(Eglise Saint-Nicolas - Namur

The current church was built in the 19th century and is the third of its kind in the old Herbatte district . It was dedicated to the patron saint of the boatmen who were once numerous in the district.

The first parish church was consecrated in 1153 . The church is the place of worship for the Catholic community of the Saint-Nicolas district . The siege of the city of Namur in 1695 had a detrimental effect on the church: when the troops of William of Orange (for the Spanish Netherlands) recaptured the city from Marshal de Villeroy (for Louis XIV), the church was destroyed. However, she was quickly rebuilt.

The tower was demolished in 1837 . Reconstruction began in 1838, as the suburb of Saint-Nicolas was one of the most densely populated areas of the old city. In 1859, the church tower was fitted with a clock, an improvement of great public benefit for this working-class district.

Several large paintings reproduce famous works by well-known painters (such as Rubens' 'Descent from the Cross' ).
Among other things, the statues of Saints Crispin and Crispinien, two cobbler brothers who died as martyrs and were patron saints of tanners, remind us that Sint-Niklaas was once a district of leather workers.

About thirty gravestones from different periods , most on the ground but some attached to the walls, clearly come from buildings older than the current church. They are a reminder of the age of the parish. One of the gravestones dates from 1643.

Willem Vandenameele