Chapel of the Monastery of the Crosiers - Tournai

In 1284, Jehan Gui de Châtillon, lord of Saint-Jean des Chauffours, donated buildings to the brothers of the Order of the Holy Cross , thus making the foundation of the monastery possible.

In 1446 the current church was built on the site of the original chapel. In 1782, Joseph II decided to abolish 126 monasteries that he considered useless. The monastery will then be transformed into a cavalry barracks.

The chapel of the Crosier Monastery has stood the test of time. Over the years it underwent various uses as a hayloft, stable, coal yard, riding school and was finally converted into a gymnasium in 1953.

The church is a Gothic building made of Tournai stone, with the exception of the south wall (interior) which is made of brick and to which the monastery was attached. The chapel is a sober single-aisled building of eleven bays, closed by a five-sided apse and covered with a high slate roof. The interior is covered by a beautifully preserved 17th-century ribbed vault . As an extension of the chapel, an old portal and old outbuildings complete the picture.

At the rear, between the barracks and rue de la Galterie Saint-Jean , there is another large building from the 17th century, which was part of the monastery.

Willem Vandenameele