Chapel of Saint Joseph

St. Joseph's Chapel

Former parish church, located on the Durmeboorden and surrounded by the safeguarded cemetery, now converted into a walkway. Access to this park is via a cast-iron gate between square, bluestone posts from XVIII with mirrors and seed beads on the front (crowning vases disappeared). Tombstones from XVII stand upright against a wall, behind the shrine.
The parish is mentioned for the first time with its own church in the possession of the abbey of Lobbes in 868-869. This first place of worship was later converted several times into a Gothic cruciform church. In 1643 the high choir was restored and two side choirs were added and in 1672 the lower church was rebuilt. In 1710 the choirs were vaulted. The church was enlarged in 1771 to a design by architect L. Bovresse, which was repeated in 1839-49. Due to the construction of a new church in 1904, it lost its parochial function and in 1911 it was converted into a sanctuary in honour of Saint Joseph, designed by architect H. Geirnaert (Ghent): only the central nave was preserved; the choir, transept and sacristy were demolished; the portal was transformed into an altar space and a new entrance with rood screen was added on the east side. On April 3, 1913, the new pilgrimage site was consecrated.
Misaligned rectangular, single-nave chapel in Renaissance style, of seven bays under a gable roof (ridge perpendicular to the street, slates). Brick construction. Octagonal wooden turret above the gabled gable; The latter is rhythmed by horizontal and vertical bands of sandstone. Mirror-arched portal in richly profiled bluestone frame; tympanum with bas-relief in plaster; Richly elaborated wooden baroque broker with the date 1672.
Side walls with segmental arched windows in bluestone frame. Rear gable with wall braiding and former round-arched portal, now converted into a calvary (statues disappeared).
Well-lit rococo interior with pressed, plastered barrel vault, resting on a ornate bridle. Bay marked by pilasters with rocaille at the top.
Mobilair: Pulpit from XVII.

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