Collegiate church Saint-Hadelin of Celles

Remarkably well preserved, the church of Celles is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in the Maasland.

The church, built on the site of Saint Hadelin's retreat at the end of the 7th century , is the heir of a monastic foundation that housed a college of canons from the 10th century, later the seat of a place of pilgrimage. As a student of Saint Remacle, he evangelized the region and founded a monastery. With several miracles attributed to the saint, the village became an important pilgrimage site and the monks built this collegiate church in the 11th century, which has changed little since then. The memory of the saint is still alive in the village as he is celebrated annually on February 3 or the following Sunday.

Built of lime and sandstone rubble, it dates from before the 12th century , while the crypt , located under the choir, dates from the 9th century . The church has the shape of a Latin cross with three naves and two rows of pillars. The facade consists of a front part flanked by two semi-circular stair towers . It is topped by a four-tiered western tower . The tower is crowned with an octagonal spire flanked by four small spires. The church is open to the public all year round.

Inside the church you can admire numerous Gothic treasures: the choir stalls , one of the oldest in Belgium (13th century), a bluestone lectern (probably from the 16th century), the bluestone baptismal font decorated with corner heads (16th century ), statues of the Virgin and Saint John in polychrome wood (16th century), and blue stone holy water fonts believed to date from the 13th century. There are also beautiful stained glass windows dating back to 1600 and depicting various scenes from the New Testament, as well as interesting tombstones , especially the black marble one that houses the remains of Rasse de Celles and his wife .

The church also houses two crypts, one to the west, located under the tower and the other to the east, under the choir.

Willem Vandenameele