Church of Our Lady of the Assumption

Oriented church in the center of the village, on a triangular grazed square with some trees. On the south side a monument in memory of the war victims. In 1230 Eksaarde was established as a separate parish. The current church dates from that period. To this originally three-aisled transeptless church was probably added in the first quarter of the 14th century a south side choir and around 1400 a north side choir; while the main choir would have been rebuilt in the middle of the 15th century. After the beggars' time, the church was in a very poor condition and was thoroughly restored in the 17th century: in 1625 the northern transept arm was added, which was rebuilt in 1642; In 1652 the south transept arm follows. Around that time, the lower church was turned into a pseudo-basilica and stone cross rib vaults were installed to replace the wooden barrel vaults (1660 vaulting high choir). A fire in 1726 damaged the spire and the church roof, which was repaired by Jan van Goethem from Sint-Niklaas. In 1732 a sacristy was added behind the south side choir. The church underwent a thorough restoration in 1897, including refitting the windows with their mourners and extending the lower church to the west by one bay. Maintenance works circa 1968-69 under the direction of architect Fernand Weyers (Sint-Niklaas). In plan is a three-aisled cruciform church, with eight-sided celebration tower and polygonal main choir flanked by rectangular side choirs; Rectangular sacristies have been built against the east side of the latter. Five-sided baptistery against the first north travee. Spacious Gothic and Neo-Gothic brick building with corn, sacristies and sandstone skirting boards. The three naves of the lower church, as well as the three choirs, are mounted under separate gable roofs. West façade with decorative pointed arched spars. To the right of the portal memorial stone: "Adjutorium Nostrum in nomine Domini qui fecit caelum et terram templum dedicatum Beatae Virgini Mariae glorisae assumptiae. Instauratum et amplificatum est cura. Reverendi Domini Francisci Josephi Druwé. Anno Tue. MDCCC XCVII". Aisles of five bays with spacious pointed arch windows with tracery; Sandstone scaffolding holes under the gutter frame. Rectangular transept arm of one bay with a pointed arch window in the main façade and marking corner chains. Octagonal celebration tower with round-arched gallows and high spire. Side choirs of two bays, separated from each other by buttresses with a cut; blind pointed arch window in the east wall. Main choir of two bays with five-sided apse. Against the east wall of the sacristies and choir are tombstones from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen