St. Andrew's and St. Ghislenus Church

Parish church of Saint Andrew and Gislenus. Oriented Gothic cross church in the center of the village. To the north of it, a parking lot replaces the cemetery that was disaffiliated since 1943. Ardennes limestone headstyles and part of the iron fence were reused in Kerkstraat (see infra). To the east and south, flower beds including a war memorial and gravestones.
Village church with a complicated construction history rising to X at its core. The Romanesque three-nave church without a transept, consisting of five bays with presumably a straight closing choir, built from Tournai limestone, experienced its first modification in XIIIA: the clerestory walls were raised with brick, provided with early Gothic pointed arch windows, and finished with a cornice on corbels with a roll profile; the flat ceiling was replaced by a wooden barrel vault with a visible roof cap while the floor level was raised and covered with colorful glazed tiles. The construction of a stone western tower, possibly still from XIII, marked the next important modification to the original church building. The aisles were also extended along the base of the tower, and the aisle walls were provided with an outer cladding of Lede stone. The entire lower church was thus transformed in Gothic style. After a long interruption, work on the eastern part only began in 1432. The Romanesque choir was demolished that year and replaced by a higher and wider Gothic choir with painted wooden ribbed vaulting. Subsequently, around 1450, the transept arms were added and also vaulted with wooden pointed arch barrel vaults. Still in XV, the added bay on either side of the base of the tower was expanded into side chapels by raising the walls and roofing them with a separate lean-to roof. XVI also saw significant changes. Around 1533, the aisle walls were raised, leading to an increase in the roofing which immediately rendered the clerestories obsolete and the church acquired a pseudo-basilical elevation. The significantly enlarged aisle windows now provided sufficient light while the side chapels were now covered by a gabled roof at a right angle. The iconoclasm of 1578 left the church building in such a dilapidated state that significant repairs were necessary. The entire interior now changed in appearance: the Romanesque pillars were replaced by Gothic columns, the arcades were pointed arch styled, and the whole lower church was vaulted with brick ribbed vaults; the floor level was raised and covered with elongated red-fired tiles in herringbone pattern; the columns and walls were painted with figures of saints and apostles. Outside, the gabled roofs against the tower base were removed, the aisle walls were raised once more, and the nave and aisles were placed under a common gabled roof. In 1644, the choir was also vaulted with stone ribbed vaults by Nicolaas Bocquereau. Furthermore, in 1653, a northern storage room was added, which was significantly enlarged in 1829 designed by architect J. Bresous (Sint-Niklaas); in 1856, a sacristy was built to the south of the choir, designed by architect J. De Somme-Servais (Sint-Niklaas). After an unsuccessful attempt to enlarge the church space in 1880 due to lack of funds, designed by architect P. Van Kerkhove (Ghent), the building only saw restorations, particularly in 1906 under the direction of architects K. Van Namen and O. Van Bogaert (Belsele). Restoration under the direction of architects A. Bressers and M. Hoste (Ghent) is in progress.

Stichting Open Kerken