Eglise Sainte-Walburge - Wéris

The 11th century Romanesque church is located in the old village cemetery and marks the historic center of the village.

The building is constructed of limestone rubble, puddingstone and ferruginous sandstone. One of the special features of Wéris is the use of poudingue , a rock composed of pebbles bonded together by a very resistant natural cement. Extracted from local quarries, this rock can be found in the masonry of the church and several traditional farmhouses, but is also used for the construction of dolmens and menhirs!

The Sainte-Walburge church is characterized by a series of volumes composed of a tower, three naves , a semicircular choir flanked by a sacristy and, later, a Gothic chapel. This seigniory chapel has basket arch windows. The square tower is the oldest part. Once pierced with embrasures, it served as a shelter for the inhabitants of Wéris in times of danger.

Inside the building, the "cul-de-four" (quarter sphere) vaulted apse is a particular feature of the Romanesque period. There are numerous stone and funerary crosses incorporated into the walls, as well as a number of wooden statues, especially that of Sainte-Walburge from the 16th century, a statue of Saint-Roch (Deltour school) and a Virgin and Child.

Willem Vandenameele