Royal Saint Mary Church

The architecture of the 19th century unabashedly refers to styles from the past. The building style of the church, constructed since 1845, is a hodgepodge of Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine elements. The semi-circular extensions with galleries are Neo-Romanesque, while the flying buttresses and pinnacles that support the dome are Neo-Gothic. For the dome and the octagonal floor plan, architect Henri Van Overstraeten drew inspiration from the Byzantine Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna.

Because the maintenance costs became very high, the notorious mayor of Schaerbeek, Roger Nols (1970-1989), wanted to erect an office tower at this location. After years of neglect, the building was ultimately saved and restored.

Follow the sidewalk to the right and walk all the way around the church to Koninklijke Sinte-Mariastraat. At the end of that street, another imposing building closes off the perspective: the town hall, with which the rapidly urbanizing Schaerbeek consciously emphasized its autonomy from Brussels at the end of the 19th century.

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