Our Lady Church

* Dorpsstraat z.nr. Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk. Protected as a monument by Royal Decree of July 6, 1976. Neogothic, oriented basilica church with a western tower built between 1877-1879 according to the design of architect A. Verbeke (Bruges), replacing the originally 12th or 13th-century place of worship. Given its importance and size relative to the village, a tall, massive church; due to its defining silhouette, it is called the "Cathedral of the North." Located in the middle of the village core, originally surrounded by a cemetery with a high iron fence; replaced by a new cemetery outside the village in 1957. Originally a Romanesque basilica church presumably from the 12th or 13th century, built in fieldstone: three-aisled church with transept and crossing tower; choir flanked by chapels. Late Romanesque expansion of the southern choir chapel, wall benches in the transepts and choir chapels; fieldstone core with brick finishing. Destroyed in 1488, repaired in the last quarter of the 15th or the first quarter of the 16th century and expanded into a hall church with brick walls. In the 16th century, the church was likely converted into a fortress (cf. plans in the National Archives of Brussels), destroyed at the end of the 16th century. 17th-century restoration with demolition of the lower church. Dilapidated in the 19th century, fully demolished in 1857 under the direction of Bishop Faict and replaced by the current church. The first major restoration works began in 1904. 1983: current large-scale restoration phase started under the leadership of Ir. W. Snauwaert (Ostend), including stabilization works and exposure of neogothic paintings.

The floor plan unfolds: a three-aisled basilica church with a square west tower, flanking square chapels, a nave of four bays, a transept of two bays, and a choir of four straight bays with a three-sided choir closure. Rectangular sacristies in the northern and southern extensions. Brown brick construction, Savonnières for the framing and tracery of wall openings and decorative details, red brick for the stretches. Slate roofing: gabled roofs and lean-to roofs with small dormers, versatile tower spire for the west tower and pinnacled turrets. West tower of four tiers with surrounding water tables. Superimposed, cut buttresses, topped with four polygonal corner turrets under needle spires. Slightly projecting pointed gable portal in the west with a pointed arch entrance with columns featuring leaf capitals; oculus at the top, crowned with a cross. Above, a pointed arch window with neogothic tracery and a small abutment. Third tier with two pointed arch windows each, fourth tier with pointed arch bell openings. Tower body crowned by an openwork parapet, pierced by gable points. Nave of four bays on brick plinth, marked by buttresses with cuts, between which are pointed arch windows with abutments. Central nave with three-sided curved clerestory windows between buttresses. Additional low bay at the height of the chapels next to the tower, corner buttresses topped with polygonal corner turrets. Side walls of the choir and transept with the same rhythm and corner finishing. Side gables of the transept and choir closure with different wall openings: respectively large and above small pointed arch windows and lancet windows. Against the northern transept, a polychrome wooden Christ figure on a cross from the 16th century. The same design applies to the sacristies.

Interior. Basilica church: three-aisled nave, transept, and choir vaulted with ribbed vaults. Dossal incorporated into the tower and separated from the nave by a large pointed arch. Three-part wall elevation: pointed arch arcades resting on columns against bundled pillars, capitals with bunches of grapes; above, a blind triforium and three-sided arched windows. Choir with blind niches in the plinth and lancet windows. Construction entirely in brick, with the exception of chalkstone for the belt arches in the crossing. The interior is plastered and originally fully painted; partially still visible at the start of the works, partially revealed during restoration. Walls of the transept and nave with a fixed pattern: high red plinth with imitation joints, bordered by a band with biblical fragments in Gothic letters, above which are stenciled paintings. Below the triforium, per bay, a shield with a hand-painted scene, including 'fons vitae', below which is a banner; band with stencil patterns under the water table. Vaults in blue-green color with floral stencil motifs around the keystone. Finishing of the choir more detailed: niches in the main choir with curtain imitation, side choirs with banners. Varied color use, mainly red, olive green, yellow, and blue.

Furniture. Paintings. Seven panels from the 17th century, in the series "Seven Works of Mercy"; "Assumption of Mary," from the 18th century, on canvas. Wooden figures from the 16th and 17th century "Jesus on the Cross," exterior. 19th-century baptismal font on 18th-century marble base. Oak pulpit, by Louis De Lessue, 1773. Two oak confessionals, by S. Winsdau Sr., 1770. Neogothic main altar, choir stalls, and communion rail. Stained glass windows from the last quarter of the 19th century in the high choir designed by A. Verhaegen (Ghent). Three lancet windows with two panels, depicting saints in architectural niches: Saint Francis Xavier, St. Joseph, Sacred Heart of Christ, Our Lady Immaculately Conceived, St. Anne and Mary, and St. Barbara. Above, three cross-shaped rose windows with Lamb of God, Host-holding Chalice, and Pelican. Three bronze bells by M. Michiels (Tournai), one from 1922, two from 1956. Organ from around 1920-1925, executed by J. Anneessens (Menen).

SAB., Catalog of maps and plans, no. 139 and 140. SECTION ROHM WEST FLANDERS, Cell Monuments and Landscapes, archive no. 451. BARRA J., The Cathedral of the North, in Graningate, 2, 1981, no. 2, pp. 83-93. BARRA J., The cottages around the church of Leffinge 1892, in Graningate, 12, 1992, no. 47, pp. 85-114. DE KEYSER A., The 16th-century church of Leffinge, in Graningate, 2, 1982, no. 6, pp. 140-156. DE VOS K., Historical sketch of the municipality of Leffinghe, Bruges, 1884. FAUCONNIER A, ROOSE P., The historical organ in Flanders, part IV a (districts of Bruges and Ostend), Ministry of the Flemish Community, Administration for Monuments and Landscapes, 1986, pp. 564-566. RAMBAUT A., data research stained glass. ROOSE-MEIER B., H. VERSCHRAEGEN, Photo repository of the furniture of Belgian places of worship. Province of West Flanders, Canton Ostend II, pp. 21-22. SNAUWAERT W., SNAUWAERT O., data from respective research wall paintings and date of initial repairs (1904). VAN EENHOOGE D., Report on archaeological research.

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