Saint Dionysius Church

Parish church St. Dionysius Oriented place of worship in the midst of a grass garden lined with trees, at the height of the cemetery closed in 1806 when it was moved about 250 m to the east. Awning cross statue against the west wall of the south transept. The rectory previously located to the northeast of the church; demolished in 1969. South of the church: war memorial in memory of the Geluwe fallen, designed by architect H. Hoste (Bruges) from 1925. Cubistic "brick sculpture" depicting in high relief Peace and the Flemish lion respectively on the front and back. Originally a Romanesque cross church with a three-nave basilica-style ship and crossing tower. 1555: establishment of the O.L.Vrouwe choir to the north of the main choir. 1565 and 1568: damage due to the iconoclasm mainly concerning church furniture and the tower (fire). Restoration and expansion works including the extension of the main choir and the construction of a south side choir in 1717; possibly also in the 18th century, broadening of the aisles if year stones found here are read as 1740 (south) and 1754 (north). 1911-1912: demolition of the crossing tower, extension of the transept with a protruding north and south traverse, whereby the latter crowned with a tower, and construction of a new southeast sacristy, under the direction of architect J. Carette (Kortrijk). After the heavy damage during World War I, architect A. Latte (Kortrijk) restored the pre-war appearance however omitting the tower spire. Hall church with south transept tower. Exterior architecturally leaning to the neo-Romanesque with regional influences; the hall choirs generally retain their original (late) Gothic appearance. The floor plan reveals: a three-nave ship of three traverses, a protruding transept with arms of two traverses - including a south transept tower with semi-circle in the corner towers - a main choir of two traverses + a half traverse and two side choirs of a straight traverse, to the north with an additional semi-circular stair turret and all with three-sided closure; a southeast sacristy and a north baptismal chapel. Church building constructed of iron sandstone - partly reused Romanesque building material - on a base of Arras sandstone; choir part however with rising masonry of dark bricks alternating with yellow for example for window moldings and corner bands. Use of natural stone with a more homogeneous appearance for moldings of wall openings, windows, tracery, cover plates. Slate roofing. Middle and side aisles under parallel gable roofs. Three west gables set off by buttresses, at the corners provided with cuts. The central gable largely resumes its Romanesque appearance from before 1911: the slightly tapering buttresses up to roof height, the similar auxiliary buttresses on either side of the portal, and the typical decoration of the gable top with almost rectangular niche divided by three semi-circular columns with torus capitals beneath pointed arches. Furthermore, neo-Romanesquely interpreted wall openings: west round-arched portal with three-part archivolt caught by a three-quarter column with leaf capitals, central round oculus with inscribed multi-lobed quatrefoil. Connecting building trend for the flanking gables with rectangular door provided with imposts above which the aforementioned year stones, round-arched two-light, and superimposed light slots with the largest crowned with a quatrefoil. Same neo-Romanesque execution for side walls and north transept gable cf. round-arched wall openings between cut buttresses; also for the square south transept tower of three divisions including with coupled round-arched bell openings and bordered with blind round-arched arcade beneath the tent roof. On the other hand (neo-)Gothic choir part with still original wall sections cf. including north side choir dated 1555 via lighter bricks. Buttresses, at the north side choir only for supporting the base. Round and pointed-arched two-lights with more or less elaborated tracery respectively of brick and natural stone. Southeast sacristy in connected building trend; side step gables. Plastered interior with a spacious character typical of a hall church. Wide pointed-arch ribs of brick on columns of Arras sandstone with octagonal base and capital. Wooden barrel vaults with painted decorations; the belt arches rest on consoles with capitals. In the south transept under the tower: brick cross vault with (similar?) natural stone ribs and openings. Furniture: paintings on canvas from the 18th century: Descent from the Cross (ca. 1705), Adoration of the Shepherds, Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, Jesus with the Emmaus travelers. 19th-century painting: St. Dionysius with his judges. Wooden 18th-century statues of St. Roch and St. Dionysius. Furniture: altars from after World War I, wooden communion rail from ca. 1700, Baroque confessionals dated 1696 and replicas from after World War I, choir stalls from the 18th century, pulpit from ca. 1700 and two brotherhood lists from the 18th century. Archive K.C.M.L., 325. (DECUYPERE D., VUYLSTEKE A., et al.), Regarding Geluwe Parish Church Geluwe, 1976. HUYS E., History of Geluwe, third revised edition introduced by N. MADDENS and updated by D. DECUYPERE, Tielt, 1977, p. 60-72. (DESMIDT F.), The Romanesque Church Architecture in West Flanders, (Ghent), 1940, p. 170-173. ROOSE-MEIER B., Photo repertory of the furniture of the Belgian places of worship, Province of West Flanders, District of Wervik, Brussels, 1977, p. 14-16.

Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen