir, under the rosette window, we also find a wooden Christ from the 16th century. The church of Kwerps was a place of pilgrimage of St. Catherine. The cemetery around the church has disappeared as well as the centenary tree in front of the church.
Bibliography

A. WAUTERS. Histoire des environs de Bruxelles. 8B, p. 375-376

M. THIBAUT DE MAISIERES. Les églises brabançonnes à tour centrale, p. 176, figure 18.

H. VANNOPPEN. One hundred buildings in Kortenberg.
On a journey through ten centuries of the past. Book and Form Winksele, 1991, p. 36-37.

H. VANNOPPEN. 875 years parish Kwerps - Eigen Schoon en De Brabander, 1986, p. 171-194.

J. JANSEN. Photographic Directory of the Furniture of the Belgian Places of Worship, Canton of Louvain I and II, 1980, p. 24.

Gemeente Kortenberg