Saint Andrew's Abbey Sevenkerken with associated school

Zevenkerken number 4. Sint-Andries Abbey "Zevenkerken" with its associated school located in a wooded area. The building stock of the abbey and the associated school has been developed in phases. 1893: Gerard van Caloen, a monk at the Abbey of Maredsous, is commissioned by Pope Leo XIII to reorganize the Benedictine order in Brazil. 1899: Dom Gerard van Caloen moves into his mother's house on Hogeweg in Sint-Andries. The house was made habitable to accommodate a monastic community. 1900: Senator Léon van Ockerhout, Gerard's uncle, makes land available from the Beisbroek estate (previously owned by the old Sint-Andries Abbey) for the establishment of an abbey that is to train missionaries, followed by other noble families. The area was seven hectares large. In addition to the farm, the site included some sandy fields and beech and pine forests. 29/04/1901: the works started according to the plans of Dom Ludgerus Rincklake (monk-architect), a Benedictine in Maria-Laach. A traditional abbey plan was chosen. It comprises a square of four cloister corridors around a garden. On the north side, facing east, is the church; on the east side is the chapter house; on the west side is the refectory, and on the south side is the library. The cells of the monks were perpendicular to the cloister corridors. 06/06/1901: the laying of the first stone of the abbey complex. 17/06/1901: the pope confirms the establishment of the abbey. 08/09/1902: the consecration of the still unfinished abbey complex by Bishop Waffelaert. 07/04/1903: the laying of the first stone of a second wing with twenty cells. 1906: completion of the second wing on the south side, the Sint-Anselmus wing. 23/07/1906: on the west side, the kitchen, the refectory, and part of the guest accommodation were completed. 03/10/1907: laying of the first stone of the church. The church of St. Etienne-le-Rond in Bologna undoubtedly served as a model. A church was built surrounded by six other churches. Together they represented the seven major basilicas of Rome. The seven churches were erected in their own style. 1907-1908: the first school year of the apostolic college, founded to educate and train children and youth. 1908: construction of the abbey wing. 1909: expansion of the monastery with a range of links and two wings with cells. 1910: foundation of the abbey school. 1911: construction of the abbey school. 1912: the German artist Andreas Weiss was commissioned to further complete the abbey. He first decorated the wall of the refectory, where a reproduction of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci was applied. He then began decorating the apse, where he depicted Christ as the source of life in the upper register, surrounded by various saints worshiped in Sint-Andries, based on the mosaics of Ravenna. 1919: reopening of the school. 1923: start of work on the guest accommodation wing, where a dormitory with forty alcoves for the students was built on the second floor. Other wings followed. 1927: the church in basilica form with the choir for the monks and the church for Mary with central layout were connected by means of a crossing tower, an octagonal tower. The façade of the church, which faced west, had to be dismantled and rebuilt on the north side. Architect Jozef Viérin (Bruges) was responsible for drawing the plans. 1930: completion of work on the church. 1940: the abbey is converted into a military hospital. 1951: construction of a new wing designed by architect Viérin, housing, among other things, the library. This doubled the area of the monastery. A portion of the garden was sacrificed, a new courtyard was added to the other two, and a lecture room rose from the ground. 1992: construction of a new wing at the abbey school.

In its current form, the complex consists of buildings from 1902 with extensions to date, roughly grouped around two courtyards. Imposing façade of the church (1), the sacristy (2), the entrance building with associated meeting rooms (3), adjoining the buildings of the abbey school (4) on the west side, on the north side the novitiate and the clergy (5), on the east side of the building (6) the cells of the monks (7), the chapter house (8), and the later extensions from 1951 (9) where, among other things, the library is housed.

1. Church.

Church consisting of a main church with a pseudo-basilica layout, an atrium with a colonnade, a Marian chapel in central construction, and several side chapels, all dressed in a different style. Atrium with cross vaults between belt arches, resting on pilasters with natural stone capitals. Central portal in a natural stone framing, with band and scrollwork and the symbols of the four evangelists. Arch field with tile tableau in relief, depicting Christ, signed "M. MARTENS 1950".

Materials. Red brick combined with natural stone for the ornamentation.

Main church with a three-nave ship, side aisles with one side having a straight closure for the St. Paul’s chapel and the other a semi-circular closure for the St. John’s chapel, a choir, and a semi-circular finished deep apse adjoining the building. The main nave is vaulted with a wooden ceiling supported by tie beams resting on console stones. One side aisle is provided with a cross vault enclosed between belt arches, and the other with a wooden coffered ceiling. Floor: combination of marble and mosaic tiles.

Round arch arcade on columns covered with marble slabs. Main altar dedicated to St. Peter and his brother Andreas, patron of the abbey. Fresco by Andreas Weiss depicting a enthroned Christ with his apostles. St. Paul’s chapel dressed in Renaissance style with frescoes by Weiss depicting the Trinity amidst choruses of angels. Altars dedicated to St. Joseph and St. Benedict are provided with a mural by H. Charlier depicting the key events in the life of Benedict. St. John’s chapel dressed in Gothic style.

Crossing or octagonal middle tower. The former atrium was fitted in 1927 with a crossing tower designed by architect Jozef Viérin (Bruges). Consisting of a high-placed wooden dome vault on a tambour containing three lights. Wooden tie beams resting on natural stone console stones. Below, a round arch frieze.

Dome chapel of Mary in central construction. Plinth provided with blue glazed tiles. Niches each equipped with an altar. Mosaic floor.

Furniture. Main altar with ciborium from 1910. Crucifix and candlesticks from 1951 designed by Michel Martens. Oak choir stalls designed by Edouard Schmitz from 1911-1912. The backrests are decorated with Romanesque motifs. Second part, without decoration from 1928.

2. Sacristy. Located south of the church. Red brick construction of two stories and four bays under a slate gabled roof. The façade is rhythmically divided by continuous round arch niches. Cut support. Horizontal lining with geometric brick frieze and cornice on wooden blocks. On the raised ground floor, round-arched windows with stained glass, on the upper floor paired round arch windows. Interior. Three-nave space with barrel vaults between belt arches resting on two Tuscan columns. Multi-colored tiled floor. Oak paneling with built-in cabinets. Provided with panels with geometric patterns.

3. House chapel south of the church.

Housed in a higher tower extension with a slate conical spire beneath a brick round arch frieze. Opened up with round arch windows provided with stained glass infill. Interior. Neo-Gothic single-nave chapel with a semi-circular finished apse. Cross rib vaults resting on pilasters. Plastered and painted walls decorated with stencils.

4. Entrance building.

Red brick construction under a slate gable roof. Centrally articulated as a risalit with a pointed gable finished at the top with a round arch frieze resting on natural stone console stones. Opened up with round arch windows and round arch door under a slate gabled roof resting on natural stone console stones. Central risalit flanked by flat façades, on the ground floor with two lights in round arch niches and on the upper floor connected round arch windows. Interior. Three-nave entrance. Mosaic floor with the coat of arms of the Sint-Andries Abbey at the center. Tuscan columns on a pedestal with claw pieces and capitals with reptiles.

5. Abbey school located west of the monastery buildings.

U-shaped floor plan. The so-called "Moorish Hall" housed in a volume of two stories under a slate gabled roof. Accessible via an entrance articulated as a risalit with a round arch door and topped with a round arch frieze. Rectangular wall openings, on the ground floor alternately two and three lights under relieving arches, arch fields with colorful brick infill. Interior. The so-called "Moorish Hall" plays an important role in the circulation on both the ground floor and the upper floor with wooden walkways. Wooden vault with tie beams on natural stone console stones. Yellow brick walls enlivened by the use of glazed tiles. On the ground floor provided with a colorful plinth. Colorful square panels with diamond motifs. Against the roof, a frieze with diamond motifs. Great variety in wall openings. Round arch doors, some with attached transom windows with natural stone button capitals resting on natural stone lintels and console stones. Centrally, two round arch passages that provide access both outside and to the stairwell. Stairwell with a bluestone landing staircase and wrought iron railing. Colorful tiled floor with diamond motifs.

6. Building.

Cloister laid out around a square inner courtyard and consisting of four single-story cloister ranges and nine bays under a slate tent roof built against the wings of two stories high. Anchored brick flat façade. Window openings are conceived as three lights with bluestone button capitals.

Interior. Wooden vault with wooden tie beams resting on natural stone console stones. Mosaic floor. Richly crafted baroque portals provide access to the refectory and the church.

7. Chapter house

Red brick construction under a slate gabled roof. End gable is semi-circular. Facades opened up with paired two lights and three lights with natural stone columns with elaborately carved capitals. Interior. A single-nave space semi-circular finished. Two and three lights with natural stone columns. Multi-colored cement floor with geometric motifs. Wooden vault with paintings resting on natural stone console stones with acanthus leaves. Furniture. Oak paneling with benches. Stations of the Cross by Brangwyn (before 1940). Stained glass windows by Brangwyn and Michel Martens.

8. Farm

Farm consisting of loose components grouped around a partly paved courtyard. Low brick constructions, white-painted above a black parged plinth, under gable roofs covered with Flemish tiles. Residential house with two + two upper room bays. Rectangular wall openings with preserved joinery and traces of shutters cf. thumbs. Stable and barn also housed in low volumes. Open wagon shed rhythmically arranged by round arch arcade.

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